Horse and Rider: The Pony Express (Grades 3-5)
Students investigate the importance of the Pony Express to the settlement and expansion of the American West by mapping Pony Express stations.
Background
Lesson Activities
Recommended Companion Resources
Credits
Author
Debra Spielmaker and Lynn Wallin | National Center for Agricultural Literacy (NCAL)
Acknowledgements
Pony Express Horse Breeds Cards Photo Credits:
- "Wild Mustang horses" by Carol M Highsmith is marked with CC0 1.0
- By Ealdgyth - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
- By Laura Behning - Silver Morgan, CC BY 2.0
- Morgan Horses
- Thoroughbred Horses
Sources
- http://auto.howstuffworks.com/horsepower.htm
- https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-pony-express
- https://nationalponyexpress.org/historic-pony-express-trail/founders/
- https://www.nps.gov/poex/index.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/poex/planyourvisit/upload/National-Park-Service-Large-Print-Text-of-Pony-Express-Brochure-508.pdf
- https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/savvy/documents/students/docs/FINAL%20C3%20Fact%20Sheet%209-13-13-1.pdf
Pony Express Station Map:
- https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs6a.htm
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/pony-express-division-three/#wyoming
- http://twainsgeography.com/content/cottonwood-springs-station
- https://bscottholmes.com/content/deer-creek-station-wyoming-pony-express
- https://expeditionutah.com/featured-trails/pony-express-trail/wyoming-pony-express-stations/
Standards
National Content Area Standards
- Social Studies – History
- History Era 4 Standard 2E (Grade 5): The settlement of the West.
- Objective 1: Explore the lure of the West and the reality of life on the frontier.
- History Standard 2A (Grades 3-4): The history of students' own local community and how communities in North America varied long ago.
- Objective 3: Describe local community life long ago. including jobs, schooling, transportation, communication, religious observances, and recreation.
- History Era 4 Standard 2E (Grade 5): The settlement of the West.