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Mornings:
We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.
Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.
After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.
This one came from Lakeshore Learning.
Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic 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 (Little House in the Big Woods & Winter Days and Winter Nights)
Here is our lesson plan for the week:
Print out this Lap Book project so that you can start filling in pages as you go!
Reading:
Read Chapters 1 & 2
- You can read it or let the kids help to read it aloud.
- You can also access an audio version:
Discussion Questions:
Chapter One:
- How old do you think Laura was during this period? Why do you think this? (I guessed she was 5-7 but we will find out for sure in Chapter 5.)
- Name something that made Laura feel safe? (Page 3)
- Describe three different ways that the family preserved food for the winter. How did each family member help?
- How do you dress for the winter?
- Name two things that the girls enjoyed playing with? What would you like to play with?
- What was Laura’s favorite time of the day and why?
Chapter Two:
- Name two chores that the girls had to do.
- What did they do after the chores were finished?
- Describe the butter making process.
Additional Reading:
Each child would complete a reading lesson from our McGuffey Primer Books or other reading materials that we chose for the day.
Vocabulary:
Parents click HERE for the answer key.**see instructions at the top of the page.
Writing:**
We will be making a journal to record some of our pioneer adventures in. The link to the journal will be HERE.
Choose one prompt below:
- Write a make believe newspaper article about Pa’s encounter with the panther.
- Make a new ‘butter making song’ to sing while you work.
**Remember to use the thesaurus to come up with different words.
Other Activities:**
Older kids:
- Discuss the difference between fiction and nonfiction.
Younger Kids:
You can work on a lesson in your Ray’s Arithmetic Books or other math workbook. (The lessons below reflect what we worked on.)
Group:
Rotate through these activities:
Click HERE to check for updates.
Older Kids:
Younger Kids:
- Working on learning numbers 1-10.
1. State Study
- Print out this map HERE or this one HERE. You can color in the states as you learn them and track Laura’s journeys.
- This week we will study Wisconsin.
- Complete your notebooking pages.
- Older kids can write a report about the state.
2. Research Pioneer Life.
https://youtu.be/1lJmmxj0W_A
- Discuss what you learned.
- What would you take with you? (Remember it can only fit in a shoe box!)
- Could you like like a pioneer?
- What would be the hardest thing for you to give up? Why?
- What would be the most fun? Why?
1. Read about bears or watch a video about bears.
- Older kids can also work on a report about bears. The report needs to include behavior, habitat, and diet.
For the Little Ones:
2. Read about panthers or watch a video about panthers.
- Older kids can also work on a report about panthers. The report needs to include behavior, habitat, and diet.
https://youtu.be/T6NYf_cWMLs
3. Research Microbes and Bacteria.
- Discuss what you learned.
- How do they affect us?
4. What is Density?
Bonus Lesson: Why did the fire burn different colors? (Parental supervision needed for some activities!)
- Discuss what you learned.
- Ask your parents if you can have a campfire and use these Cosmic Magical Flame packets to watch the flames change colors.
1. Research chores for Pioneer Children
Check out the 2nd video for some Pioneer skills you can learn.
- Discuss what you learned.
- How do their chores differ from yours?
- What was Ma’s chore schedule? Do this activity to test your memory:
Ma’s Chore Schedule Activity Week 1
- Little ones can use Ma’s chore schedule to learn the days of the week.
Pioneer chores vs. Modern chores.
Laura was 4 years old when this book took place. How did her chores/responsibilities compare to yours? What chores can you help with around the house?
Watch this video of kids doing farm chores.
2. Ways to help around the house like Laura
Arise, Shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. — Isaiah 60:1
- Making the Bed
- We should get in the habit of making our beds every day because it helps us get a great start for a productive day!
https://youtu.be/1X7yRJp0chU
3. Character/Manners
– Read ‘Six Ways to be Considerate to Adults’ p. 22 in Uncommon Courtesy For Kids: A Training Manual For Everyone
– Read ‘Uncommon Courtesy is considering the needs and feelings of others.’ p. 12 in Uncommon Courtesy For Kids: A Training Manual For Everyone
- Laura interrupted Mary in the story. Was this wrong?
- Discuss how important it is not to interrupt others and how it might make others feel when we interrupt them. (It can make others feel like you don’t think what they have to say is important or that you feel you are better than they are when you interrupt them.)
- Come up with a way for children to let you know that they need to tell you something without interrupting. (They can gently place their hand on your hand or arm and wait until you finish.)
4. Memory Verse
- Work on memorizing a verse during the week for a special prize.
- He who answers before listening – that is his folly and shame. –– Proverbs 18:13
- Older kids can check out this Doodle Page via Verse Doodles.
5. Fun Activities
- Plan a meal where you can use cracklings. They can be put into cornbread (or hoe cakes) for flavoring. You could substitute chopped bacon if cracklings are not available.
- Bake bread see Salt-Rising Bread p. 75 in The Little House Cookbook
- Bake cookies
- Make butter. Click HERE for a recipe or watch the video below.
- Write out the steps for making butter.
- How does your butter compare to store bought butter?
- See if you can get or borrow a sewing kit. Start practicing the sewing skills listed on pages 6-11 of My Little House Sewing Book.
6. Bonus Skills — Choose one or two to work on
- Practice these until you finish this unit study and then we will move on to another new skill.
- Memorize the books of the Bible:
- Learn about archery which is a skill that has been around for thousands of years.
- Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison. — Genesis 27:3
- You will need a good book or DVD on archery.
- You will also need a properly sized bow and arrows for practice.
- Don’t forget a target and a backstop.
- Learn the parts of the bow and what they do.
- Learn the parts of an arrow and what they do.
- Ask an adult to show you how to safely shoot your bow.
- Learn the skill of baking homemade nutritious foods from scratch.
- …It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God — Luke 4:4
- You will need a good cook book.
- Start with simple recipes.
- Make sure you have all of the ingredients before you start.
- Read through the entire recipe before you start.
- Ask an adult to show you how to work the oven safely.
- Start a recipe collection.
1. Stranger Danger
https://youtu.be/f7DxDQG0XeQ
- Practice what to do/say in different scenarios like:
- Saying ‘Not my Mommy/Not my Daddy‘ if a stranger tries to grab you.
- Kick, Fight, Bite, Make Noise if a stranger tries to grab you.
- Have a secret family password for emergencies when you may need a ‘stranger’ to pick up your kids.
- Discuss different ways a stranger may try to trick your child:
- try to lure you into a vehicle saying that your parent is sick and they were sent to pick you up
- they may say they have something to show you and ask you to come with them
- try to find out if you are home alone
- may ask to come inside your home to use the phone
- may ask for help to find a lost pet
- Discuss ways to stay safe:
- NEVER wander off without telling an adult where you are going
- NEVER talk to strangers
- NEVER accept items from a stranger
- NEVER go with a stranger
- NEVER tell a stranger you are home alone (or post about it on social media)
- NEVER open a door to a stranger
- DO find a safe place and tell someone what is happening
- DO walk away from a stranger
- DO call your parents or 911 if you do not feel safe
Be Smart Stay Safe: A Video Teaching Kids to Be Safe DVD Plus 3 Music CDs
2. Games/Outdoor Play
Crafts:
Laura and Mary were excited to play with the hog’s bladder balloon. You can play with a balloon or blow up a paper bag and tie it off to represent a hog’s bladder balloon.
Art:**
- Draw a Brindle Bulldog (make sure to add the Brindle coloring.) Google images of Brindle Bulldogs
- Draw a picture of Jack Frost by Laura’s description.
- Pioneer life coloring page or this one
- Yankee Doodle Coloring Page
Music:
**BE SURE TO SAVE A FEW SAMPLES OF YOUR WORK FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO! TAKE PICTURES OF BIG PROJECTS!
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