The presenter will feature an online primary source that can be used in the social studies classroom to give students insights into life on the Great Plains during the 1870's. In 1877, a teenager detailed in a diary his journey from a small town in Illinois to the prairie in Kansas. Students can use the online diary to learn about many common themes associated with the Great Plains during this era. Some of these include: Timber Culture Act, grasshopper invasions, temperance movement, Texas fever, and many other topics that students will likely find interesting.