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Here are our Lesson Plans For PE, Health & Safety
These lessons were made to go along with ‘The Little House On The Prairie‘ written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We are planning to go through the whole series and I am keeping track of the different topics we are learning about here on my blog. We hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
On weeks where there are several activities listed just choose a couple that interest you the most to work on.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or subject simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.
Week 1: Chapters 1, 2 & 3
1. Water Safety
- Crossing the creek proved to be very dangerous and scary for the Ingalls family. Watch these videos for some safety tips.
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Name 5 ways to stay safe around water.
2. Games/Outdoor Play
Horses were very useful in many ways during the pioneer times. This game doesn’t involve horses but is a fun game to play.
- Play Horse p. 29 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
Week 2: Chapters 4, 5 & 6
1. Outdoor Exploring Safety
- Laura and Mary had a lot of fun exploring outdoors and you can too. Watch these videos to learn how to stay safe.
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Name 5 things you can do to stay safe.
Cool Outdoor Activities: Great Things to Do in the Great Outdoors
2. Sprains
- Ma got hurt when the log fell and she sprained her ankle. We can get hurt when we are playing and exploring to. Do you know what a sprain is?
- How do you treat a sprain?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- How did the treatment in the video compare/contrast with the way Ma treated her sprain?
3. What is Molasses?
- In our Little House in the Big Woods Adventure we learned about some healthier alternatives to sugar. Do you remember what they were?
- Watch the video to learn about another alternative.
- Watch how molasses is made:
- Discuss what you have learned.
4. Games/Outdoor Play
Mr. Edwards did jumping jacks when Pa played the fiddle. Do you know how to do a jumping jack?
- Play Jumping Jack Tag p. 156 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
Week 3: Chapters 7, 8 & 9
1. Fireplace Safety
- The Ingalls’ family used their fireplace not only to cook but also to keep warm. This means it was essential to use almost everyday. They kids learned how to stay safe around the fireplace and you can too.
- Discuss what you have learned.
- List 5 things you should do to stay safe around a fireplace.
2. Heater Safety
- The Ingalls family used their fireplace to keep warm but many of us don’t have fireplaces. Sometimes people use heaters to keep warm. Let’s learn how to stay safe.
- Sometimes people use things like BBQ grills to heat their home when they can’t use a heater. Do you know why this can be dangerous?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Make a safety checklist for heating your home.
3. Games/Outdoor Play
Laura enjoyed watching all of the animals on the prairie and mentioned the many different types of birds she saw. You can take turns naming the birds while playing this game.
- Play Birdie in the Air p. 93 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
- Play ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’. Click here if you need instructions.
Week 4: Chapters 10, 11 & 12
1. Sun Safety
- The story talks about how hot the sun was on the prairie and mentioned how Mr. Scott didn’t tan but burned. Let’s learn some safety tips for when we are in the sun.
- Discuss what you learned.
- Name something that Ma continued to remind the girls to use to protect them from the sun.
- Do you think the girls tanned or burned? Why?
- What are some ways that we can stay safe in the sun?
- Do you know how to treat a sunburn? Watch this video for tips:
2. Snake Safety
- The girls enjoyed exploring and playing outside. They often saw a lot of different wildlife on the prairie but they knew to stay away from snakes. Let’s learn a little about snake safety and what to do in case you get a snake bite.
- Discuss what you learned.
- Write down the steps to take if you see a snake.
- Write down the steps to take if you get a snake bite.
3. Games/Outdoor Play
- Play Stuck in the Mud p. 157 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
Week 5: Chapters 13, 14 & 15
1. What to do if you get lost.
- The girls often went exploring but made sure not to wander off. It would probably have been easy to get lost on the big prairie. Would you know what to do if you got lost?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Make a list of all the steps to do if you get lost.
- Work on memorizing the information you would need if you got lost.
- name
- phone number
- address
- Click HERE for a FREE printable.
2. Insect Safety
- When the family got sick they didn’t know what had caused the illness. Mrs. Scott had believed it had come from the watermelon but it had actually came from mosquitoes. How can we protect ourselves from mosquitoes and other insects?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- What are some ways that we can prevent bug bites?
3. Calcium for strong bones
- Ma and the girls were excited to see that Pa had brought home a cow as they hadn’t had any milk for a long time. Why is milk so important in our diets?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Name some of the benefits of drinking milk.
- Watch this video to learn about how much calcium we need and other sources of calcium.
- Discuss what you learned.
- What is your favorite calcium rich food? And your least favorite?
- Read about bones and do the activity on p. 52 of Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body
Click HERE to read about the Plains Indian’s diet.
- Discuss what you have learned.
- How does this compare to our diet?
4. Games/Outdoor Play
- Regular exercise is important for strong bones. Watch this video to learn about what exercises can help increase bone density.
- Discuss what you learned.
- Go outside and play 30 minutes and try out some bone strengthening activities.
Bonus:
Did you know that Square Dancing is a good exercise for helping you to have strong bones?
If you haven’t already signed up for classes have your parents check for a local club near you.
Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18
1. Fire Safety
- Ma and Laura acted quickly when there was a fire. Would you know what to do if there was a fire in your home?
- Watch this fire safety video:
- Discuss what you learned.
- Come up with a fire safety plan and practice it.
2. Burn Treatment
- After the fire was out Ma checked Laura for burns but she wasn’t hurt. This was a good thing.
- We have learned about fire safety but sometimes we might find that we have accidentally gotten burned. Let’s learn about how to treat a burn:
- Discuss what you have learned.
3. Games/Outdoor Play
Pa told them about the geese and turkeys he saw while out hunting and brought back some ducks for dinner. Have you ever watched the birds flying south for winter? If not, maybe you can keep an eye out for them in the Fall.
- Play Duck, Duck, Goose (one on one) p. 148 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
- Play the traditional version of Duck, Duck, Goose. Click here for instructions, if you need them.
Week 7: Chapters 19, 20 & 21
1. Wild Animal Safety
When they heard the scream at night Pa thought it may have been a neighbor needing help. He soon realized it was a panther and came back home quickly.
- Wild animals can be dangerous. Do you know what to do to stay safe if you encounter a wild animal?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- What kinds of wild animals could you encounter where you live?
- How will you keep yourself safe?
2. Games/Outdoor Play
Laura and Mary played games with each other and Baby Carrie. Try any of the games listed below or choose your favorite game to play. These would be really good games for when you are stuck inside the house.
- Play Hopscotch p. 131 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
- Patty Cake
- Hide the Thimble
- Bean Porridge Hot
- Cat’s Cradle
You can find more games and activities in this book:
Week 8: Chapters 22, 23 & 24
1. How are diseases spread?
We learned about how the Fever n’ Ague was spread by mosquitoes but do you know how other diseases are spread?
- Discuss what you have learned.
2. Diseases spread to the Indians
We have read and researched about the Indians. Did you know that many Indians died from diseases that were brought by the newcomers? Let’s learn about some of these diseases.
- Watch this video to learn about some of the diseases spread to the Indians by settlers:
- Discuss what you have learned.
- What diseases have you heard of? Which ones have you never heard of?
- Are these diseases still around today?
- Older kids can choose a disease to research further and write a report about.
3. Importance of Sleep
In this section of the book the family had trouble sleeping. Do you remember why? Do you know why sleep is so important?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Talk about a time when you didn’t get enough rest. How did you feel?
4. Games/Outdoor Play
- Play Germ Tag p. 155 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
- Square Dance Lesson
Week 9: Chapters 25 & 26
1. Tobacco Safety
The story mentions several time that Pa used his tobacco pipe. Do you know what tobacco is and how harmful it could be to you?
- Discuss what you learned.
- List 3 different side effects of tobacco use.
2. Games/Outdoor Play
Check out some of the games that the Native American children may have played with the links below:
Some of these games may be fun to include with your Indian Party.
Week 10: Finishing Up
1. Vehicle Safety
At the end of the book the family was moving again. I’m sure they didn’t have seatbelts but Ma and Pa made sure the girls knew what they needed to do to stay safe while traveling. What safety rules should you follow when in a vehicle?
- Discuss what you have learned.
- Go over the safety rules for the vehicle.
- Practice these rules every time you go somewhere.
2. Games/Outdoor Play
Riding in the wagon was probably pretty boring at times and I’m sure the girls needed something to keep them occupied. Have you ever played Rock, Paper, Scissors with your friends? If not you can learn how to play this game and many other skills at SkillTrekker.com. How about this modified version:
- Play Rock, Paper, Scissors (one on one) p. 151 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
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