#9575
ONE MORE MOUNTAIN
DISNEY EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTIONS, 1994
Grade Levels: 7-10
90 minutes
DESCRIPTION
In 1846, hundreds of Americans traveled the Oregon Trail to California. Margaret Reed, a
wealthy, proud woman, becomes a reluctant member of the Donner party of emigrants. After
an early winter storm closes mountain passes, she struggles to keep her family alive.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Subject Area: United States History - Era 4 - Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
Standard: Understands how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid
expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed American lives and led to
regional tensions
• Benchmark: Understands elements of early western migration (e.g., the lure of the
West and the reality of life on the frontier; motivations of various settlers; Mormon
contributions to the settlement of the West; differences in the settlement of California
and Oregon in the late 1840s and 1850s; routes taken by settlers of the Western U.S.;
interactions between settlers and Native Americans and Mexicans in the western
territories). (See Instructional Goals # 1, 2, and 3)
INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS
1. To understand the meaning and the importance of the westward expansion.
2. To depict the historical period in which the westward expansion took place.
3. To introduce the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the mountain ranges the emigrants
had to cross.
4. To examine the infamous Donner Party.
5. To depict the hardships and challenges of the journey west in the mid-1800s.
VOCABULARY
1. open spaces 11. emigrant
2. territory 12. abandon
3. struggle 13. hazardous
4. determined 14. journey
5. courageous 15. banished
6. wagon train 16. folly
7. covered wagon 17. mad (crazy)
8. westward migration 18. bounty
9. shortcut 19. hide (animal skin)
10. mountain ranges
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE (800) 237-6213 TTY (800) 237-6819 FAX (800) 538-5636 EMAIL info@cfv.org WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
BEFORE SHOWING
1. Locate maps of the Oregon Trail and California Trial used for emigrants to travel west in the
mid-1800s. Consider the time involved to make the trip.
2. Discuss family life in the mid-1800s. Consider life in urban areas and life in a wagon train.
3. Consider taking a 2000 mile journey in the 1800s.
a. What would you take and why?
b. What would be some of the challenges? How would you face them?
AFTER SHOWING
f Discussion Items and Questions
1. How were the Reeds different from most of the other families on the wagon train? Why did
the other families resent the Reeds? How did they entertain themselves?
2. What animals did the settlers bring with them? Which ones were used for food and which
for transportation?
3. What were some typical meals on the journey west? How did this change during the
journey?
4. How did the wagon train party communicate with people who were far away?
5. What happened to change James’s desire to take advantage of the Hastings Cutoff?
6. What were some of the crucial points, critical decisions, and disappointments in the story?
7. Why is James Reed forced to leave his family and go on alone?
8. What things made the journey increasingly difficult?
9. What were the most serious challenges faced by the Reed family?
10. Why did the family spend so much time reading about the adventures of Daniel Boone?
How do his adventures reflect on the Reeds’ own story?
11. In what ways does Margaret Reed change during the journey?
12. Why is the coming of winter and the heavy snowfall in the mountains a deciding factor in
the journey?
13. What were the many risks the Reeds and the other emigrants faced on the journey west?
What rewards did they expect to gain after facing those risks?
14. What was life like for the Reed children and the other children who traveled with their
families on the wagon train?
f Applications and Activities
1. Select a character from the video and hypothesize why the characters behaved as they did
in specific scenes. Present as if you are the character talking to the class. Consider using
appropriate costumes and props.
a. James Reed explains why it’s important to move his family to California and undertake
the difficult journey.
b. Margaret Reed describes her fears of the journey.
c. One of the Reed children describes how difficult it is to make the journey west.
d. James Reed explains his feelings of disappointment when he learns that Hastings has
moved on and will no longer help him find a shortcut through the mountains.
e. After James is forced to leave the family, Margaret tells about her determination to
survive and what she will do to take care of her children.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE (800) 237-6213 TTY (800) 237-6819 FAX (800) 538-5636 EMAIL info@cfv.org WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
2. Write an imaginary diary entry of characters from the video as Margaret Reed, James Reed,
or one of the Reed children. Read parts of actual diaries of people who made the trip. (See
Related Resources.)
3. Develop a set of rules and regulations that would be needed to govern a wagon train
community. Consider the following.
a. How will the leader be selected?
b. How will violent behavior be dealt with?
c. How will food be shared when supplies become limited?
d. How will decisions be made?
e. What route will the wagon train take?
4. Research the fate of the Donner party. (See Related Resources.)
RELATED RESOURCES
• Settling the Oregon Territory #2682
CAPTI
CAPTI
MEDIA
NED
NED • The Donner Party #7713
MEDIA PROGRAM
PROGRAM
• The Oregon Trail: One Family’s Journey #8846
World Wide Web
The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; they were selected by
professionals who have experience in teaching deaf and hard of hearing students.
Every effort was made to select accurate, educationally relevant, and “kid safe” sites.
However, teachers should preview them before use. The U.S. Department of
Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media Program do
not endorse the sites and are not responsible for their content.
• THE END OF THE OREGON TRAIL
http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/index.html
This site includes The Oregon History Library which has frequently asked questions about the
Oregon Trail, a diagram of a typical Oregon Trail wagon, lists of provisions and prices, detailed
history of the Oregon Trail, and in-depth information regarding women on the Oregon Trail with
a whole section of emigrant biographies and pioneer diaries.
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE (800) 237-6213 TTY (800) 237-6819 FAX (800) 538-5636 EMAIL info@cfv.org WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
• OREGON-CALIFORNIA TRAILS ASSOCIATION
http://www.octa-trails.org/home.asp
A mega-site with information regarding preservation of the trail, a virual tour and also how to
currently visit the historic trails. The Learning Center includes stories, facts, graves information,
related websites, emigrant profiles, lesson plans, and quizzes.
• NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE WEST
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/
This PBS site covers history of the American west from 1500–1917 including people, places,
events, and an interactive quiz. Resources include archives of journals and diaries, related
links, and frequently asked questions.
• THE DONNER
PARTY
Related resources
and teacher’s guide
on the fate of the
Donner Party’s trip
over the Oregon
Trail.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/
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Captioned Media Program
VOICE (800) 237-6213 TTY (800) 237-6819 FAX (800) 538-5636 EMAIL info@cfv.org WEB www.cfv.org
Funding for the Captioned Media Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Education
