Today, we made a fun salt dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road map. And grab my unit study and on my page Daniel Boone – North American Explorer.
Are you studying US expansion or perhaps specializing in a Daniel Boone Unit Study?
You must include this fun hands-on salt dough map of Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road.
Salt dough is an easy and forgiving medium to work with for homeschool projects.
It’s perfect to include in any number of studies.
Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company in 1775 from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap.
It was steep and narrow. And could only be traveled on foot or by horseback.
The Cumberland Gap was a notch in the Appalachian Mountains near the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.
Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map Facts
- The trail was begun on March 10, 1775.
- Boone was chosen by The Transylvania Company because he was considered the most experienced and knowledgeable explorer of the area.
- Boone and 35 axmen cut the trail from Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee through the forests and mountains to what is now known as Lexington, Ky.
- The Wilderness Road enabled the growth of the first settlements such as Boonsboro, Benjamin Logan’s, and Harrod Town.
- It has been estimated that as many as 300,000 settlers traveled the Wilderness Road from 1775 to 1810.
- Use of the road began to decline by 1840. The opening of the National Road and water travel like steamboats and ferries became a more popular way to travel.
- A segment of Wilderness Road was one of the first roads to be paved in the United States.
A great reference book that you can use is The 50 States.
It is a big colorful book full of images of each state on a two page spread.
It has smaller illustrations of people and places, and lots of great facts and information on each one.
Geography of the Wilderness Road
To add to this study, you could spend a time learning about the states along his route like Kentucky.
And Tennessee
As well as through Virginia.
If you want something for middle and high school, you might opt instead for something like this Merriam Webster Student Atlas.
Creating a salt dough map is a great way to learn specifically about history through Daniel Boone and the Trail he blazed.
Too, it is a great overall geography lesson.
Mixing it up, include some math and learn about animals along the trail and you have science.
Write a little about the trail and you have language arts, and of course your creation is a fantastic art project.
You can just cut out the portion of the US that included the Wilderness Road and surrounding areas, but I like to do the whole map.
Doing this, your child can see where it was in relation to everything else.
Then, look at more Daniel Boone activities.
More Daniel Boone North American Explorer Activities
- What Did Daniel Boone Wear And Easy Fringe Shirt Activity for Kid
- 30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
- Daniel Boone Explorer Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
- Daniel Boone Activities Cooking Easy and Delicious Johnny Cakes on the Trail
- Daniel Boone – North American Explorer
- Amazing Daniel Boone Explorer Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study
- Daniel Boone American Frontiersman History Lesson.
- Daniel Boone Exploration DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas.
and add one or two of these fun books.
10 Resources for A Daniel Boone Unit Study
Whether you want to add a hands-on unit study or are looking for a few resources, you'll love one of these.
Struggle against the Shawnee defenders of Kentucky. Drawing from popular narrative, public record, documentation from Boone's own hand, and recollection gathered by 19th-century antiquarians, the author employs the methods of the new social history to produce a portrait that defines Daniel Boone and the times he helped shape.
Called the "Great Pathfinder", Daniel Boone is most famous for opening up the West to settlers through Kentucky. A symbol of America's pioneering spirit Boone was a skilled outdoorsman and an avid reader although he never attended school. Sydelle Kramer skillfully recounts Boone's many adventures such as the day he rescued his own daughter from kidnappers.
The bestselling book—more than 1.5 million copies sold—for every boy from eight to eighty, covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is—now a Prime Original Series created by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Greg Mottola (Superbad).
In this digital age, there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal have put together a wonderful collection of all things that make being young or young at heart fun—building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, and flying the world's best paper airplanes.
From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.All ages
Written for readers age 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults!In search of open spaces and land to call his own, Daniel Boone fearlessly led a band of brave settlers into the bountiful Kentucky wilderness. Daniel's expert hunting ability, incredible outdoor survival skills, and courage under fire helped his companions stay alive in a dangerous and unknown land despite threatening encounters with soldiers, Indians, and even other settlers.
The book includes the following pockets:
- Introduction to Explorers of North America
- Christopher Columbus
- John Cabot
- Hernando Cortes
- Jacques Cartier
- Sir Francis Drake
- Henry Hudson
- Daniel Boone
- James Cook
- Lewis and Clark
- John Wesley Powell
Born in Pennsylvania in 1734, Daniel Boone cut a path west, carving his name into trees. Although he endured repeated property losses, he became a household name and was greatly admired for his surveying skills and the many claims he laid, opening the west for further settlement.
Gear up for outdoor adventure, learn to stay alive, and help yourself thrive – feeling confident that you can handle whatever comes your way!
Accidents happen and nature can be unpredictable, which is why this ultra-portable survival kit is a must-have for casual nature explorers and slightly more adventurous campers in need of essential outdoor guidance that they can carry along with them.
Titles In This Set:The Blizzard ChallengeThe Desert ChallengeThe Jungle ChallengeThe Sea ChallengeThe River ChallengeThe Earthquake ChallengeThe Volcano ChallengeThe Safari ChallengeThe Cave ChallengeThe Mountain ChallengeThe Arctic ChallengeThe Sailing Challenge
A general account of the life of the prominent American frontiersman who is especially remembered for helping to settle Kentucky
Finally, look at how to create this salt dough map.
Besides just marking the original trail of the Wilderness Road we also continued along in a different color showing the path of the Great Valley Road.
That road is traveled by Native Americans who called it the Great Warriors Path. It started in Pennsylvania and stretched to Boone’s Wilderness Road. It really helps tie the two time periods together.
How to Create Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
You will need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salt
- ½ to ¾ cup of water
- Paint or markers
- 2 Printouts of a US Map
- Gallon Ziploc bag
- Large bowl for mixing
- Spatula
- Measuring cups
- Skewer or toothpick
Print 2 copies of a US map.
Trim the edges down so that it fits in a gallon ziploc.
And then place inside the bag. Using the link above, there is both a labeled and unlabeled map.
Print one of each and set one aside.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl until mixed well.
Add water a little at a time until you get a playdough consistency.
You do not want your dough to be sticky and wet but neither should it be crumbly.
We need a baby bear porridge situation here… just right.
Knead dough for 2-3 minutes by hand to make sure it is all well combined.
Once you are satisfied with the consistency of your dough you can begin spreading it out all over the map in the bag.
To get a thinner and even thickness roll it out with a rolling pin.
Or just use a smooth jar to make it a quarter inch thick or less.
This will help it dry faster and reduce the risk of mold growing.
Cut away the excess using a craft stick,
If you cut too much it’s very simple to press and pinch the dough to straighten up your edges of the map.
Take your second paper map print out and trace Daniel Boone’s Journey.
We also traced the Mississippi River as a landmark to show that the trail was on the eastern side of it.
Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map Activity
Lay the map over your salt dough map.
Lining it up as closely as you can.
Then use a skewer or toothpick to trace the trail by poking over the lines into the dough
Remove the paper and deepen your marks a little to give them definition.
Pinch up the dough just a bit along the area where the Appalachian Mountains would be.
Add a little muted paint if you like to give it some more texture.
You can use a marker or paint on a very thin brush to trace the river and the routes.
But paint will allow you to do it right away instead of waiting on your salt dough map to dry.
You can either let your map sit undisturbed to dry or bake at 200 degrees until completely dry.
If you are air drying, flip the map over after 24 hours and let it sit another day.
Continue flipping back and forth until completely dried out.
If you want to preserve your map longer you can give it a couple coats of mod podge or spray it with a couple coats of clear sealer outdoors.
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