Play Oregon Trail BUT Read This First
From: Zinn Education Project
Grade Level: (HS), (College)
Remote Ready: Yes!
Time: 1 class period or more
Length of Reading: Pages
Link: Oregon Trail Computer Game but read this first: On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of Oregon Trail
Play the Oregon Trail computer game BUT read this article first: On the Road to Cultural Bias: A Critique of Oregon Trail. It's a 12-page article giving you historical context for the game.
More Information:
Grade Level:
(HS), (College): There is no specified age group for this activity; however, we think it would be well suited for high school and college students
This Activity Involves:
Game: When this icon is present, students play a game (video, board, puzzle, strategy, etc).
Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources.
"Screenshot: The Oregon Trail." Forbes, 18 August, 2025, https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2017/11/27/the-surprising-story-behind-how-the-oregon-trail-was-built-without-access-to-a-computer/.
