The Oregon Trail
by Trinklein, Boettcher
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DVD details
Director: Boettcher, TrinkleinDVD: Region Code 1
Format: Collector's Edition, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Special Edition
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-09-01
Studio: Boettcher
DVD Reviews of The Oregon Trail
DVD Review: Great for classroom use.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this for my freshman northwest history class. The video isn't delivered with the polish of a major hollywood production but it's fairly good.
The documentary is divided into 4 half-hour episodes with dividable sections within each. I like that we can watch a section at a time and then stop and ask questions.
I also like that the film uses primary sources quite a bit by quoting newspapers and journals from those that made the journey. While it strives to present the story as unbiased I do feel that it comes up short in its treatment of the native americans views on westward expansion. It's fairly neutral but there's just not much there to work with for initiating a discussion.
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Description of The Oregon Trail
Created by a four-time Emmy-winning filmmaker, "The Oregon Trail" chronicles the great mid-1800s trek across the unsettled American West. One in ten pioneers died along the way; many walked the entire 2,000 miles barefoot; but in the end nearly a half-million Americans followed the ruts west in search of a better life. Rare photos, diary excerpts, and stunning footage tell a fascinating story of tragedy and triumph.This program received first-place awards from the Broadcast Education Association, the Oregon-California Trails Association, and the prestigious Telly Awards.
The film provides a comprehensive overview of the Oregon Trail, including: Lewis and Clark, the Astorians, the Whitmans, the Great Migration of 1843, reasons behind the journey, life on the trail, and encounters with Native Americans. Plus, the program includes background on all the key sites along the way: Ash Hollow, Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluffs, Ft. Laramie, Independence Rock, South Pass, Ft. Bridger, Ft. Hall, Three-Island Crossing, Whitman Mission, Ft. Vancouver, Oregon City, and many more. Two hours in length--divided into 4 half-hour segments.
Why did a half-million Americans walk from Missouri to Oregon? Were they escaping malaria? Seizing land from the British? Seeking out a better life? Classroom-friendly, The Oregon Trail is an easy-to-digest introduction to this historic route, to those who blazed and followed it, and to its pivotal impact on the shape of North America. Although the two-hour series is inefficiently divided between four separate cassettes, each half-hour program is conveniently divided into short two- to four-minute chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect of the journey, perfect for fourth- to eighth-grade classroom viewing and discussion.
Excerpts from men and women's diaries, archival photos, and reenactments help the viewer feel what life must have been like on the trail, capturing the fear, heartbreak, and breathtaking sights early pioneers experienced. The videos dispel myths of Native American violence, explaining that the Cheyenne and Pawnee people were far more likely to offer assistance or trade with the pioneers than to attack them. The series avoids in-depth discussion of politics or placing the trail in a larger historical context, focusing instead on the elements that will be most interesting to students: Did more pioneers die from gunshot wounds or being run over by wagon wheels? Why were oxen better than horses? Why did kids walk instead of ride in the wagons? For anyone curious about what life was like on the Oregon Trail, this is a great, easy-to-follow introduction. --Tara Chace
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