HAMPDEN – What was it like to ride in a covered wagon as it made its way across the prairie? How large were the wagons? What did they look like and what were they made of?

Mary Smith’s fifth-grade pupils at Weatherbee School got answers to those questions, thanks to Jon Eames and Rich Heleen, who built a replica of a covered wagon for the pupils when they were studying pioneers.

Having the wagon in their classroom helped the pupils better understand the difficulties of traveling to the West to settle. Pupils also took turns using the wagon as a place to read.