Choose two of the groups that were featured in this lesson (missionaries, Mormons, Chinese immigrants, and forty-niners) and think about what their individual experiences may have been like as they forged new lives on the western frontier. Put yourself in their shoes as you review what you have learned about this era. Then write a "letter home" from each of these two people from their unique points of view. Directions: Use the questions below to help you brainstorm ideas for each letter about a member of a specific group of settlers. Letter 1 What details of their life out west would they want to share with folks back home? What kind of work are they doing? What do they miss about their birthplace? What challenges do they face in their new lives? What interesting events they have witnessed since leaving home?