With banjo, guitar, bones, spoons, washboard, jaw harp, Native American water drum and more, Dave leads students on a fun-filled musical journey back to 19th-century America.
Starting with the Cumberland Gap, Lewis and Clark, and the Erie Canal, this program walks students across the Mississippi River and out to Oregon and California as they answer questions, act out songs, move, laugh, sing, wonder and inquire.
Topics covered include the motivations to move west, the routes, the wagon trains, the Gold Rush, relations with – and effects on – the Native people, and more.
Optional songwriting session available after the concert – write your own song about the westward movement, from one of many different perspectives!
Adaptable for K-8, 45-50 minutes
“Your assembly program was great! The teachers never give me positive feedback like that.”
– Johnna Carr, PTO, Sandy Creek Elementary, Franklin PA
