This teacher's guide includes a collection of chapter overviews, themes, standards-based activities, historical overviews, and additional resources relating to each chapter of Patty Reed's Doll: The Story of the Donner Party by Rachel K. Laurgaard and published by Tomato Enterprises. Narrated by the doll Patty Reed carried along the trail in her pocket, this book tells the stories of the Donner Party's westward migration and fateful experiences in the Sierra-Nevada mountains. The guides were designed by third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers as part of the Clark County School District's Teaching American History Grant module on westward migration. During the module, teacher participants were provided with picture and chapter books relating to nineteenth century exploration of the United States. Each module participant selected one picture book or several chapters of a chapter book for which they would prepare a teacher's guide. These guides are accessible via the links on the left.

If you have any questions about this guide, please contact Christy G. Keeler, Ph.D., this blog's designer and the pedagogy scholar for the module. You may also enjoy visiting other grant module blogs. Each module was five weeks long with a focus on an historical era (taught by Drs. Michael Green and DeAnna Beachley) and pedagogical technique (taught by Dr. Keeler). The modules include:



Patty Reed's Doll
Housed in the Sutter's Fort State Historical Park Museum in Sacramento, California