Activated Stories Family Podcast - Red Riding Hood and the End of the Oregon Trail

September 17, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Lifestyle News
Oregon City, OR
From the End the Oregon Trail, the Act!vated Storytellers discuss pioneers and tell the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”. And Zephyr gives a report about "Not Back to School" camp.

Back in 1843 families started heading west. They heard the stories of a better life. They saved up about $900 dollars ($100,000 in today’s market) and made their way to Independence or St. Joseph Missouri to hook up with a wagon train. Loading 2000 lbs of supplies into a small closet sized wagon they were off on a 4-6 month journey following the Little Blue River northwest. They left in May headed west past Chimney Rock where they stopped to sign their names and on to Independence Rock hopefully by the 4th of July, past the Rocky Mountains along the Snake River and to the Oregon Territory. By the way, the Oregon Territory at that time included not only Oregon but Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.

The pioneers on the Oregon Trail were primarily well educated families who brought books with them and continued to school there kids on the trek. Find out a bit about roadschooling back then and now. Books by Hans Christen Anderson and titles such as "Little Women", "Hamlet", "The Robber Kitten", or "Little Red Riding Hood" could be found bouncing along with the bacon, coffee, rice and churning butter. So this week at http://activated.libsyn.com you can listen to the story of the little girl in the red cloak on her way to grandmother's house and learn about the Oregon Trail.

Act!vated Storytellers consists of the multi-talented Goza family: company founders Dennis and Kimberly, and their 15-year-old son Zephyr. Zephyr is home-schooled, or rather road-schooled, as the family maintains its busy touring schedule all year. The Gozas began touring nationally in 1992, giving up their apartment in San Francisco, and never looked back. Their itinerary now keeps them on the road 365 days, performing coast to coast.

The company has presented thousands of performances for audiences ages 2 to 102 in 44 states (plus D.C.) at schools, libraries and other places. Children love their highly physical performance style, their imaginative props, and their unique stage set simulating a gigantic book. Adults appreciate their witty scripts that teach without preaching, and the way that they relate their productions to literature and reading.

Act!vated Stories Podcasts can be heard online at http://activated.libsyn.com on any computer with just about any media software – such as Window’s Media Player or iTunes, or downloaded to your iPod.

More information about the Act!vated Storytellers is at www.Activated-Storytellers.com.