Going West

Pack your wagon—we're heading west! Learners will dive in to one of the most adventurous chapters of American history. This kit is packed with supplies, lessons, and activities to introduce students to the United States Westward Movement of the 1800s.

Follow pioneer families as they cross trails and prairies, face challenges of weather and distance, and work to build new homes on or beyond the frontier. Using stories and hands-on activities, learners will discover what daily life was like for pioneer settlers, why families moved west, and how determination and hope shaped communities across the growing nation. This unit study is interactive and play-based, perfect for curious minds ready to learn about early American history. Your kids will explore the journey, hardships, and discoveries of the Westward Expansion of the United States through hands-on activities like:

• Building and playing with a covered wagon
• Painting pioneer peg people
• Packing a covered wagon and solving weight-limit challenges
• Designing a prairie small-world play scene
• Exploring dandelions and through literature and science
• Creating miniature pioneer clothing, quilts, or handmade accessories
• Mapping major westward trails and routes
• Writing pioneer journal entries and diary pages
• Playing pioneer-era games
• Making paper dolls
• Baking cornbread

AND MORE!

This unit study includes the historical fiction book, Dandelions by Eve Bunting. Early learners will love listening to this beautiful picture book, and advanced learners (and adults!) will dive deeper into the inferences and symbolism that are woven throughout the literature. 

You May Also Enjoy These Themes:
Early American Settlers
American Revolution
Discovering Gold

Schoolhouse Discoveries hands-on unit studies can serve as a core Science and Social Studies curriculum for grades K–4, and a supplement for 5-6th grade. Each kit includes 25+ open-and-go lessons and weaves together Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, Art, STEM, Sensory Play, (and sometimes Cooking, Health, and Movement).

By using multiple themed kits throughout the year, homeschooling families can build a complete, well-rounded curriculum rooted in hands-on, family-style learning.

Have more than one child participating? 
Sibling add-ons are now available as an option when you order your kit. Add one for each additional child to receive another set of printed activity pages and extra supplies (not a full duplicate kit). It’s the easiest way to get everyone learning and creating together—without doubling your prep.

Perfect for homeschoolers, co-ops, or those using charter school funds or educational scholarships.