Pioneer LifePioneer LifeLets explore family from the past!Lets explore family from the past!

Understanding Understanding Pioneer HistoryPioneer History

Living History FarmsLiving History Farms – Let’s take a visit! – Let’s take a visit!

Westward ExpansionWestward Expansion When, why, and how?When, why, and how?

Click on the prairie below to watch a movie and find out!Click on the prairie below to watch a movie and find out!

Why not build a log Why not build a log house?house?

Did all pioneers live in a log Did all pioneers live in a log home? Why or why not?home? Why or why not?

Five Frontiers of the Five Frontiers of the Iowa Pioneers Iowa Pioneers

Indian Land Cessions Indian Land Cessions

Pioneer DetectivesPioneer Detectives

Mystery Photo from Mystery Photo from CampsilosCampsilos

Share with your group your guesses.Share with your group your guesses.

Keep track in your journals what you are thinking!Keep track in your journals what you are thinking!

Also brainstorm other ways you think farming has Also brainstorm other ways you think farming has changed from the past to now.changed from the past to now.

Clearing a field of grasshoppers Clearing a field of grasshoppers in 1875.in 1875.

The environmental problems of raising a crop in a hostile environment The environmental problems of raising a crop in a hostile environment also plagued western farmers. Droughts and bitter winter blizzards, also plagued western farmers. Droughts and bitter winter blizzards, great hail storms sweeping across the prairies that could flatten a great hail storms sweeping across the prairies that could flatten a ripened wheat field in minutes, diseases of grain and animal crops, all ripened wheat field in minutes, diseases of grain and animal crops, all made economic survival perilous. In the 1870s, waves of grasshoppers made economic survival perilous. In the 1870s, waves of grasshoppers moved across the plains at will, devouring everything in their pathmoved across the plains at will, devouring everything in their path

Grasshopper & Locust Grasshopper & Locust BackgroundBackground

Let’s Look at some more information Let’s Look at some more information about the plagues of grasshoppers and about the plagues of grasshoppers and locusts!locusts!

ANNALS OF IOWAANNALS OF IOWAVol. 4, No. 46 July, 1900 Vol. 4, No. 46 July, 1900

THE GRASSHOPPER INVASION.THE GRASSHOPPER INVASION.BY THE LATE EX-GOV. CYRUS C. CARPENTERBY THE LATE EX-GOV. CYRUS C. CARPENTER

Surviving on the Surviving on the Frontier!Frontier!

Would you be a survivor?Would you be a survivor?