The 'Pedaling Pioneer': Jackson teacher Brad Haertling delivered a new kind of lesson on westward expansion

Aboard his trusty Trek Road Bike, Jackson Middle School teacher Brad Haertling, with the help of co-teacher Rachel Glisson, brought lessons about 19th century westward expansion to Jackson students last summer.

Retracing the Oregon Trail, Haertling pedaled 1,100 miles from Casper, Wyoming, to Oregon City, Oregon, and 950 miles along that route the previous year.

With Glisson's help, he brought the experience home to 85 students through videos, FaceTime, blogs and tweets. Glisson used those components to supplement the lessons showing students the conditions and terrain that pioneers faced and the importance of communication.

Brad Haertling retraced the Oregon Trail and averaged 60 miles per day on his bicycle. (Photo submitted by Brad Haertling)

Haertling, also known as the "Pedaling Pioneer," was supported by grants from the Jackson R-2 Foundation.

"It's OK to read or discuss something that happened in history in the classroom, but it's really meaningful to actually do or re-enact that event and share it," he says.

Haertling's wife, Shelia, followed him in their truck, and they spent some nights in it to avoid hazards on the trail, such as rattlesnakes, he says.

The summer of 2014 was different from the summer of 2013 because it was more remote, Glisson says, noting Haertling had to have a more careful plan and didn't stay in hotels much. He went an average of 60 miles each day, but his highest total was 93.

"And it was mountainous and windy, and when you're on a bike, that makes a difference," Haertling says.

Brad Haertling biking the Oregon Trail. (photo submitted by Brad Haertling)

He's planning another trip, but it probably won't be until summer 2016.

"I have always wanted to ride in Vietnam," Haertling says.

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Chelsea Tornetto was his co-teacher in 2013. She and Glisson say the Oregon Trail lessons were a revelation to students who haven't traveled outside this area.

Reviewing 19th century expansion, Haertling estimated between 250,000 and 500,000 people voluntarily went west, traveling in wagon trains that made it 15 to 20 miles a day.

Students in Glisson's summer school class got to play along by taking on roles of people who were in the wagon trains. They had drawings matching hardships for certain parts of the trail, and they always checked the weather.

Students used primary sources, such as diaries, and talked about communication methods of the time, which were a lot slower than today. The pioneers would often carve messages into rocks, letting those who came after them know they had been there, or offering advice on what to avoid.

Sixth-grader Lexie Grojean says she signed up for the class because history wasn't her strongest subject and she figured it would help her.

"I thought it was really fun. I liked that I got to FaceTime and learn about different things and what you did when bad things happened," she says.

Adds Glisson, "You had to go months without hearing from someone."

Read about Brad Haertling's learning adventure at www.pedalingpioneer.com.