Covered Wagon Game- Oregon Trail & Westward Expansion Activity for 3rd–5th Grade

Bring westward expansion to life with this hands-on Covered Wagon Game, perfect for 3rd–5th grade social studies! Everything is included. Students step into the year 1845 and make real decisions pioneers faced as they prepared for a five-month journey along the Oregon Trail. Using packing lists, supply cards, a scorecard, and 12 Trail Event Cards, students must choose wisely, stay under their wagon’s 1,000-pound limit, and survive the journey west.

This immersive game teaches decision-making, problem-solving, pioneer life, natural hazards, and critical thinking—all while making history FUN and memorable. Everything needed to play is included: student pages, supply cutouts, scorecards, event cards, and instructions.

This activity works beautifully as a classroom game, centers activity, small-group rotation, or homeschool.

✨ What’s Included (8 Pages, full color)

✔ Teacher & Student Instructions

Explains the scenario, packing rules, and how scoring works.

✔ Covered Wagon Printable

Students glue their chosen supply cards onto their wagon page and calculate total weight.

✔ Wagon Packing List

Includes item weights and purposes for 20+ real pioneer supplies—flour, salted meat, water barrels, tools, medicine chest, blankets, lanterns, spare wheel, and more.

✔ Supplies Cutouts + Scorecard

Illustrated supply images students cut, sort, and glue, plus a scorecard for tracking survival points.

✔ 12 Trail Event Cards

Authentic scenarios such as:

• Heavy rainstorm
  
• Broken wagon wheel
  
• Running low on food
  
• Crossing a river
  
• Prairie windstorm
  
• Campfire accident
  
• Illness on the trail
  
• Friendly trade
  
• Traveling at night
  
  How to Win: Students gain or lose points depending on what they packed. The most points wins.

*If playing alone, students will play multiple times, trying to beat their score.

📘 Standards AlignmentC3 Framework (Grades 3–5)

• D2.His.1–4: Historical context, sequencing, and comparing daily life
  
• D2.Geo.2 & 4: Human–environment interaction and geographic challenges
  
• D2.Eco.1: Economic decision-making (limited resources, weighing needs)
  
• D2.Civ.12: Civic virtues such as responsibility and planning
  

Common Core ELA Integration

• RI.3–5: Reading informational text (instructions, supply purposes, event cards)
  
• SL.3–5: Group collaboration & discussion
  
• W.3–5: Optional writing extension (“If I were traveling west…”)
  

Typical State Social Studies Standards

• Westward Expansion
  
• Oregon Trail & pioneer life
  
• Hardships and decision-making on the trail
  
• Geography of migration routes
  
• Understanding daily life in the 1800s
  

🎯 Perfect For

• 3rd–5th grade social studies
  
• Oregon Trail & Westward Expansion units
  
• Homeschool history lessons
  
• Classroom centers or small-group instruction
  
• Review, enrichment, or end-of-unit activity
  

*This is a project from our full-year Early American History curriculum.