Travel the Santa Fe Trail

Travel The Santa Fe Trail to Kansas Kids Fitness Day

Santa Fe Trail Curriculum (.pdf) |
Santa Fe Trail Addendum (.pdf)

“In 1852, when Marion Russell was seven years old, she set out from Kansas with her mother and brother for California. They traveled in a large wagon train on the most famous route to the Southwest – the Santa Fe Trail.”

Physical activity is our message and the Santa Fe Trail is the journey. You and your third grade students can travel this famous trail with the help of your imaginations and this integrated curriculum guide. Read about Marion Russells’ life in the story Along the Santa Fe Trail and enjoy interesting facts about how the trail began and flourished as a trail of commerce between the United States and Mexico. Then select from a variety of activities in this curriculum to guide your students to a lifetime of health and physical activity.

This curriculum focuses on eight different Kansas sites along the original Santa Fe Trail:

PRARIE VILLAGE RUTS; MCGEE-HARRIS STAGE STATION; COUNCIL GROVE; DIAMOND SPRINGS; RALPH’S RUTS; FORT LARNED; CIMARRON CUTOFF; CIMARRON ROUTE.

Each section provides you with the site location, historical site information, information about the site today, and interesting quotes and facts. Then you are provided a selection of activities for art, language arts, math, music, health/physical education and social studies. Please involve your art, music and physical education specialist by sharing the special activities with them.

Some of you may “travel the trail” as a two-week unit and others may choose to spend a day or two each month “working” and “exploring” the trail. The journey will lead to the final activity in May which is Kansas Kids Fitness Day!

Remember that this guide is just a seed of suggestions and many of the best ideas are still in your mind. Another great source is the teacher next door. Share ideas and successful experiences. Create classroom memories and health habits that your students will never forget. Begin your journey and we will see you in may at Kansas Kids Fitness Day…….

“There have been many things in my life that I have striven to forget, but not those journeys over the Santa Fe Trail. My life, as I look back, seems to have been the best in those days on the trail”
-Marian Russell

Use of the curriculum is recommended prior to Kansas Kids fitness Day, but is not required for participation.