I wonder, I noticed, It was interesting to me that... 4th Grade Responses to Patty Reed s Doll
Chapter 1 Background Info: Springfield, Illinois, 1846 Patty and her family were going on an exciting, and perhaps frightening, journey. Reed Family and Donner Family will be traveling together. 14 children on the journey.
Chapter 1 Assignment: Draw a picture of the Palace Car and glue it to your folder cover. Write a paragraph about how you would have felt if you were in the Reed Family. List things you would need to survive a move out west in a covered wagon as a pioneer.
Chapter 2 Background Info: The First Night Out Fixing dinner. Patty Reed = 8 years old Tommy & Jimmy Reed = Patty s younger brothers Leanna Donner = 12 years old Puss and Elitha Donner = 14 years old
Chapter 2 Assignment: Take notes on what happened in this chapter. Who was Grandma? Why did she want to go on this trip?
Chapter 3 Background Info: From Springfield To Independence Grandma had Western Fever. April 1846. Playing with dolls, playing hide-the-thimble, pressing flowers, sketching.
Chapter 3 Assignment: In what arrangement did the people put the wagons on the first night? Why do you think they did this? Where did Patty keep Dolly at night? What were some of Patty s chores in the morning before they left? How did Grandma keep busy while traveling?
Chapter 4 Background Info: Independence, Missouri. Shopping in town. Meeting Indians in Independence. Meeting Mr. Thornton and the Bogg Family, trying to get with Colonel Russell s California Company.
Chapter 4 Assignment: What were some of the items Mr. and Mrs. Reed bought for the family in Independence? How were the Indians in Independence different from the ones in Grandma s stories? **Draw a picture showing something from this chapter.**
chapter 5 Background Info: Out On The Prairie. Many, many wild flowers. Suddenly, rain hits! Having dessert of strawberries and cream.
Chapter 5 Assignment: What did Patty compare the prairie to? How did the wagons get across the river?
Chapter 6 Background Info: Colonel Russell s Company Singing together. Traveling between Kansas River and Soldier s Creek. Traveling 6 miles a day, when they should be traveling 10 miles a day. Kaw Indians followed the wagons for several days.
Chapter 6 Assignment: How did they get the wagons across the creek when there were steep banks? Why do you think the Kaw Indians seem so hungry and eager to accept anything offered to them?
Chapter 7 Background Info: On The Banks Of The Big Blue The Reed Family had some sadness in this chapter. Grandma Sarah Keyes passed away.
Chapter 7 Assignment: What happened to make the Reed Family sad? Write a paragraph summarizing this chapter.
Chapter 8 Background Info: The Valley Of The Platte Pioneers reach the Platte River area. June 1846. Mr. Reed was worried about the Pawnee Indians. Mackinaw boats on the river, post office. Prairie dog villages, few trees.
Chapter 8 Assignment: What did Jimmy want to catch for his mama? What did the pioneers give to the mountain men to carry back home to their relatives?
Chapter 9 Background Info: Fourth Of July At Fort Laramie Many buffalo. Pioneers celebrating the 4th of July with a parade and singing of The Star- Spangled Banner. Sioux Indians camped on the plains.
Chapter 9 Assignment: How did Puss scare the Siouxs away?
Chapter 10 Background Info: The Rocky Mountains Getting tired. Mosquitoes & buffalo gnats stings. California bound travelers had 2 choices: Go to Fort Hall and turn south Take the new Hastings Cutoff Mr. Reed trusted what Mr. Hastings had told the pioneers about the Hastings Cutoff. The pioneers finally reached the summit of the Rocky Mountains.
Chapter 10 Assignment: Why was the journey becoming more difficult? How many miles would the cutoff save?
Chapter 11 Background Info: Fort Bridger July 1846. This cutoff will save the travelers 350 miles. Milt s buckskin hunting suit.
Chapter 11 Assignment: Draw a picture of Milt and Mr. Reed in their new clothes.
Chapter 12 Background Info: The Hastings Cutoff August 1846. Steep hillsides and narrow ravines. They are at Weber Canyon when they find a letter from Mr. Hastings. The Hastings needed to make some decisions here - Weber Canyon is impossible to go through.
Chapter 12 Assignment: What did Mr. Hastings letter say about the trail ahead? What did the men, women, and children do for the next nine days?
Chapter 13 Background Info: The Valley Of The Great Salt Lake 36 miles in 21 days. Not good. Questioning how trustworthy Mr. Hastings has been.
Chapter 13 Assignment: How would you have felt at this point in your journey?
Chapter 14 Background Info: The Salt Desert Traveling more than 40 miles across the salt desert. Dolly was feeling really hot in Patty s pocket. Seeing mirages. Losing cattle due to thirst. Leaving some wagons behind.
Chapter 14 Assignment: What did the children do to cool their mouths? How did Patty feel when she left her dolls in the desert?
Chapter 15 Background Info: Along The Mary s River October 1846. Teamster dies from knife wound when Mr. Reed was defending himself. Mr. Reed banished from the group. There were signs the Reed Family found along the way that reassured them that Mr. Reed was all right.
Chapter 15 Assignment: What happened in the struggle between Mr. Graves and Mr. Reed? What would you have done to Mr. Reed?
Chapter 16 Background Info: The Truckee Uncle George Donner and the others were happy when they reached the Truckee River area. Help came from Mr. McCutcheon and Mr. Stanton who had been to Sutter s Fort. Patty and Jimmy ride with Salvador, the Indian.
Chapter 16 Assignment: What happy news did the Reed family receive? Why did Mr. Stanton advise the pioneers to travel slowly through the Valley of the Truckee? Draw a picture of what you think the Truckee River looks like. Include the Sierra Nevada Mountains in your picture.
Chapter 17 Background Info: The Sierra Nevadas Snow beginning to fall. Meeting the Breen Family in an old cabin. Can t get to the summit. Hungry children get a Christmas dinner. Deaths. Patrick Breen
Chapter 17 Assignment: What was making the travel so difficult at this time? Describe the Reed s Christmas dinner.
Chapter 18 Background Info: Rescue 7 Rescuers told the Reeds news about California - now part of the United States. Patty and Tommy go back to the cabin, as they were too weak to cross the mountain. Papa comes to rescue others, with sugar cakes. It had been 5 months since they had seen papa. Mother is waiting for their return at Sutter s Fort.
Chapter 18 Assignment: Why was Patty s father delayed in his attempts to rescue his family? What did Patty s father have in his mitten that saved Patty s life?
Chapter 19 Background Info: Sutter s Fort Reaching Sutter s Fort. 40-mile journey from Bear valley to Sutter s Fort. 1 year since they had left Springfield. Donner Girls now orphans.
Chapter 19 Assignment: What almost happened to Dolly? Where did Patty keep Dolly when she was a grown woman? What did Patty say that Dolly must do for future generations?
Book versus Video: (compare and contrast)
www.donnerpartydiary.com/jul46.htm
The emigrants who would later form the Donner Party traveled from the Platte River near Laramie Peak, in what is now eastern Wyoming to Bridger's Fort in what is now southwestern Wyoming.