The Media Library of Genesee Valley BOCES

Compares homes of today with that of early North American settlers. Details the hardships faced by pioneers and how settlers worked together to survive. Discusses the materials and methods used in early home construction

Examines how early pioneer families struggled to survive, their methods of growing food and raising animals, food storage, and the challenges of weather and climate

Viewers will learn about how settlers had to make or build everything they needed and used. Looks at sawmills, gristmills, blacksmiths, and the general store. Discusses how communities and villages grow as more crafts people move into an area

With the help of Lester Conrad, a pioneer scout, students learn who the pioneers were, experience life as a pioneer, and travel along with pioneers as they leave the crowded cities in the east through the frontier for a better life in the West. Relive the journey through the hardships, sacrifices, accomplishments and glory of the pioneers

Gives students an idea of what life was like in the early 19th century on the American frontier. Discusses why and how the West was settled, who the pioneers were, homesteading on the frontier, construction of houses, division of labor, recreation, tent cities, and hardships

In the late 1700s to 1800s, the continental U.S. grew in size from only 13 colonies in the East to stretch across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Join our players in a Pioneer Life adventure game, and follow events and historical figures during the westward expansion. Learn how the Louisiana Purchase and the Gold Rush encouraged the exploration and settlement of the U.S. frontier, and find out how individuals like Daniel Boone and the relationship between settlers and the Native American population impacted the growth of the nation.

In the mid-1800s, thousands of American pioneers traveled over 2,000 miles on overland trails to claim land and make new communities in the U.S. frontier. Join our players in a Pioneer Life adventure game, and learn how pioneer families made their decision to move and how they prepared for the long journey west. Visit everyday life on a wagon train on the Oregon Trail as the pioneers cross hazardous rivers, encounter severe weather and see majestic landmarks. Join them for dinner around the campfire, and celebrate the strength and spirit of the American pioneer

Pioneer communities like trading posts and sodhouses sprang up in the western territories of the U.S. during the 1800s. Join our players in a Pioneer Life adventure game to learn about the difficulties of daily life in these settlements, from cooking in a log cabin to tending animals on a cattle drive. See how geography affected the economy and settlement patterns of this nation from "Wild West" boomtowns to the founding of San Francisco as a major seaport, and discover why the term "pioneer spirit" is used today to show great courage and determination

With the help of Lester Conrad, a pioneer scout, students learn who the pioneers were, experience life as a pioneer, and travel along with pioneers as they leave the crowded cities in the east through the frontier for a better life in the West. Relive the journey through the hardships, sacrifices, accomplishments and glory of the pioneers

A successful lawyer remembers his boyhood in Nebraska and his friendship with an immigrant Bohemian girl named Antonia