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Mountain Men and Fur Trappers
a Journey, a Quest, a WebQuest!

Introduction

The mountain men have always been an important symbol of America's wild frontier, their role in westward expansion was important to the United States. Most mountain men were both adventurous and practical; they came to the wilderness to turn a profit. This desire to make a living and their amazing ability to survive in the wilderness made them ideal trappers during the fur heyday and kept them in the mountains long after the beaver were gone. They became explorers, guides and even government officials. The mountain men did not just wander around the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains creating material for adventure stories and tall tales, they were instrumental in exploring and settling the land west of the Mississippi.

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Process

Remember, unlike the real mountain men you are not alone! Work with your group on all the activities.

Step 1:

• You will need to select four (4) to six (6) research links to read and learn about the mountain men and fur trappers.
• Use the two column notecatcher to help you organize your findings.

Step 2:

• Identify at least one trading post or fort where beaverskins can be traded.
• Draw and label the location and name of the trading post or fort on the Colorado map provided.

Step 3:

• Locate four (4) to five (5) pictures to use in your commercial.

Step 4:

• Develop your commercial using the information you have learned about life as a mountain man and fur trapper.

Step 5:

• Evaluate your newly created commercial using the Commercial rubric.
• Evaluate your effort and your partner's effort on this project using the Participation rubric.
• Present your commercial to the class.

Step 6:

• Congratulations! You are an expert!

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Research