Little House Teacher's Guides

2015-04-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

This teacher's guide includes a collection of chapter overviews, themes, standards-based activities, historical overviews, and additional resources relating to each chapter of the Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, and The Long Winter books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The guides were designed by third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers as part of the Clark County School District's Teaching American History Grant module on westward migration. During the module, teacher participants were provided with picture and chapter books relating to nineteenth century exploration of the United States. Each module participant selected one picture book or several chapters of a chapter book for which they would prepare a teacher's guide. These guides are accessible via the links on the left.

If you have any questions about this guide, please contact Christy G. Keeler, Ph.D., this blog's designer and the pedagogy scholar for the module. You may also enjoy visiting other grant module blogs. Each module was five weeks long with a focus on an historical era (taught by Drs. Michael Green and DeAnna Beachley) and pedagogical technique (taught by Dr. Keeler). The modules include:

Chapter Quicklinks by Book

2008-11-30T16:56:00.000-08:00

2008-11-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Banks of Plum Creek: 5—"Strange Animal" and 6—"Wreath of Roses"

2008-11-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: RJ Mallien, 4th grade teacher, Paradise Professional Development School, Clark County School District

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This teachers' guide is one of a series including activities for all chapters of On the Banks of Plum Creek. Additional teacher's guides are available for other Little House books as well as other books addressing the topic of U.S. westward migration.

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Chapter Overviews: Strange Animal Chapter 5

Laura was walking by herself and recalled how much fun she had when she had climbed the tableland with Pa the day before. She realized he never said she could not go to the tableland by herself. She climbed the tableland and got very dusty and thirsty. At the top she saw the swimming-hole (pool) and really wanted a drink. She began to go home and changed her mind and decided to go against Pa's warning and she headed for the swimming-hole. She planned to just get a drink and perhaps wade her feet at the edge of the swimming-hole. Along her route she encountered an animal she had never seen before. It was long and close to the ground. It was covered in long gray fur and flattened itself to the trail. Laura picked up a willow stick and touched the animal and it snarled at her. She ran all the way home and Ma told her she would get sick if she kept running in the heat. At home she compared herself to Mary (who was doing what a good girl should be doing-studying). Laura knew she was bad and decided no one saw her and that no one would tell. As she tried to fall asleep that night as Pa played the fiddle she got up and told her parents what she had done. Pa asked Laura why she didn't go to the swimming-hole and she told him about the animal. He figured it was a badger. Her parents tell her they cannot trust her so she must spend the next day within Ma's eye site. The following day Laura helped Ma with mending and chores. She behaved well and Ma tells Pa. The following day Ma comments that the badger is what stopped Laura from going swimming by herself and possibly drowning. Ma tells Laura she was on a naughty path and luckily she was able to stop. She walked with Laura to where she spotted the badger but she did not see it and comments that she never saw it ever again.

Wreath of Roses - Chapter 6

Out in the prairie beyond the stable there was a long gray rock the girls would play on and watch butterflies, birds, and the grasses. The girls never went on the rock in the morning or in the late afternoon because that was when Johnny Johnson went by with the herd of cows. Johnny did not speak English so the children never spoke to each other. Late one afternoon Pa called the girls from the creek to look at the herd of cows. Mary stayed close to Pa and Laura was excited to go on the long gray rock to watch the herd. They watched to cows pass by and then they saw a very pretty cow. She was white and had red ears, a red spot on her head, and a ring of red spots on her side. Laura told Pa that the cow looked as if she had a wreath of roses on her side. Pa helped Johnny single out this cow and told the girls it was their cow. They ran home to tell Ma. Pa explained how he traded work with the Nelson family for the cow. Pa put the cow in the stable and Laura grabbed a tin cup and began to milk her. Everyone was surprised that Laura knew how to milk a cow because no one had taught her how to do it. She had watched Pa and figured it out. Ma told her she should milk cows always from the right side otherwise they would kick. This cow did not kick her. She filled up the cup and everyone drank fresh milk. Ma was very excited for they now had fresh milk and could make butter. Ma asked Pa the cow's name and he told her 'Reet'. Pa explained he tried to find out the meaning of the name but Mrs. Nelson kept saying a "reet of roses". Laura realized she meant a 'wreath of roses'. They all laughed and then began talking about when they lived in Wisconsin they lived among Swedes and Germans. In the Indian Territory they lived among Indians and here in Minnesota they lived near Norwegians. They agreed all their neighbors had been good people. Then Ma ended up saying the name of the cow was going to be Spot.

Chapters' Themes: Chapter 5: promises, conscious, wildlife, plant life, chores, mending, swimming-hole, punishment, trust

Chapter 6: barter, live stock, butterflies, milking a cow, cultures, herds, nationalities

Suggested Activities

Language Arts
Cause and Effect of Laura's actions (Ch 5)

Students will use cause and effect thinking map of Laura's actions of deciding to go to the swimming-hole and the effects of that decision. Students may also make other cause and effect thinking maps of Laura running into the badger, her choice to tell her parents, if she had not told her parents, if she had gone to the swimming-hole. Then have students choose one of the events and then write or draw (SPED/ELL students) a paragraph about the event and the outcome.
Standards Addressed

Explain a cause and its effects on events and/or relationships {PS/NS 4.4.3}

Summarize Chapter 6

Students need to be able to summarize the main events in the chapter in 30 words or less. This must be modeled before hand. Brainstorm the main idea of the chapter then have each student make 6 rows of 5 lines per row. They cannot add anymore words than that to get the main point across to their audience. This activity has the students going back over the text many times to decide what is needed and what is not.
Standards Addressed

Summarizing information from literary text {NS 6.4.4}

Mathematics

Make a Coordinate Grid

Students will make a grid based on information from the book of where things are in the prairie. They to include the dugout, the stable, the long gray rock, the tableland, and the swimming-hole. From this teacher lead activity, the teacher will ask questions if it is further to walk to the swimming-hole or the long gray rock if Laura started from the dugout. Then the students could ask each other questions. For assessment, the teacher could have students count number of steps it would take to get from point (A2) to point (D5).
Standards Addressed

Locate points of given coordinates on a grid in the first quadrant {(4).4.6 NS 4.4.3}

Patterns

Students will make patterns using the various plant life and wild life described in the text. next the students will make math problems using the patterns. That is 7 golden rods multiplied by 4 golden rods = 28 golden rods. The students could then have their answer made into arrays. Or have students do addition or subtraction problems depending on their math level.
Standards Addressed

Analyze, describe, create, and extend patterns using numbers, appropriate tables, and calculators {(4)2.1}
Identify, describe, represent, and explain patterns and relationships in the number system including arithmetic and geometric sequences {(4)2.2; NS/PS 2.4.1}

Social Studies

Comparing Minnesota to Nevada

Using various maps of Minnesota and Nevada and the book, have students compare the ecosystems of each state or region. Use thinking maps to help with differences and similarities.
Standards Addressed

Generate examples of ecosystems found in Nevada and the United States (e.g., mountains, deserts, forests) {(4)3.19; NS 3.4.3}

Migration

Students will say where they were born and then if not from Las Vegas, why they moved to Las Vegas. This might ned to be a homework assignment. The next day, discuss how the Ingalls' were comparing all of their neighbors that they have had at the end of chapter 6. Through discussion and use of maps, have students brain storm why people migrate to the West. Then bring in the student's own background and the possibility that many of them have moved also. List pros and cons of moving.
Standards Addressed

Discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West {(4)4.11}

Science

Plant life in plains and in the desert

Students will go through the chapter and pick out plant life. Then they will research it using internet and/or books. Then they will list all plants that live in desert (from ecosystem unit). Compare plants using a Venn Diagram. If any plants are in the middle then discuss why that might be since ecosystems are so vastly different.
Standards Addressed

Students understand that living things have identifiable characteristics {L2 B}
Students understand that living things live in different places {L2C}

Heat and rocks

Students will use rocks from Foss kit and record scientific data (size, weight, color, temperature, etc.) in science journal. Then discuss what if rock was to sit outside over night what would temperature be? If the rock where to sit out in sun all day what would be temperature be? Then come up with many different situations that students can do at school with in a 24-hour window. Have students record temperature of rocks then. Discuss predictions and results. {correlation: From long, gray rock the girls use to see herd of cows}
Standards Addressed

Describe how heat can move from one object to another by conduction, and some materials conduct heat better than others {(4)2.5; P5A3; P5C4}

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Through Riley and Joy's books we are aware how women were treated on the wagon trail and at the home. Women did lots of manual labor and never complained because it was their duty. The duty was to watch over her family in every facet and to provide moral education. Caroline Ingalls (Ma) is no different than other of the other women we read about. The men worked the fields and handled the animals and the women ran the house, educated the children, did the gardening, and cooked all the meals while doing the laundry, sewing, possibly selling eggs too. The children helped with the chores that could do according to age and ability. In the prairie all family members contributed daily to make sure the family survived.

Additional Resources

http://walnutgrove.org/ by: Walnut Grove.org: This is a website of Walnut Grove, Minnestosa during Laura Ingalls time. It has many links from her dugout home, to museum, to shopping.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/happyland by CDBaby: Provides real fiddle music by various artist that Charles Ingalls (Pa) might have played base upon Laura's books.
http://www.harperchildrens.com/hch/parents/teachingguides/littlehouse7.pdf by Harper Collins: It is 4 pages of child friendly activities (cooking, crafts, history) and songs.
http://ingallshomestead.com/virtualvisit/dugout.html by Ingalls Homestead : Take a virtual tour of Ingalls' real dugout and includes audio.

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Note: This teacher's guide was developed as part of one of the Clark County School District's Teaching American History grants. In this grant module, teachers focused on using children's historical literature to teach cross-curricular concepts relating to 19th century westward movement. For more information about this blog, related teacher's guides, or the grant module, please contact Dr. Christy Keeler.

On the Banks of Plum Creek Chapter Guide

2008-11-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Banks of Plum Creek: 40—"The Fourth Day" and 41—"Christmas Eve"

2008-11-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Angelica Terranova, 4th grade teacher, Rose Warren Empowerment ES,

Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Post 1812 women had a moral duty to teach and impact spiritual values in the family and Caroline Ingalls insisted on keeping the family local to towns with churches and schools. While many settlers traveled westward for better opportunities and the Ingalls family was limited to settled towns. From 1865 through 1875, the family packed their covered wagon and moved 10 times.
In 1874 when the Ingalls family moved to a small farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota where they made their home in a previously lived in “dugout”. Laura describes the difficult days of living on the banks of Plum Creek. After tending their crops disaster struck as grasshoppers devastated their wheat crop for two years. Then nature continued challenging the family with prairie fires and blizzards. Somehow through it all the family remains strong and positive despite the struggles of living on the prairie.

Chapters' Themes: Rural life in 1870's, character development, daily chores and responsibilities, early American toys and dolls, prairie fires, transportation, farming, music, weather, snow, and survival.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Acts of Kindness
- After reading the final chapter discuss where Laura writes, “There would be no presents and no candy, but Laura could not think of anything she wanted and she was so glad that the Christmas candy had helped to bring Pa safe home again.” Discuss what motivated Laura’s thoughts? What does this say about her personality?
- Have student’s record themselves (cassette and/ or podcast) reading picture books. Send the tape and a book to a children’s hospital for patients to use or create a 21st Century version How to Make a Podcast or Christy Keeler’s Audacity Basics tutorial.
- Standards Addressed

Describe physical and personality traits of characters. Describe the motivation for a character’s actions; make inferences and draw conclusions about a character(s) based on evidence. [3.2]
Use public speaking techniques to deliver presentations; communicate information by maintaining a clear focus, following a logical sequence, and illustrating information. [8.3]
Apply knowledge of high frequency words in text to build fluency and comprehension; read silently and/or aloud fluently.

Kindness Journal

Create a Kindness (reflective) Journal and write an entry on thoughts and feelings after doing something selfless, conduct Ordered Share circle. template
Put a large blank banner in the entryway to the school and invite all students, teachers, administrators, parents and other community members to write their kindness stories on it. Students can then present the finished banner to the principal, display it at a library, or post it in the classroom as a reminder of the positive effect that kindness has on people.
Standards Addressed

Describe physical and personality traits of characters. Describe the motivation for a character’s actions; make inferences and draw conclusions about a character(s) based on evidence. [3.2]
Write responses to literary text that demonstrate an understanding of setting, character development, and motivation. [6.4]
Listen for a variety of purposes: gaining information, being entertained … [7.1]
Listen to provide constructive feedback. [7.3]

Mathematics

Are We There Yet?

The Ingall's children didn't attend school until they were 7 & 9 years old due to extensive traveling. Demonstrate use of Mapquest to establish distance the Ingall's family traveled to get to their new home in Walnut Grove. Students will need a copy of Ingall's family timeline to determine starting location (Pepin, WI). Ingall's moved to the banks of Plum Creek, Walnut Grove, MN in 1874.
Estimate, map, and calculate the miles the family traveled using the following table. Compare mileage to wagon travel; calculate the time it would take to travel from Pepin, WI to Walnut Grove, MN.
What activities do you do in the car when traveling great distances? Have students predict how long it would take to travel by covered wagon. What do you think Laura and Mary did to pass the time while traveling?

Total estimated time: 4 hours 7 minutes, distance: 219.38 miles
Travel by horse 10 miles per hour
Wagon 10-14 miles per day
Walking 16 miles per day
Car 450 miles per day

Ingall's family travel map
Ingall's family timeline
Standards Addressed

Measure, compare, and convert length in inches, feet, yards, and miles to the nearest fractional part [3.3]
Estimate and convert units of measure for length, customary [3.1]
Apply previous experience and knowledge to new problem solving situations [A.2]

The Coldest Winter Ever?
Laura discusses the severity of the winters in Walnut Grove, Minnesota and how Pa was lost in a blizzard for 3-days returning home on Christmas Eve. Using weather on the web and/ or library reference material, analyze snowfall data through the years. Group students and research wintery weather. After students gather information, discuss, graph, and display data. How does this compare to the average Christmas temperature in your area? First, scroll to the appropriate year, then view, and at the bottom of the daily summary hit Seasonal Weather Averages for yearly graphs. Another option: chart weather for the month of December and discuss findings.
Sci - Explain how science notebook entries can be used to develop and communicate [N.5.A.1]
Sci - Draw conclusions from scientific evidence [N.5.A.3]
Sci - Analyze from labeled illustrations and graphic representations [N.5.A.4]
Math - Analyze, describe, create, and extend patterns using appropriate tables. [2.1]
Math - Organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations including frequency tables. [5.1]
Math - Interpret data and make predictions using frequency tables [5.3]

Social Studies

Covered Wagon

To further demonstrate the traveling difficulties the Ingall's family endured. Recreate a covered wagon using cardboard boxes or for space/time issues tape off a section of the floor to represent the wagon area. Use boxes or available materials to represent supply items which reduce area. Can use put together boxes to take up space to represent supplies stocked. Students pretend to be family members traveling in pioneer days.
Measure and convert inches to feet to sketch plan of wagon and carrying out of actual sizing. While discovering the need for measurement lead students to discussing the need for fractions of whole numbers.
Depending on time teacher can carry this out further with researching supplies needed for such a difficult journey. Pioneers evaluate necessary supplies keeping below the 2,000 pound limit. Group students as pioneer families and as a group determine what supplies will be loaded and which will be left behind. Share findings.
Have students generate and solve story problems regarding situations fitting the activity.
Standards Addressed

Generalize solutions and strategies to new problem situations [A.6]
Interpret and solve a variety of mathematical problems by paraphrasing, identifying necessary and extraneous information and ensuring the answer is reasonable [A.7]
Measure length and area to a required degree of accuracy in customary and metric systems. [3.2]
Measure, compare, and convert length in inches, feet, and yards to the nearest fractional part. [3.3]
Describe the need for fractions and their relationship to whole numbers and decimals. [1.5]
Add and subtract multi-digit numbers [1.7]
Generate and solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems using whole numbers in practical situations. [1.24]

Yesterday and Today

Nellie invited Laura and Mary to a party at the Olsen home. The girls were surprised to see the kind and quality of Nellie and Willy's toys. Are any of the toys from the pioneer days still used today? Students survey 3rd -5th graders on their favorite toys. Using primary literature, library, and web, research and compare toys and games of 1874 and today. Students may select method of their choosing to demonstrate their findings; ie. creative by hand project or technological.
Christmas celebrations vary through the ages and cultures. The Ingalls family was grateful for Pa’s return home after being lost in a blizzard for 3 days. This year Laura wasn’t going to get her Christmas surprise in the traditional sense, she was elated the crackers and candy kept her Pa alive. How do you celebrate the winter holidays? Students will research and compare major multicultural December holiday celebrations using a layered curriculum activity plan. Depending on the layer, students will respond and illustrate to their chosen level. Challenge students to use primary sources, reference material, and Web sites to learn about the major December holiday celebrations.
Standards Addressed

Listen for a variety of purposes: gaining information, being entertained, and understanding directions. [7.1]
Edit for correct word usage: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subject/verb agreement, verb tenses, pronoun/
antecedent agreement, clauses, and phrases. [5.5]
Compare text from different cultures and time periods. [4.4]

Science, Mathematics, Writing

Weather, Making a Barometer

Pa gets weather information from townsfolk. Discuss possible methods with students, remind them they didn't have a television, radio, or internet to help predict weather. One method may have been the use of a barometer.
A barometer is commonly used for weather prediction, as high air pressure in a region indicates fair weather while low pressure indicates that storms are more likely. Make a Barometer.
Record weather observations and barometer readings daily in science journal, graph, and when sufficient observations have been recorded students can make predictions, compare and contrast to local weather data.
To further connect to the literature, compare and contrast weather locally to weather in Walnut Grove. Use internet, library, newspaper, ect to gather data and chart for analyzation.
Create visual display; have students brainstorm methods previously used in class or a new method they may have seen elsewhere, be creative and have fun.
Standards Addressed

Explain how science notebook entries can be used to develop, communicate, and justify explanations and predictions. [N.5.A.1]
Draw conclusions from scientific evidence [N.5.A.3]
Make predictions from labeled illustrations and graphic representations and data [N.5.A.4]
Use observable patterns to organize information [N.5.A.7]
LA - make and revise predictions based on evidence. [3.8]
LA - prepare a legible final draft to display or share. [5.7]
LA - edit for correct word usage. [5.5]
LA - edit for use of complete sentences. [5.6]
Math - add and subtract decimals [1.20]
Math - estimate temperature [3.2]
Math - collect, organize, display, interpret data [5.7]
Math - organize and represent data [5.2]

Ice Cream in a Bag

During blizzards the Ingalls were forced to prepare the house and animals for their homebound days. They were forced to be creative and use what ever was at their disposal for entertainment. While growing up in New Jersey, the snowy weather kept us housebound and brought many fond memories one of which was my mother making ice cream from the snow. Prepare 2 recipe safely enclosed in plastic. Students will read and will follow directions, gather necessary materials, divide recipe in 1/2, carry out recipe to completion being sure to use safety precautions. May double recipe or groups to increase final amount of ice cream. Following the recipe is an explanation of the scientific process. Ice Cream in a Bag activity.
Students record predictions and results in science journal. Using thermometers to determine temperature as ice cream is forming.
Standards Addressed

Explain how science notebook entries can be used to develop, communicate [N.5.A.1]
Use equipment and materials safely in investigations [N.5.A.5]
Following directions
Math - estimate temperature [3.1]
Math - measure temperature [3.2]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Additional Resources

Random Acts of Kindness: Random Acts of Kindness week is February 9-15, 2009.
Weather Channel
If You Were a Pioneer on the Prairie by Anne Kamma: Timeline of major events, describes the prairie, dugout homes, getting lost on the prairie, grasshoppers, prairie fires, and blizzards.
Prairie Schooners: diagram pioneer wagon
Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson: Letters, drawings, and photographs are used to illustrate travel by covered wagon.
Pioneer Christmas by Barbara Greenwood: Crafts, with replicas of Christmas gifts. A nice twist of fiction and non-fiction.
Pioneer Christmas Crafts
Pioneer Think Quest: Wagon Supply list
Laura's Prairie House: Individual supply list
Walnut Grove history: town history including a passage on the Ingall's family.
Standards, Benchmarks, and Achievement Indicators: CCSD benchmarks are aligned with the State Power Standards and distributed by trimester.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 38—"The Day of Games" and 39—"The Third Day"

2008-11-04T20:21:00.002-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Anne Crumm, 5th grade teacher, Tomiyasu Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Chapter 39 The Day Of Games is about a very stormy winter day. Pa has left to go to town and he has been gone overnight. The family is worried. The girls go downstairs to dress by the stove because it is so cold. The eat a breakfast of hot cornmeal mush and milk with bread and butter. There is thick frost on the windowpanes. Ma puts on Pa's jumper and boots and goes outside into the storm to feed the stock. The girls are anxious about their mother leaving so they stay busy by cleaning the house. When Ma returns she rests a bit and then goes out again to get wood. When the wood is stacked, Ma praises the girls for cleaning the house. The girls begin to study their lessons and Laura begins to cry. She is ashamed at herself for crying, then she realized Mary was crying as well. Ma notices the girls are upset and worried about Pa, who still has not returned, so she decides that they should play games. They play Pussy -in-the-corner, which makes them all shout and laugh. Then, Ma tells a story using a slate to draw a bird. Then, using thimbles they draw pictures in the frost on the windows. They were so busy playing games, the day went by quickly. They ate a late dinner and went to bed. Ma put a light in the window to help Pa find the house in the storm. Chapter 39 The Third Day is about the following day when Pa has still not returned and the storm is still going strong.

Chapters' Themes: weather, schooling, caring for animals, heat, games

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Revealing Tone in Reading

Students will read the chapters and discuss how they think the character Laura is feeling (defined in one word). After sharing their ideas in partners (think-pair-share), students will go back to the book and find the words in the story that specifically support their interpretation of the characters feelings. Using those words, students will create a bubble map that shows the word that they used to describe her feelings and all of the supporting evidence from the text.
Standards Addressed

2.5.3 Select after reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose; evaluate the effectiveness of reading strategies.
3.5.2 Describe the physical and personality traits ogf characters; describe motivation for characters actions; make inferences and draw conclusions about character(s) based on evidence.

Predicting

Prior to reading chapter 39 A Day of Games, students will discuss in partners what a day of games would be like for them at their house. Then after that discussion, the teacher will lead a whole class discussion about what students think a day of games would be like for the Ingalls children. Teacher will record responses on chart paper. After reading the chapter students will review their prior predictions and reflect in partner sharing the similarities or differences. Finally, students will write a compare and contrast essay between a day of games today and a day of games in the 19th Century.
Standards Addressed

2.5.1 Select prereading strategies appropriate to text and purpose: set purpose for reading and determine text type.
3.5.7 Explain the influence of historical events, cultures, or time periods.

Mathematics

Graphing Weather

Using the internet, students will collect data about the weather in the Midwest during the winter months. They will record average temperature, snow, and rainfall over a 10 year period. They will input this data into an excel spreadsheet and then using the graphing functionality they will create a scatter plot and bar graph. Students will compute mean, and median and mode of temperatures.
Standards Addressed

5.5.2 Compute range, model and compute the measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode)
5.5.3 Interpret data and make predictions using stem-and-leaf plots and histograms.

Social Studies

Create a Map

Using details from the book students will create a map covering the area between the Ingalls' house and town. They wqill do this using information from the text. The map will be labeled with appropriate map symbols and geographical features. Students will use their maps to discuss and predict the possible routes that Pa could take to get home in the storm
Standards Addressed

(5)3.1 Maps and map features, including directional orientation, map symbols, and grid system.
(5)3.4 Construct maps, charts, tables, and graphs to display information.

Money in the 19th Century

Using the internet students will research the cost of items in the 19th Century, specifically at the setting of the book (1875). Students will then compute the cost of the things that Pa would buy in town at the store. Students will also identify any other forms of money that may have been used at the time, and present this information on a sign that may have been displayed at the store in town.
Standards Addressed

(5)2.16 Identify forms of money used in the United States prior to the 20th Century.

Science

Create a Food Web

Students will use the internet to research data to create a food web relative to the area and time period of the story.
Standards Addressed

5(4.5) Explain how the Sun's energy is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems and moves through food webs.

Vegetation Eco Study

Students will use the internet to research native plant life in the Plum Creek area. They will print pictures of trees and flowers native to the area and label them. Students will then use this data to share in groups.
Standards Addressed

(5)4.5 Explain that living things get what they need to survive from their environments.

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

The 19th century was a difficult time for homesteaders. The weather patterns caused incredible distress for the settlers. In specific, the winter of 1880-1881 lasted for a long seven months. The snow would pile up 40 feet high and people would not go more than a mile away from their homes for fear of being lost in a blizzard.

Additional Resources

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Banks of Plum Creek: 36—"Prairie Winter" and 37—"The Long Blizzard"

2008-11-04T20:21:00.001-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: , grade teacher, School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:

Chapters' Themes:

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Add more standards/objectives as needed]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Add more standards/objectives as needed]

Mathematics

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Social Studies

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Science

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

[Choose at least one theme you've identified for the chapter. Do research on this topic and prepare an approximately one-page report on the topic. Write in a format that other teachers would find helpful when seeking background information about the historical content of the theme(s) from this chapter. The passage should provide information that goes beyond what exists in the book to help students gain a better understanding of the historical context of the chapter.]

Additional Resources

[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]

_________________________________________________________________

Banks of Plum Creek: 34—"Marks on the Slate" and 35—"Keeping House"

2008-11-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Name, X grade teacher, XYZ Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: [Write a detailed overview of the book.]

Chapters' Themes: [List (separated by commas) all related themes in the book.]

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Add more standards/objectives as needed]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Add more standards/objectives as needed]

Mathematics

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Social Studies

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Science

[Title of Activity Idea 1]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

[Title of Activity Idea 2]

[Provide detailed instructions for using this activity with students.]
Standards Addressed

[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]
[Type in an objective from the CCSD CEFs or a standard from the Nevada Standards or NCSS Standards]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

[Choose at least one theme you've identified for the chapter. Do research on this topic and prepare an approximately one-page report on the topic. Write in a format that other teachers would find helpful when seeking background information about the historical content of the theme(s) from this chapter. The passage should provide information that goes beyond what exists in the book to help students gain a better understanding of the historical context of the chapter.]

Additional Resources

[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]
[Linked Resource Name] by [Author]: [Brief prose-style description of the resource.]

_________________________________________________________________

Banks of Plum Creek: 32—"Grasshoppers Walking" and 33—"Wheels of Fire"

2008-11-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Pam Foster, 3rd grade teacher, Rose Warren Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Chapter 32 begins with the coming of Spring and then the hot summer. Pa returns at dinnertime to tell the family that the grasshoppers are hatching. The grasshoppers were so little and tiny coming out of their eggs. Soon they would turn to big, ugly grasshoppers. The grasshoppers ate everything green that grew on the prairie. Ma was sick with the sounds of the chewing and gnawing. Finally, one day the grasshoppers started walking west. They walked for four days straight. On day four, they all flew away. All the grasshoppers were gone!

In chapter 33, Pa has to leave to find work in the east where there was wheat to harvest since all his wheat was gone due to the grasshoppers. While he was gone, dried out tumbleweeds (wheels of fire) caught fire and began rolling towards the Ingalls haystacks to feed the animals. Mr. Nelson, a neighbor, came and helped the girls and Ma put out the fires. Ma was so grateful to have such a great neighbor.
Chapters' Themes: The themes in chapters 32 &33 were: Man vs. Nature, life cycles of grasshoppers, helping a neighbor, working together, women taking care of the family, women taking care of the farm, women protecting their families, depression, infestation of insects, devastation, leaving to find work, and survival.
Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Character Journal

After reading chapter 32, students will write a journal entry on a blank piece of paper. On their paper, students will choose a character from the chapter (Ma, Pa, Mary, or Laura) and write as if they were that character. They will date their paper with a date that corresponds to that historical period. They will write about the events from chapter 32 according to their chosen character's perspective.
Standards Addressed

5.3.4 Write responses to literature, drawing upon experiences. (Journal entries)
3.3.2 It is expected that students will make inferences and draw conclusions about a character based on evidence.
3.4.3 It is expected that students will identify what the character wants and the solution.

Grasshopper Research Paper

Students will research grasshoppers using the computer, library books, and reference books. They will write a three paragraph paper on grasshoppers using the information they found. Included in their paper will be a description of the grasshopper (what it looks like), what they eat, and where they live. They will also describe the life cycle of a grasshopper.
Standards Addressed

5.3.1 Locate and use at least three sources to write an information paper. (Research paper on grasshoppers)
11.3.2 Use library resources, media, and technology to find information on a topic. (Research grasshoppers)
11.3.3 Organize and record information from print and non-print resources. (Research paper on grasshoppers)

Mathematics

Graphing Grasshoppers

Students will come up with a question about the grasshoppers that hatched that particular year in chapter 32. Students will then come up with data to answer their question they posed. Students will create a pictograph and a bar graph to represent their data.
Standards Addressed

5.3.1 Pose questions that can be used to guide data collection, organization, and representation.
5.3.1 Use graphical representations, including number lines, frequency tables, and pictographs to represent data.

Story Problems

Students will make up three story problems based on chapters 32 & 33 of the book and include the characters from these chapters. These problems will deal with two and three digit numbers. At least one problem must be a subtraction problem, one a multiplication problem and the third must be a multi-step problem involving at least two different computation strategies.
Standards Addressed

Problem Solving A: Students will develop their ability to solve problems by engaging in developmentally appropriate opportunities where there is a need to use various approaches to investigate and understand mathematical concepts. Students will do this in order to formulate their own problems, apply previous experiences and knowledge to new problems, explain and verify results, try more than one strategy in problem solving, and use technology, including calculators to develop mathematical concepts.

Social Studies

Map of the farm

Students will create a map of what they think the Ingalls' farm looks like. They will label all areas on the map and show how the family gets from one structure to the other on the farm. They must include all information they have learned about the farm from these chapters as well as previous chapters read. They must include a compass rose and a simple map key.
Standards Addressed

3.3.22 It is expected that students will draw a simple map that illustrates how to get from one location to another [NS 4.3.2]

Natural hazards on the prairie

Students will use the internet to research natural hazards that the settlers faced while living on the prairie during the 1800's. Students will create a venn diagram and compare and contrast two of these hazards. They can use animals as one of the hazards (grasshoppers eating all the wheat) and choose another to compare. Students must include two facts in each section of the venn diagram.
Standards Addressed

3.3.17 It is expected that students will identify various natural hazards [NS 4.3.1]
3.3.32 It is expected that students will describe ways humans depend on natural resources [NS 5.3.6]

Science

Life cycles of insects

Students will use their research on the life cycles of grasshoppers from the above language arts activity. They will also research a second insect. They will create a double bubble map showing three ways they are the same and three ways each are different from each other focusing on life cycles.
Standards Addressed

3.4.1 Life science: It is expected that students will investigate and describe ways that offspring may resemble and differ from parents and siblings may resemble and differ from each other. [L5A1; L5A3; L5A4]
3.4.2 Life science: It is expected that students will investigate, compare, and contrast life cycles of various living things [L5B2]

Human/Insect Interaction

Using research from grasshoppers, students will create a two tab book which illustrates how humans and insects interact together in the same ecosystem. One tab will focus on how humans react to insects in their environment on the prairie and the second will focus on how insects interact with humans. Each tab will be written from the perspective of that particular species. Students can include pictures to help illustrate the interactions.
Standards Addressed

3.4.3 Life science: It is expected that students will investigate and describe the interactions of organisms with each other and their ecosystem [L5C2]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

One theme prevalent in chapter 32 is the grasshopper swarm. This was a theme in a couple different chapters in this book. Here is some background information on grasshoppers and grasshopper swarms.
There are about 9,000 species of grasshoppers. They have long slender bodies, wings, strong hind legs for jumping, and strong jaws for chewing. They are about 1-10 cm. in length. Some species fly and some do not.
Most grasshoppers are plant eaters. They feed on mainly wheat, barley, corn, rye, and oats. Some are a serious threat to crops. A few horned grasshoppers are meat eaters. Some even turn to cannibalism.
Grasshoppers mate in the fall. At this time, females lay their eggs in the ground or on plants. Females produce 100-200 eggs, but can produce up to 500 eggs. The females choose the site to lay their eggs by the soil temperature, soil texture, vegetation conditions and moisture levels.
The eggs hatch in early spring. These newly hatched grasshoppers are similar to adults, yet they are smaller and have no wings.
Most grasshoppers are harmless and do no extensive damage to the surrounding vegetation. Their behavior changes are related to weather, food availability and mating. Many eggs are laid in the same location and food can be eaten quickly. Drought conditions make grasshoppers move to a new location. They move by walking or flying.
Farmers dread swarms of grasshoppers. Only certain species form swarms. Large numbers swarm together and fly at the same time. They descend on the crops and destroy them. They do this during times of dry weather and blow in the direction of the wind.
Swarms of grasshoppers have been reported to move 66 miles a day and 200-300 miles from where they began. Swarms are known to land and fly many times and cause much damage to crops. They decide to stop flying and lay eggs when the temperature drops or the sun goes behind the clouds. When these eggs hatch, these new grasshoppers are more likely to form swarms than the grasshoppers not born to those in a swarm.
Swarms have not been a problem since 1940. It is thought that this is due to the use of pesticides. Grasshoppers were known to attack many crops in the 1800’s like the Ingalls’ farm. This was a big problem because they relied on their crops to survive. This has happened to many people throughout time.
A historical theme in chapter 33 is the fact that women were left alone to take care of the farm and the home while the men went out to find ways to support the family. As Riley states in A Place to Grow, women were not thought of as important during this time in history. Yet, as in the Little House books, the women were often left to take care of the farm while the men were gone for long periods of time.
The women not only worked in the home caring for their family, but they also worked on the farm. They did many jobs that were normally considered "man's work." They sold farm items to help support the family. They baked and made items that they could sell. Farm women worked very hard. Historians sometimes describe women as wearing sunbonnets and sitting in the front of the wagon. They forget to include all the work the women did to help the family and the farm. Women were perceived as taken care of by their men. This is very far from the truth. Women of this time died before their time. Many sources in recent times have pointed out the truths to the women of this particular time. The women accepted the challenges and held the family together.
Women of this time also had a hard time accepting rights when they were given to women. Some women ignored the right to vote. Women have come a long way to gain the respect they have not been given in the past. The women of the prairie, similar to those in the Little House books helped pave the way for women today.

Additional Resources

ethemes by Curators of the University of Missouri: Students and teachers can use the many links on this page to find historical information to go along with On the Banks of Plum Creek. There is a biography, map where the dugout house was located, facts on grasshoppers, and more.
Literature lesson plans by Litplans.com: This site has links to many resources to go along with all the Little House books. Some of the resources are free material and some are not.
Little House Lesson Plan by A homeschooling family in Minnesota: This site has many links to the history behind the Ingalls family. There are many lesson ideas and teaching information. There are also links to lessons on all the Little House books.
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Elizabeth Neumann: This site has links to the chapter themes in the book and includes pictures of grasshopper damage to crops.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 30—"Going to Town" and 31—"Surprise"

2008-11-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Lisa Martin, 5th grade teacher, Selma F. Bartlett Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:

Chapter 30: "Going to Town"- When Charles Pa returns home after working in the east during the harvest season the family are overjoyed. Using the money he has earned from his farming work , he decides to take the family into town to run some errands. This includes buying food and cloth for dresses; paying off his debt to Mr Fitch and Mr Oleson and stopping at the post office. While in Mr Oleson's store, Nellie, his daughter comes in taunting Laura with her beautiful fur shouldercape. Laura turns her back on her, pretending not to care and Nellie leaves. Once the Ingalls arrive home, Pa realizes that his wife has not bought anything for herself and this upsets him. When Ma retorts back that he too has not bought a much needed overcoat for himself, the girls are made aware of the endless sacrifices made by their loving parents. After supper, Pa serenades the family with songs accompanied on his fiddle. Everyone joins in and all is well with the world.
Chapter 31: "Surprise"- It was not long before the Ingalls settled into their normal routines. This included Pa working outdoors all day, Laura and Mary studying and learning their lessons with Ma and the family going to church every Sunday. On one particular afternoon, Ma announced to the girls that they would not be having their usual lesson. Instead they would need to bath and get ready for a family trip into town that night. Their destination was to be a surprise. For Laura, such a surprise was almost too much to bear. After bathing and dressing in their finest clothing the Ingalls set out for town.
As they approached, the only lights that could be seen in the distance were from the church. Inside the church was decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree that had a large selection of presents placed under and around it. After listening to a Christmas sermon and singing hymns, Laura realized that everything on and under the tree was a present for somebody in the church. The minister, Reverend Alden had told his church people back east about their church and each one had sent something they had. The entire Ingalls family received much needed coats and gloves while Laura received her very own fur cape and muff. Laura was delighted, for her cape and muff were much prettier than the one Nellie Oleson had flaunted at her just the other day!

Chapters' Themes: Hardship, Family, Sacrifice, Pioneer life, Prejudice , Compassion, Community, Christmas, Giving

Instructional Activities

Language Arts
BODY BIOGRAPHIES

Have students list main characters in book. For each character on the list students to brainstorm whatever comes to mind when they think of that character. Students may draw pictures, write words, phrases, physical descriptions, etc
Students to break into groups and agree on a character to make a body biography for. Using the book, students to look through and find as much evidence as possible to support their descriptions.
Students in their small groups place a 7-foot long sheet of butcher paper on the floor and have one students lie down on it. Another student draws an outline of the student's body on the butcher paper.
Students fill the body outline with various representations of a character's traits, relationships, motivations and experiences. These can be drawings, clip art, etc. It should also include quotations and original text about the character.
Students should be made aware of the importance of where items are placed. Quotes, phrases, pictures near the heart could represent the character's relationships, feelings, emotions, etc.
Colored pens/pencils to write quotes, lines from the text could represent elements of the character's personality.
There should be contrasting views evident on the biography. i.e how the character views himself versus how others perceive the character.
After each group has completed their body biography all work can be displayed around the classroom and discussed in a gallery walk where each group explains their work.

WRITING A THANK YOU LETTER

In chapter 31, Reverend Alden's church members in eastern Minnesota donate precious gifts to the members of Laura's church. Many of the items are of high quality and much needed by the Ingalls' and the other church members.
As a whole class list the exact items given , discussing their approximate value and description.
Have the students imagine how Laura and her family must have felt receiving these gifts and compare to a real life situation. i.e families who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina, fire victims.
Try to encourage students to express emotions, feelings, etc.
In small groups students can role play the church scene in a simple skit that they devise as a group.
Groups to perform their short skits in front of whole class.
After this students will create a Flow Map http://www.mapthemind.com/thinkingmaps/themaps/circle/index.html to organize their ideas and thoughts.
Review how to write a friendly letter. The letter should contain three paragraphs including an introduction about themselves, their appreciation for the gifts, and a conclusion.
Have students share their letters with each other before making a display of their work for all to see and read.

Standards Addressed

(5) 2.1 A. Select before-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose

preview text (e.g., author/illustrator, key vocabulary, text features [NS 2.5.1]
access prior knowledge [NS 2.5.1]
build background knowledge [NS 2.5.1]
set purpose for reading
make predictions [NS 2.5.1]
determine reading rate
determine text type
choose appropriate graphic organizer

(5) 2.2 A. Select during-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose

use-self-correcting strategies [PS/NS 2.5.2]
make, confirm and revise predictions
understand and use any key vocabulary
identify main idea and supporting details
make inference
clarify understanding of text
make connections to personal experiences and knowledge
visualize/create mental images
use appropriate graphic organizer

(5) 2.3 A. Select after-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose

recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.5.3]
restate main ideas
organize information
record information
synthesize text
evaluate text
evaluate the effectiveness of reading strategies
connect, compare, and contrast story elements

(5) 3.1 A. Explain

setting [PS/NS 3.5.1]
sequence of events
conflict
climax
resolution
turning point

B. describe internal and external conflict
C. describe main plots and subplots
D. describe how one event may cause another event
E. make inferences and draw conclusions about setting and plot based on evidence
(5) 3.2 A. Describe physical and personality traits [PS/NS 3.5.2]
B. Describe the motivation for a character's actions
C. Make inferences and draw conclusions about character(s) based on evidence

(5) 3.3 A. Describe a theme based on evidence
B. Explain a lesson learned based on events and/or a character's actions
C. Compare stated or implied themes in a variety of works.

(5) 3.7 A. Explain the influence of

historical events
cultures
time periods

Standards Addressed

(5) 3.9 A. Make connections to self, other text, and/or the world
B. Use information to answer and generate specific questions
C. Summarize information
D. Describe how author's purpose and writing style influence readers' response
E. Evaluate text
F. Recall details/ facts
G. Restate main ideas
H. Organize information
I. Synthesize text
J. Connect, compare, and contrast story elements

(5) 6.4 A. Write responses to literary text that demonstrate an understanding of

character development
motivation
plot

B. Summarize literary information

Mathematics

SHOPPING FOR SUPPLIES

The Ingalls' family go into town to buy some much needed supplies once Pa Ingalls returns home from working during the harvest in the east.
Have students devise a shopping list with the quantities and weights of the various items bought at the store.
Students to use their prior knowledge of what life is like during the time to create sensible and realistic quantities for each item.
Students will also break down with the typical prices for each of the goods.
Lists of items to include flour, sugar, salt, navy beans, cornmeal, and tea
Students to convert all weights from customary to metric.
Complete a set of given word problems which provide real life problems involving money.
Have students work in pairs to answer and devise word problems that they have created themselves.
Students could also make up their own Pioneer Town General Store with posters advertising the different brands of products. (i.e Prairie Town Navy Beans - 2 scoops for the price of 1-Hurry while supplies last!)
Students could re-create the town in the classroom with a number of stores in which small groups of students could shop.
Such a recreation could include students dressing up in the appropriate attire and "going to town".

Standards Addressed

(5) 3.1 Estimate and convert units of measure for weight and volume/capacity withing the same measurement system(customary and metric) [NS 3.5.1]
(5) 3.7 Determine totals , differences, and change due for monetary amounts in practical situations
(5) D.5 Approach problems with flexibility in a variety of ways within and beyond the field of mathematics.
(5) D.6 Identify, explain and use mathematics in everyday life.

Going to Church

Have students create a survey to poll the number of children in class and the grade level who attend church
Students could make an appropriate graph showing students who attend church every Sunday, once or twice a month, 5-6 times a year, not at all. This can be decided upon by the students in their small groups.
After the data has been collected for the students in the class, small groups can survey other classes on the grade level.
Students to use butcher paper to show data in an appropriate graph.
Every group to think of 5 questions that can be answered by the graph as well as thinking of 5 statements that are proved by the data in each graph.
The students can log onto: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/

Standards Addressed

(5) 5. 10 Select an appropriate type of graph to accurately represent the data and justify the selection [NS 5.5.6]

Social Studies

Tracking the Ingalls

The students will research the travels of the Ingalls family and plot their movements on a map that is student created.
Students will use preview historical documents that show the areas that the Ingalls settled in.
Students will compare this to a map showing their own family's movements. As many children in Nevada are from other states, countries informative discussions about movement and transiency of Nevadans.
Students can provide a short history of their own family's settlements around the country in comparison to the Ingalls.
This will lend itself to a discussion of the reasons people move homes.
Students could record these reasons in a double bubble map comparing their family's movement and reasons with Laura's family.
The knowledge and use of appropriate geographical vocabulary can be included in the instructional lesson.

Standards Addressed

(5)3.1 Use maps and map features, including directional orientation, map symbols, and grid system, to identify and locate major geographical features in Nevada and the United States [NS 1.5.1]
(5) 3.7 Recognize that states in the United States may be grouped into regions
(5) 3.13 Identify and describe the locations of selected historical events.
(5) 3.23 List examples of historical movements of people, goods and ideas.

Rules for Teachers

http://www.littlehouseontheprairie.com/web/rules.htm

Students will preview and discuss the information found in historical documents.
As a class, look at the Rules for Teachers in 1915.
Discuss each rule individually as a whole class, expressing opinions, thoughts and ideas.
Ensure that any unfamiliar terms are explained i.e loiter, petticoats.
Students in pairs to rephrase each of the rules providing a sensible argument to support each one.
Once this has been completed and shared, students to devise their own set of 10 rules for teachers in 2008.
Provide justification for each rule.
Interview teachers, staff in school about what their views on the 1915 Rules for Teachers.
Examine responses from boys vs girls and male teachers/staff vs female teachers/staff. Record any findings if patterns or discrepancies are found. Provide reasonable explanations for these.
Research any other documents which record a set of rules for other professionals i.e doctors, nurses, lawyers, political officials. Compare and contrast information in an appropriate thinking map or graphic organizer.
This activity will open up a tremendous amount of discussion and provide insight into the thinking of your students.

Standards Addressed

(5) 4.2 Record and interpret events on a graphic organizer, such as a calendar or a time line.
(5) 4.4 Organize historical information from a variety of sources.
(5) 4.28 Read, interpret and analyze historical passages.

Science
Animals at Plum Creek

In chapter 31, Pa Ingalls sets traps along the bank of Plum Creek for muskrat, otter and mink
Have the students research one of these animals as well as any other which could have been found along the Creek.
Look on the online encyclopedia, http://www.wikipedia.org/
Students can find images of the animals they choose using the internet and other books taken from the school or neighborhood library to make an informational leaflet about their chosen animal, insect, bird,fish, etc
The leaflet should include 10 facts about the animal as well as pictures, physical descriptions, enemies, food chain and any other relevant and/or important information.
These leaflets can be placed in the class library for students to 'check out' and read to increase their knowledge of these animals during their unit in Poineer Life.

Standards Addressed

(5) 4.5 Explain that living things get what they need to survive from their environments

WEATHER EXTREME

Students will research the effects of a particular type of weather.
Throughout the book, the Ingalls face extreme weather conditions such as snowstorms, and drought.
Students will use a map to chart where a particular type of weather occurs most often in the world and make generalized statements based on the evidence found. Record this information on a poster with the map labeled and marked to show areas of extreme weather clearly
Students will record the consequences of this weather and its effects on the people, wildlife, homes,etc
After all research has been completed, students will play the 'Dinner Party' game and introduce themselves around the room using descriptive language and factual information to other students without telling them what type of weather they are.
After 'mingling' students will write down the names of three students they spoke to during the party and guess which extreme weather condition they were. i.e Peter- Drought, Susan-Earthquake

Standards Addressed

(5) 3.3 Investigate and describe various meteorological phenomena (flooding, snowstorms, thunderstorms, and drought)

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Hardships of Pioneer Life
The people who lived during pioneer days had to face a tremendous amount of challenges to live and survive. Such challenges as battling with native Americans over land rights and dealing with fatal diseases such as cholera and dysentry. Life expectancy for these brave souls was quite low, while infant mortality rates remained high. These settlers traveled west in the hope of new opportunities and a better life. Adverse weather conditions could wipe out an entire family during the journey. On many occasions lives were lost due to freezing to death. Prairie fires were also a common occurrence. For the most part the settlers could live from the fruits of the land; catching fish, eating wild berries and growing vegetables like turnips and potatoes. Tending to the farm was hard work and families worked from sunrise to sunset taking care of the animals, making repairs , chopping wood and working to earn a wage. Women worked extremely long hours as well; taking care of the house, raising and having children as well as working outdoors if and when needed. Women were a huge support for the men and were relied upon to carry out a large anount of the daily tasks as well. Homes on the prairie were made of sod and needed upkeep. Due to the nature of the material used to build these homes repairs were common as well as the required daily sweeping to keep dust and insects at bay. During the summer it was hot and during the winter extremely cold.
Despite all the challenges faced by the early settlers and pioneers many were happy and made the best out of their life. Working long hours with little leisure time was a small price to pay for the opportunities and freedom which came from traveling westward.

Additional Resources

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum by Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum

http://www.littlehousebooks.com

www.wikipedia.org/

http://www.walnutgrovemn.org/

http://www.littlehouseontheprairie.com/web/rules.htm

Banks of Plum Creek: 28—"The Letter" and 29—"The Darkest Hour is Just before Dawn"

2008-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Susan Hester, 5th grade teacher, William Wright Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

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Chapter Overviews:

Chapter 28: In this chapter Laura is anxiously awaiting a letter from Pa. Pa had left Plum Creek to find work harvesting crops after his own wheat crop had been destroyed by a plague of grasshoppers. Laura worries about Pa on a daily basis and begins to think that something bad may have happened to him when she doesn't receive a letter. Finally, a letter arrives at Mr. Nelson's post office and the family learns that Pa is fine and is working over three hundred miles away. He is earning a dollar a day and has sent money back to his family.

Chapter 29: As winter approaches the weather changes and the millions of grasshoppers disappear. Pa has still not returned and the family struggles to get by. One day Mrs. Nelson and her baby Anna come to visit. Ma tells the girls to play with Anna but it is difficult because Anna only speaks Norwegian. Anna accidentally rips the girls paper dolls and they decide to let her play with Laura's rag doll named Charlotte because she won't be able to destroy it. When it's time for Anna to go home she wants to take Charlotte with her. Ma tells Laura to let Anna have the doll because she is getting too old for dolls. The next Saturday, when Laura goes to the Nelson's to see if they have received a letter from Pa, she finds Charlotte partially ruined and frozen in a mud puddle. She takes Charlotte home and Ma makes her as good as new. Later that evening Pa returns home with money for the family.

Chapters' Themes: Rocky Mountain locusts, agriculture-wheat, daily life on the prairie, postal service, foreign immigrants, occupations, children's toys, weather, children's chores in the 1870's, travel, grasshopper plague.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Characterization: Bubble Map

Design a bubble map based on one of the characters. Use ten adjectives to describe the character's personality traits. The character's physical traits could also be included, but do not count toward the ten required adjectives. Then, choose three of the adjectives and using information from the chapters prove that these adjectives apply to this particular character. You may use something that the character says, something the character does, or information that others provide about the character to prove your point.
Standards Addressed

NS 3.5.2 Characterization: describe physical and personality traits
NS 3.5.2 Make inferences and draw conclusions about a character based on evidence
NS 2.5.3 Organize information

Diary Entry

Choose one of the characters and write five diary entries from that character's point of view. In each fictional entry, use what you know about the character to accurately portray how a person of this age, gender, and time period would speak and write. Each diary entry should include the character's observations, ideas, feelings, and experiences on specific dates. Diary entries may include narratives or descriptions pertaining to: daily life, chores, roles in the family, leisure activities, types of work, living conditions, neighbors, worries and fears, problems being faced, etc.
Standards Addressed

NS 3.5.4 Point of View: describe an example of first-person point of view
NS 8.5.2 Use precise language to describe feelings, observations, and experiences
NS 6.5.7 Write a variety of communications in appropriate format (personal communications)

Mathematics

Problem Solving

Divide the class into groups of three or four students. In each group,students should decide how long it took Pa Ingalls to walk 300 miles to find work. Students should determine the speed at which he walked and how many hours he walked each day. Consider the terrain over which Pa traveled to help determine the miles per hour, and consider Pa's character traits to determine how many hours a day he was likely to travel. Each group should be able to explain the reasons behind their choices. Using this information, calculate how long it probably took Pa to walk three hundred miles. Compare your results with the other groups in the class. Then find the average amount of time Pa spent walking by using the results from each group as your data.
Standards Addressed

NS B.3-5 Use everyday language to make conjectures, explain, and justify thinking about strategies and solutions to mathematical problems
NS 1.5.8 Generate and solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems using whole numbers and decimals in practical situations

Immigrants in Minnesota

Use the following information to determine what percentage of Minnesota's population were Norwegian immigrants in each of these years. Discuss any noticeable trends. Note: all numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand.

Year Population of Minnesota Norwegians
1860 172,000 12,000
1870 439,000 50,000
2000 4,919,000 851,000

Standards Addressed

NS 1.5.5 Use multiples of 10 to expand knowledge of basic multiplication and division facts
CEF 5.5.6 Use data from graphs, tables, and charts to draw and explain conclusions and make predictions

Social Studies
Rocky Mountain Locusts and their Impact on the Agricultural History of America

Students work in groups to research one of the following topics. Then each group should organize their findings and present the information to their class orally. All students should take notes on each group's presentation.

Short term effects of the grasshopper plague
- farmers left with no crops/starvation
- farmers and their families move to other locations
Long term effects of the grasshopper plague
- shift from farming wheat to cattle ranching
- influenced tilling practices
- fostered turkey production
- creation of the U.S. Entomological Commission in 1877
- increased dependence and aid from federal government
for agriculture

Standards Addressed

NS 5.5.1 Describe ways in which changes in the physical environment affect humans
NS 6.5.2 Demonstrate an understanding that an individual can be both a consumer and a producer
NS 3.5.3 Identify the parts of different ecosystems, including soil,climate, plant life, and animal life

Norwegian Immigrants

Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the reasons Norwegian immigrants and American settlers chose rural Minnesota as a place to settle in the mid 1800's. Include cultural, social, political, and economic reasons.
Standards Addressed

NS 4.5.2 Identify the push-pull factors influencing human migration and settlement
NS 4.5.4 Describe the differences among rural, suburban, and urban migration and settlement
NS 7.5.9 Describe the contributions of immigrant groups to the United States

Science

Rocky Mountain Locusts and their Impact on Agriculture in America

Students work in groups to research one of the following topics. Then each group should organize their findings and present the information to the class orally. All students should take notes on each group's presentation.

Benefits of Locust
-food source for grassland birds
-weed control agents
- nutrition for Native Americans
Detrimental Effects of Locust
-destroy crops
-animals dependent on the crops die or move to new locations
Methods used by farmers to destroy or remove locusts from farmland
-fire to destroy grasshopper nymphs
-plowing and harrowing to destroy eggs
-irrigation: drowning the wingless nymphs
-crop rotation and planting resistant crops

Standards Addressed

CEF 5.4.6 Investigate and describe the interrelationships and interdependence of organisms with each other and with non-living parts of their habitats
CEF 5.4.8 Investigate and describe how organisms, including humans, can cause changes in their environments
CEF 5.4.10 Investigate and describe how environmental changes allow some plants and animals to survive and reproduce, but others may die

Making Frost and Dew

Students should fill each can half full with crushed ice. In one can, add 4 tablespoons of salt and mix well. In the other can, add cold tap water and sure it covers the ice chips. Let the cans sit for about 3 minutes. Look on the outside of each can. You should see dew on the can with the ice and water and frost on the can with ice and salt. Place a thermometer in each can. The temperature in the can with ice and salt should be lower than in the other can. Record the steps of this experiment, the temperatures, and the results of this experiment in your science notebook. Draw and label pictures that correspond to the experiment.

Explanation: The mixture of melting ice and water remains just above freezing causing the warmer air in the atmosphere outside the can to accumulate as a liquid (dew). The salt and melting ice chemically react to form a salt solution. As ice continues to melt, this solution is cooled to a temperature below freezing. Moisture from the atmosphere collects on the outside of the can and freezes forming frost.

Standards Addressed

CEF 5.1.5 Create and use labeled illustrations, graphs, and charts to convey ideas, record observations, and make predictions
CEF 5.2.3 Investigate and describe that by combing two or more materials, the properties of the resulting material can be different from the original materials

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Theme: Norwegian Immigrants
From 1850-1930 the foreign born population of the United States increased from 2.2 million to 14.2 million. Large scale European immigration was occuring during this period.
Immigrants from Norway were usually family units from rural areas. There were many reasons why they chose to come to the United States. Land in Norway was very expensive at this time and most of the families that migrated were farmers. There was a strict social and political system in Norway in which only the elite could vote and the privileges of the upper class made everyone else feel like inferior citizens. Jobs were becoming scarcer in Norway because of the growing population and new technology. For these, as well as many other reasons, Norwegians emigrated to the United States.
Norwegians, like other ethnic groups, often chose to settle in areas already inhabited by their countrymen. Rural Minnesota was already home to many Norwegian immigrants. Communities retained particular ethnic identities, and immigrants often chose to settle in these communities or the surrounding areas. New settlers felt comfortable and retained many of their cultural traditions, foods, clothing, language, and religious practices.

Additional Resources

http://www.uvalde.tamu.edu?rangel/aprOO/skinner.pdf by Kerri Skinner: This site provides detailed information on grasshoppers and ways to control their population.
http://www.mofb.org/webquest/wq01c.htm by Lyndon and Barbara Irwin: This site explains what national education standards can be applied to the grasshopper plague discussed in On the Banks of Plum Creek.
http://www.salemclock.com/weather/canfrost.htm by Salem Clock Shop: Information regarding the formation of dew and frost and a description of an easy how-to science experiment to demonstrate.
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/mnstatehistory/norwegian_migration.html :This website explains the reasons behind Norwegian immigration and the reasons they settled in Minnesota.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 25—"The Glittering Cloud" and 26—"Grasshopper Eggs" and 27—"Rain"

2008-11-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Kristin M. Karyczak, 4th grade teacher, Marion Earl Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:During the mid-1800's in Minnesota, Pa Ingalls has worked so hard to set up his wheat field only to have it eaten by millions of grasshoppers just before harvesting time. The grasshoppers ate every green thing in sight and laid their eggs during a long period of no rain. Since there would be no harvest the next year either Pa Ingalls was forced to leave Ma Ingalls and the little girls, Mary, Laura, and Carrie, and travel east to find work in order for them to survive.

Chapters' Themes: the grasshoppers' life cycle and diet, Minnesota prairie weather, using similes and metaphors, surviving droughts, having hope, surviving harsh times, a prairie woman's duties in the mid- 1800's

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Simile and Metaphor Search

Students will search Chapters 25-27 for the several similes and metaphors that were used by the author, and write them down in a log.
They will then find other instances in the same chapters in which a simile or metaphor could be used.
Standards Addressed

CEF (4) 3.5 A. It is expected that students will explain how the author uses similes and metaphors.

What If...Changing the Course of a Story

Students will discuss with a classmate how they think the plot of the story would change if the grasshoppers had not arrived. What if the setting were different? How would the plot change then?
Students will pick a new setting for the story to take place and then write an alternative plot for just Chapters 25-27.
Standards Addressed

CEF (4) 3.1 Students are expected to A. explain setting. B. identify how one event may cause another event. C. make inferences and draw conclusions about setting and plot based on evidence.

Mathematics

Grasshopper Word Problems

Demonstrate a mathematical word problem using the info Pa Ingalls gives about the grasshopper eggs on p. 208, and discuss with students how to solve the word problem using Singapore Math strategies.
Have students design and answer their own grasshopper word problems. They will then share these with a classmate.
Standards Addressed

CEF (4).24 students will generate and solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems using whole numbers in practical situations

Prairie Money (Social Studies and Math)

Pose this question to the students to discuss: "How much do you think Pa Ingalls would have had to earn before he could come back home to Laura Ingalls and her family?"
By looking through the chapters with the class come up with a list of necessities for the Ingalls Family: items such as a new pair of boots for Pa, potatoes, milk, a cow, bread, butter, a new dress or shirt.
Have the students research how much these items may have cost in the mid-1800's. The students will then add up the cost of these items to make an estimate on how much Pa will need to earn in order to return to his family.
As an extension students may look up to see how much the items cost present day and compare the cost to the past.
Standards Addressed

CEF (4).1 6 students will estimate to determine reasonableness of an answer in mathematical and practical situations.
CEF (4).20 students will add and subtract decimals

Prairie Weather of Today (Science and Math)

Students will be assigned one prairie state to record the weather daily for a month.
They will then present the temperatures on a line graph for that month and pose at least two questions to the class regarding their line graph.
Standards Addressed:
CEF (4)5.2 organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations including frequency tables and line plots.
CEF (4)5.6 interpret data and make predictions using frequency tables and line plots.

Social Studies

Facing Challenges

In groups students will have to research one of the challenges that the prairie settlers faced in the 1800's and early 1900's. These challenges could include: grasshopper invasions, drought, lack of knowledge with crop cultivation, interference of Native Americans, harsh climate etc.
The student groups will then compare and contrast their chosen challenge with challenges people moving to the same area may face today. They will need to present the challenges through the use of one of the thinking maps.
Standards Addressed

CEF (4) 3.9 students will organize information
CEF (4) 2.3 A. students will select after-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose to connect, compare, and contrast story elements

Prairie Money (Social Studies and Math)

Pose this question to the students to discuss: "How much do you think Pa Ingalls would have had to earn before he could come back home to Laura Ingalls and her family?"
By looking through the chapters with the class come up with a list of necessities: items such as a new pair of boots for Pa, potatoes, milk, a cow, bread, butter, a new dress or shirt.
Have the students research on the internet and in the school library how much these items may have cost in the mid-1800's. The students will then add up the cost of these items to make a guess on how much Pa will need to earn in order to return to his family.
As an extension students may look up to see how much the items cost present day and compare the cost to the past.

Standards Addressed

CEF (4).1 6 students will estimate to determine reasonableness of an answer in mathematical and practical situations.
CEF (4).20 students will add and subtract decimals

Science

A Study on Grasshoppers

The class will be divided into four groups to complete research and poster presentations on several topics involving the grasshopper: the life cycle, reproduction, diet, characteristics and parts of the body)
Standards Addressed
CEF L2B Students understand that living things have identifiable characteristics.
CEF L5B Students understand that living things have specialized structures that perform a variety of life functions.

Prairie Weather of Today (Science and Math)

Discuss with students the role water or lack of water plays in prairie farm life
Students will be assigned one prairie state to record the weather daily for a month.
They will then present the temperatures on a line graph for that month and pose at least two questions to the class regarding their line graph.
Standards Addressed
CEF (4)5.2 organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations including frequency tables and line plots.
CEF (4)5.6 interpret data and make predictions using frequency tables and line plots.
CEF (4)3.1 investigate and describe the properties of water and (4)3.2 investigate and describe the water cycle, including the role of the sun [E5A2]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

The Plains region, such as where Laura Ingalls and her family migrated to was difficult to settle due to several factors. The region was very windy, had a lack of water, terrible summer heat & terribly cold winters, and lack of tall vegetation such as trees. Other discouragements in the mid-1800's included droughts, grasshopper invasions, and continued interference with Native Americans. Grasshopper swarms caused massive damage to crops. It also did not help that many of these early migrants were lacking in knowledge on how to raise crops successfully in this new region. Female migrants especially felt the pressure to succeed in this newly settled area. Many women had to live alone with their children on a claim for several months at a time while their husbands worked hundreds of miles away to raise the money necessary to cultivate their own land. These women were so isolated that they lacked that sense of community that they had in their previous home lives.

Additional Resources

American Expansionism 1783-1860 by Mark S. Joy: Joy discusses the expansion of US from the end of the American Revolution to the start of the American Civil War in 1860.
A Place to Grow: Women in the American West by Glenda Riley: this book combine several essays and primary documents which discuss western women's experience in settling the west, their relationships with the Native Americans, their duties on the homestead, and stereotypes made of them.
Grasshoppers on Wikipedia.org : this link gives detailed information on grasshoppers including their diet, life cycle, characteristics, and photos.
Cost of Food Prices and Wages in the 1800's: This link shows the price of some items in the 1800's
Weather.com: students may track the weather for different locations at this site.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 22—"Town Party" and 23—"Country Party" and 24—"Going to Church"

2008-11-04T20:14:00.002-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Jonathan Geiger, 3rd grade teacher, Cunningham Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:

Chapter 22: Town Party. Laura and Mary go to the Oleson's for a party. The country children are amazed at the beautiful home and furnishings. The children are allowed to play with magnificent toys, including a model of Noah's Ark, Tin soldiers and a jumping jack. Nellie is terribly selfish with her wax doll. Laura plots to get back at Nellie for her rude behavior.

Ch. 23 Country Party. Nellie and the big girls go to Laura's home for a party. Ma prepares Vanity cakes for the party. Laura is embarrassed of her rag doll. Nellie is rude to Ma. Laura plots to get back at Nellie. Laura and the girls go play at the creek. Laura scares Nellie with the old crab in the creek. While Nellie is wadding in the creek she gets covered with "bloodsuckers" or leeches. Laura pulls off the leeches while Nellie screams. The party ends with the girls eating all the vanity cakes and milk they want and Nellie not thanking them for the party.

Chapter 24 Going to Church. Pa takes the family to church. Laura and Mary have never seen a church. The chapter describes Ma's beautiful handmade dress in detail. They travel over the prairie early and Ma makes a mistake on the color of bows during getting ready. Laura knows the story at Sunday school, but ends up liking Sunday school because it breaks the monotony of Sunday up. The family continues to go to church. Pa needs new boots but ends up giving the three dollars to the church for a new bell. Pa hopes his crop will come in and they will have plenty of money.

Chapters' Themes: Pioneer churches, prairie life, prairie topography, stream wildlife, pioneer toys, pioneer foods, clothing, wheat harvesting, poverty.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Greed and Revenge

Students will be read portions of "Town Party" and "Counrty Party". These sections will involve: Nellie's behavior with her wax doll, Laura's response after the party to Mary, Nellie's attitude toward Ma at the Country Party and Laura's response toward Nellie at the creek. Students will then create a cause and effect chart relating these actions. Further, a sequence chart can be created in addition to the cause and effect flow chart.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.3.1A2 Describe and compare sequence of events
CCSD 3.3.1B Identify how one event may cause another event
CCSD 3.2.3A6 After reading strategies to Evaluate text and make inferences/draw conclusions
3.3.9J Organize information with graphic organizer/flow chart

Planning a Party

Students will listen to excerpts about the parties in Ch. 22 and Ch. 23. Students will plan a party and create an invitation. Students will list everything that is required for the party. Students will share their finished products with the class.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.5.1B Consider audience and purpose
CCSD 3.5.1C/D Consider format, explore a topic and plan written work
CCSD 3.5.2C Participate in writing activities (e.g. lists)

Mathematics

Pioneer Baking

Students will be read portion of "Country Party" where Ma is making the Vanity cakes. Students will then be shown a recipe for making biscuits. 2 c. flour, 2 Tb. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 c. water. Students will then be given standard measuring cups and be able to see the different sizes. Students will then be given ingredients and asked to follow the recipe.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.3.1 Estimate and use measuring devices with standard units to measure volume/capacity
CCSD 3.3.6 Select and use appropriate units of measurement

Making Money

Students will be read section of "Going to Church", where Pa wants to buy a new pair of books for three dollars. Students will be asked to discuss if this is possible to day. Students will be given money manipulative. Students will be asked to determine possible combinations to create this given amount of $3.00. Students will record their combinations then share in the class.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.3.9 Determine possible combinations of coins and bills to equal a given monetary amount
CCSD 3.3.10 Read, write and use money notation

Social Studies

The Great American Desert

Students will locate and learn about the great plains. Students will locate the Great Plains on the map. Students will identify the states that are located within this region. Students will take notes on the limited rainfall and geographic properties of the region. i.e. flat, rolling hills and very little vegetation. Students will create their own map of the Great Plains with color coded states were the early pioneers settled.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.3.3 Use maps to collect geographic information 3.3.1 Identify and use the cardinal directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map
CCSD 3.3.4 Construct a simple map, including title, symbols, and directions

Looking at the Land

Students will be shown photographs of the Great Plains. Students will discuss the physical properties of the land. Students will be shown photographs of early pioneer homes and buildings, including churches and sod homes. Students will take notes and discuss the differences between the land and the buildings that were built on the prairie. Students will draw and label important parts of the sod home. Students will be read sections of "Town Party" and "Country Party" regarding their possessions and toys, and discuss the differences between the Oleson's and the Ingall's needs and desires.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.3.9 Identify differences between physical and human features. 3.2.14 Demonstrate that each family has a limited amount of money 3.2.16 Give an example of income 3.2.26 Identify jobs and careers within a city and community.
3.2.27 Compare the wants and needs of people and the means to fulfill those needs

Science

Stream Life

Students will be read portion of "Country Party" that deals with the leeches. Students will be shown a diagram of a stream ecosystem. Students will take notes and discuss the relationship of the organisms found within the ecosystem. Students will diagram the stream ecosystem and label important interactions that had been discussed during the note taking section of the activity. Students will present their finished product to the class.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.L2C Students will understand that living things live in different places.
CCSD 3.L5C Students understand that organisms interact with their ecosystems LA 3.7.1 Listen for the purpose of gaining information

Comparing Wheat and Crabs

Students will be read "Going to Church" section when Pa is harvesting wheat, then "Country Party" when Laura talks about old crab. Students will then be given a diagram which needs to be completed by the students for both wheat and crabs. Students will label parts of the wheat stalk and parts of the crabs anatomy, i.e. shell(exoskeleton), claws etc... and purpose for each structure. Students will discuss the differences between the life cycles of these two living things.
Standards Addressed

CCSD 3.L12B Students understand that all life forms use specialized structures and similar processes to meet life's needs
CCSD 3.L2B Students understand that living things have identifiable characteristics

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Theme: Pioneer Food vs. Settlers Food
People often have a misconception about the pioneers, settlers and food. Often we think it was just bacon and beans. Perhaps this misconception comes from the views we have of the pioneers as they traveled west in their covered wagons. Once settled though, they often times ate a wide variety of foods while they were in season, and preserved the produce when they could for the winter months.
Pioneers would hunt and fish for food. They would pick berries and other wild fruits they encountered to add to their supplies. The basis for the settlers tables was the family garden or "kitchen garden". Settlers would plant two gardens a year. One in the spring and one in the summer. The spring garden would provide things like greens, radishes, and peas. The summer garden would provide pumpkins, beans, potatoes and squash. Most of the woman's time on a homestead was tending to the family's garden and farm animals. They made cheese and butter from the animals milk and also gathered eggs. Fruit trees were planted as soon as a homestead was established.
Settlers could buy flour, tea, salt, sugar, coffee, bacon, dried fruit, dried beans, cornmeal, split peas, oatmeal, vinegar, pickles, dried beef, salt pork, assorted spices and other commodities at a general store. Yet, even with these staples, settlers spent a great deal of time and effort to add to these foods. Again, as I stated before, the majority of the work was done by the woman. She had to gather the eggs, milk the cow, pull the weeds, can the jam, prepare and water the garden on top of her other domestic jobs. It was estimated that the woman provided up to half of the family's food during these times.
Gourds were a popular vegetable to grow. Squash and pumpkins could be stored for long periods of time in a root cellar. The flesh could be dried as well. Further, the small gourds could be used as ladles, and larger gourd to hold both water and seeds. Settlers would gather native plants as well. Some of these included Chives and BeeBalm, Huckleberry and Choke berry.
Fruit was often dried as soon as it was picked. Scurvy was a threat to the settlers, so fruit in the winter helped give them a balanced diet. Meat was preserved in winter by hanging the meat outside, or in summer by salting it or pickling it. Salting required the meat to be rinsed thoroughly before being able to eat it.

Additional Resources

http://www.museumsofwv.org/kids/pioneers_food.html by The Museum of West Virginia: Some good information about the foods that early pioneers ate. Some good drawings and diagrams.
http://www.projects.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pioneer/pioneer_home.htm by Markham Museum and Historic Village: This website gives interesting information about the pioneer dinner table. It gives lists of what the pioneers ate and when they ate them at different times of the year
http://ncbible.org/nwh/orhistbd.html by Charles Dailey: Website gives information about early churches in Oregon. It lists several towns were churches were established and who started these churches.
http://www.mcusa-archives.org/library/omh/pdf/1.2.pdf by MCUSA Very detailed information about the start of the Mennonite churches in Ohio. Great amount of information about early beginnings. _________________________________________________________________

Banks of Plum Creek: 20—"School" and 21—"Nellie Oleson"

2008-11-04T20:14:00.001-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Marie Dattero, 4th grade teacher, Theron and Naomi T. Goynes Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides

Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.
_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews

Chapter 20: "School" addresses the experiences of Laura and Mary attending their first day of school. Laura Ingalls Wilder does a great job of describing their long journey the girls have to trek, animals, and their surroundings they encounter on the way to school. The two girls experience walking to town for the first time. They are amazed at what the shops, streets, and building look like. Upon reaching school they are noticed by other children. The boys and girls weren't very nice to them. They call them names and refer to them as "Snipes" because of their short dresses and their long dangling legs. The girls did meet a girl by the name of Christy Kennedy who befriended them and showed them the ropes of their new school. After entering their one-roomed schoolhouse for their first time, Laura expressed to her teacher how much she knew and how much she could read. Mary realized that she couldn't do as much as Laura. She didn't even know the letters of the alphabet.
Chapter 21: In "Nellie Oleson," Mary and Laura realize the differences between them and the other school children, especially Nellie Oleson. Nellie is one of the girls who is in their class. She is the daughter of Mr. Oleson who is a store owner in town where Pa attends frequently for supplies. She is not so friendly towards the girls and feels that she has control when it comes to playing at recess or doing any other activities. In the chapter Laura has an encounter with Nellie at recess. Laura suggested to the other children on playing a game. Nellie wasn't too happy about that game and pulled Laura's hair suggesting that she didn't want to play that game. Towards the end of the chapter Nellie finds a way to make friends by inviting the girls to a birthday party.

Chapters' Themes: Courage; Family; Hardship; Friendship; Prejudice; One-roomed schoolhouses; Poverty; Pioneer life

Instructional Activities

Language Arts

Letters Back Home

Make sure you address to the students the time of year they are writing. Begin by having students brainstorm information from previous chapters by making a bubble map (see http://www.mapthemind.com/thinkingmaps/themaps/circle/index.html).
Because Laura is so advanced in her studies, the teacher shows Laura many different writing techniques such as letter writing. Laura is thinking about friends she left behind when her family moved and about how great her life has become since moving. She recalls all her family achieved so far and all that she and Mary have achieved. Have students put themselves in Laura's shoes and write letters back home to her friends.
Have students make up a friend to whom they will write and then have them write a letter describing their lives as if they were living in the new area. Have students describe their school, school subjects, content being taught, going to town for the first time, friends they've met, and their feelings.
To begin with the letter writing have students make a flow map of their main ideas and supporting details for each paragraph. Refer to the website shown above on Thinking Maps.
Each paragraph of the letter should address a different subject. The letter should be at least five paragraphs in length. Each paragraph should use rich language of the descriptions of all the topics as Laura Ingalls Wilder uses in paragraph 20 and 21.
The format of the letter should follow the friendly letter format.
A generic rubric for grading the letters is available at http://www.teach-nology.com/cgi-bin/writing.cgi

Standards Addressed

(4) 1.4 comprehend, build, and extend vocabulary using: identify connotative and denotative meaning in text [NS 1.4.4], develop vocabulary through meaningful experiences (e.g., listen to and discuss selections read aloud, wide reading, discussion of word meaning, interactive activities, examples and non-examples)
(4) 1.5 participate actively in reading from a variety of literary genres and expository selections (e.g., stories, plays, poetry, biographies, myths, articles, manuals, encyclopedia, realistic fiction, electronic resources)
1. read silently daily
2. read assigned and self-select books appropriate to purpose and reading ability
3. read to locate information and solve problems
read and understand a variety of literary and expository text
(4) 2.2 A. select during-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose to
1. use self-correcting strategies (e.g., self-question, reread, use context clues)
[PS/NS 2.4.2]
2. make, confirm, and revise predictions [PS/NS 2.4.2]
3. understand and use key vocabulary [PS/NS 2.4.2]
4. identify main idea and supporting details [PS/NS 2.4.2]
5. make inferences [PS/NS 2.4.2]
6. apply knowledge of text type [PS/NS 2.4.2]
7. clarify understanding of text (e.g., take notes, generate questions, discuss, check other sources)
8. make connections to personal experiences and knowledge
9. visualize/create mental images
10. use appropriate graphic organizer
(4) 2.3 A. select after-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose to
1. recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.4.3]
2. restate main ideas [PS/NS 2.4.3]
3. organize information (e.g., graphic organizer, outline) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
(4) 3.1 A. explain
1. setting [PS/NS 3.4.1]
2. sequence of events [PS/NS 3.4.1]
3. conflict [PS/NS 3.4.1]
4. climax [PS/NS 3.4.1]
5. resolution [PS/NS 3.4.1]
6. turning point [PS/NS 3.4.1]
B. identify how one event may cause another event [PS/NS 3.4.1]
C. make inferences and draw conclusions about setting and plot based on evidence
[PS/NS 3.4.1]
D. describe internal and external conflict with assistance [NS 3.4.1]
E. identify and discuss main plot and subplots with assistance [NS 3.4.1]
(4) 3.4 identify first-person point of view [NS 3.4.4]

(4) 3.9 A. use information to answer and generate specific questions (e.g., literal and inferential questions) [PS/NS 3.4.9]
B. make connections to self, other text, and/or the world [NS 3.4.9]
C. summarize information [NS 3.4.9]
D. describe how author’s purpose and writing style influence reader’s response
E. evaluate text (e.g., draw conclusions and make inferences) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
F. recall details [PS/NS 2.4.3]
G. restate main ideas [PS/NS 2.4.3]
H. organize information (e.g., graphic organizer, outline) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
I. synthesize text [PS/NS 2.4.3]
J. connect, compare, and contrast story elements
(4) 5.1 use prewriting strategies, both independently and collaboratively with peers, to plan written work (e.g., graphic organizers, brainstorming) [PS/NS 5.4.1]
B. consider audience and purpose
C. consider format
D. explore a topic to plan written work [PS/NS 5.4.1]
E. choose and narrow a topic to organize ideas (e.g., lists, graphic organizers, outlines, note taking) [PS/NS 5.4.1]
F. ask questions to expand knowledge
(4) 5.2 draft multiple-paragraph papers, both independently and collaboratively with peers, about a single topic that address
1. audience and purpose [PS/NS 5.4.2]
2. an introduction [PS/NS 5.4.2]
3. supporting details [PS/NS 5.4.2]
4. transitions [PS/NS 5.4.2]
5. a conclusion [PS/NS 5.4.2]
B. participate in daily writing activity (e.g., journals, learning logs, summaries, lists, computer generated documents)
C. use pattern and structure rules to correctly spell (e.g., plurals: ~s, ~es, ~ies, ~ves; inflectional suffixes: ~ed, ~ing, ~er, ~est)
(4) 5.7 prepare a legible final draft to display or share [PS/NS 5.4.7]
1. form cursive letters correctly
2. adhere to margins and indentations
3. use basic word processing skills
B. select a publishing format appropriate to the audience and purpose with assistance [NS 5.4.7]
(4) 6.2 write multiple-paragraph narrative/descriptive papers about experiences and/or events appropriate to audience and purpose that include
1. logical sequence [PS/NS 6.4.2]
2. characters [PS/NS 6.4.2]
3. setting [PS/NS 6.4.2]
4. plot [PS/NS 6.4.2]
5. dialogue [PS/NS 6.4.2]
6. figurative language [NS 6.4.2]
7. concrete sensory details [NS 6.4.2]

(4) 6.7 write friendly letters following an established format [PS/NS 6.4.7]
Comparing My Life to Life on the Banks of Plum Creek

Students will compare their lives at home and at school to Mary or Laura's life at home and at school.
Students will use a double bubble map to compare themselves to Mary or Laura.
Teacher will brainstorm information that they have learned about the girls going to school such as: going to town, books, clothing, one-room schoolhouses, and other information found in the chapters.
This website provides a blank example of a double bubble maphttp://www.wappingersschools.org/RCK/staff/teacherhp/johnson/pdf/DoubleBubbleMap.pdf
They will brainstorm many facts about school, walking to town, meeting friends, and clothing.
After the double bubble maps are complete students can use the information to create a four-door foldable book.
Teachers can provide the students with a large piece of construction paper (11 1/2 x 18), either white or another light color.
Teachers will demonstrate for the students how to fold the paper. Holding the paper horizontally the teacher will take one end of the paper and fold it towards the middle and take the other end of the paper and fold it towards the middle. Looking at the paper you will see that there are two flaps that open in the middle of the paper and extend outward.
Half way down the middle of the flaps the teacher will demonstrate how to make a cut through the middle to the end of the fold of each flap. This will create two flaps on both folds. Looking at the foldable you will see four doors that open to the middle of the paper. For a picture of the foldable you can visit this site http://www.dinah.com/manipulatives.php
On the top left outside flap the students can label it as "My Home Life" and on the bottom left outside flap the students can label it as "My School Life."
On the top right outside flap the students can label it as "Laura or Mary's Home Life" and on the bottom right outside flap the students can label it as "Laura or Mary's School Life."
On the inside students will take the information from their double bubble maps and list it on the according sides.
Under each flap they should write at least five facts from their lives at home and at school for a total of ten facts. They should write the same amount for Laura or Mary's home and school lives as well.
In the middle the students will write what they have in common with Mary or Laura.
For the middle they should have at least five facts that they share.
Students may also decorate the foldable to represent chapters 20 and 21.

Standards Addressed

(4) 2.2 select during-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose to
1. use self-correcting strategies (e.g., self-question, reread, use context clues)
[PS/NS 2.4.2]
2. make, confirm, and revise predictions [PS/NS 2.4.2]
3. understand and use key vocabulary [PS/NS 2.4.2]
4. identify main idea and supporting details [PS/NS 2.4.2]
5. make inferences [PS/NS 2.4.2]
6. know when meaning is lost
7. adjust reading rate [PS/NS 2.4.2]
8. apply knowledge of text type [PS/NS 2.4.2]
9. clarify understanding of text (e.g., take notes, generate questions, discuss, check other sources)
10. make connections to personal experiences and knowledge
11. visualize/create mental images
12. use appropriate graphic organizer
(4) 2.3 select after-reading strategies appropriate to text and purpose to
1. recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.4.3]
2. restate main ideas [PS/NS 2.4.3]
3. organize information (e.g., graphic organizer, outline) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
4. record information [PS/NS 2.4.3]
5. synthesize text [PS/NS 2.4.3]
6. evaluate text (e.g., draw conclusions, make inferences) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
7. evaluate the effectiveness of reading strategies [PS/NS 2.4.3]
8. connect, compare, and contrast story elements
(4) 3.2 A. describe physical and personality traits [PS/NS 3.4.2]
B. describe the motivation for a character’s actions [PS/NS 3.4.2]
C. make inferences and draw conclusions about a character(s) based on evidence [PS/NS 3.4.2]
(4) 4.5 A. make connections to self, other text, and/or the world [PS/NS 4.4.5]B. recall details/facts [PS/NS 2.4.3]
C. restate main ideas [PS/NS 2.4.3]
D. organize information (e.g., graphic organizer, outline) [PS/NS 2.4.3]
E. record information [PS/NS 2.4.3]
(4) 5.7 prepare a legible final draft to display or share [PS/NS 5.4.7]
1. form cursive letters correctly
2. adhere to margins and indentations
3. use basic word processing skills
(4) 6.4 write responses to literary text that demonstrate an understanding of
1. setting [PS/NS 6.4.4]
2. character development [PS/NS 6.4.4]
3. motivation [PS/NS 6.4.4]
B. summarize information from literary text [NS 6.4.4]

Mathematics

How Do We Get to School?

In chapter 20 it states that Mary and Laura walk 2 1/2 miles to school. They walk through the prairie and eventually make it to town where their school is.
Take a survey in class and ask the students if they walk, ride, their bike, or drive.
Make a bar graph using a large piece of butcher paper. Make three columns: walk, riding bikes, and driving.
Have the students write their names on small post-it notes to attach to the graph. They will place their post-it notes under the form used to come to school.
Now have the students make another graph using the information they recieved from the bar graph. The students can make pictographs, line graphs, or pie charts.
The students can log onto http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx
To create their own graphs using the information from the bar graphs. They can save and print their own graphs.
For an extension the students can create another survey of their own. They can take a tally of the class and create a different graph.

Standards Addressed

(4)5.2 organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations including frequency tables and line plots. [NS 5.4.1]
(4)5.6 interpret data and make predictions using frequency tables and line plots. [NS 5.4.3]
(4)A.8 use technology, including calculators, to investigate and describe relationships such as patterns and functions, to develop mathematical concepts and solve problems [NS A.3-5]
(4)B.2 use inquiry techniques (discussion, questioning, research, and data gathering) to solve mathematical problems [NS B.3-5]
(4)B.4 use a variety of methods (physical materials, diagrams, and tables) to represent and then communicate mathematical ideas through oral, verbal, and written formats [NS/PS B.3-5]
(4)D.6 identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life [NS D.3-5]

How Far Do We Travel?

In chapter 20 it states that Mary and Laura have to walk 2 1/2 miles to school.
Instruct the students how to convert 2 1/2 miles into feet. They instruct them how convert 2 1/2 miles into inches.
Now have the students convert the US Customary units into metric units.
Advise the students that the metric system is not exactly like the US Customary system.
You can give them hints such as:
A meter is about the same length as a yard
A meter is about three feet long
A decimeter is about four inches long
An inch is about 25 millimeters
A foot contains about 30 centimeters
A foot contains about 3 decimeters
Have the students work in groups of three to see what their measurements are. They will convert into meters, centimeters, decimeters, and millimeters.

Standards Addressed

(4)D.6 identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life [NS D.3-5]
(4)3.1 estimate and convert units of measure for length, area, and weight within the same measurement system (customary and metric) [NS 3.4.1]
(4)3.2 estimate temperature in practical situations [NS 3.4.1]
(4)3.3 measure, compare, and convert length in inches, feet, yards, and miles to the nearest fractional part (1/4, 1/2)
(4)3.4 measure, compare, and convert length in metric units (millimeter, centimeter, meter, kilometer)

Social Studies

Building a Pioneer Town

Students will research pioneer towns on the internet. Students may work in triads or partners to complete this project.
They can use http://www.google.com/ as a primary search engine to research. While reasearching pioneer towns students should be looking at maps and diagrams of the towns to see what main components make up a pioneer town.
Teachers can introduce pioneer towns by relating back to chapter 20 and how Laura Ingalls Wilder described her town as Mary and Laura were walking to school. What were the important stores in the town used for? What were the stores called?
Students will research the importantance of all of the different stores that are located in a pioneer town. They will write a one paragraph description and the importance of each to be included with their towns.
Examples of what stores are in a pioneer town include: a blacksmith shop, general store, post office, schools, churches, lumberyards, livery stable, and hotels.
Students will make a map of their Pioneer Town. They will give their town a name,and label the shops and convieneces that are in their town, and map out the distances of their shops. Students can use inches to represent feet: 1 inch= 10 feet.
Once the diagrams are complete and approved by the teacher they can begin constructing their pioneer towns.
Using a large piece of contruction paper as the base of their pioneer town and paper examples of the buildings students will construct their towns. The sites for the buildings are listed below. Teachers may print out the examples and give copies to each group of students.
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/images/church-school.pdf
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/images/hotel-generalstore.pdf
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/images/liverystable.pdf
http://www.hoover.archives.gov/LIW/images/other_business.pdf
Students will attach their paragraphs of their building to the reverse side of the diagram of the pioneer town.
In the towns the students should include: a school, church, general store, and two other businesses of their choice.
In the descriptions of their buildings, the students must include the importance of each building to the pioneer people, and a personal connection.

Standards Addressed

(4)3.10 list examples of physical and human features from the community or region[NS 2.4.1]
(4)3.15 give an example of how a place where they have lived has changed in their lifetime [NS 2.4.6]
(4)3.23 list reasons why people move to or from a particular place [NS 4.4.2]
(4)3.24describe changes in how people move from one place to another [NS 4.4.3]

Pioneer Games

In chapter 21 Nellie Oleson is mad because she wants to play Ring Around the Rosey. Laura and Christy want to play Uncle John.
Teach the students other games that the girls may have played at recess.
There are so many games that can be played with boys and girls, just girls, or just boys. I have a found this great website that teaches the games and how to play them.
The teacher can even split the class up into groups of 5 or 6 to play several games.
Use the website http://www.awhc.org/docs/Education/PioneerLife/TeacherResourceInfo/Pioneer%20Games.pdf
Its amazing to see how fun the games are and how much they are like games today.

Standards Addressed

(4)4.11 discuss how and why people from various cultures immigrated and migrated to the American West
(4)4.12 read historical passages and interpret details
(4)4.13 identify appropriate resources for historical information

Science

Animals in Prairie Towns

In chapter 20 Laura and Mary were refered to as "snipes" because of their long dangly legs.
Ask the students "What is a snipe?"
After some discussion describe to them what a snipe is and show them a picture on the internet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe
Have the students reserach other mammal, reptiles, insects, or birds found on a prairie.
This project can be completed independantly or in groups.
This website might be useful http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/prairie/htmls/eco_mammals.html
Using a large poster board students will make an informational poster about the mammal, reptile, insect, or bird they choose to research.
On the left side of the poster the students will write or type 10-15 facts found on the mammal, reptile, insect, or bird.
In the middle of the poster they will write the name of the mammal, insect, reptile, or bird in large letters. Under the name they will write the scientific name and either draw a large picture or print out a colored picture from the internet.
On the right side of the poster board they will write a paragraph describing the physical features of the mammal, reptile, insect, or bird.
They will also write a paragraph describing the location of the animal, bird, or insect, habitat and behavior, food they eat, and their predators.
Each section of the poster should be neatly written or typed and presented.

Standards Addressed

L2C Students understand that living things live in different places.
L5C Students understand that there are a variety of ecosystems on Earth and organisms interact within their ecosystems.
L8C Students understand how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact.
L12C Students understand that ecosystems display patterns of organization, change, and stability as a result of the interactions and interdependencies between the living and non-living components of the Earth.
L2D Students understand that there are many kinds of living things on Earth.
L5D Students understand that living things can be classified according to physical characteristics, behaviors, and habitats.

The Hot Sun

"Keep your sunbonnet on! You'll be brown as an Indian, and what will the town girls think of us?"

While Laura and Mary were walking to school Mary advised Laura to keep her head covered or else she would look like an indian.
This would be a perfect time to introduce the properties of the sun.
This website provides a tutorial of the sun http://www.astro.uva.nl/demo/sun/kaft.htm
This is also another great website to use for background information http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/links.html&edu=elem
As an extension the students will make solar ovens out of pizza boxes.
You will need:
1. A medium size pizza box (Pizza Hut boxes work great)
2. Black construction paper
3. Extra-wide aluminum foil
4. Plastic (plastic window covering from a hardware store works best)
5. Glue
6. Tape
7. Scissors
8. Ruler
9. Magic marker
10. String
Tape foil to the inside bottom of the box. Cover the foil with black paper. Tape in place.

Put the box on the plastic. Draw the outline of the box on the plastic with the marker. Cut the plastic about 1/4 inch inside the marks.
On the top of the box, draw a line one inch from all sides. Cut along front and side lines BUT NOT along the back. This will be the hinge for the flap. Carefully fold open the flap.
Cut a piece of foil the size of the flap. Glue it to the side of the flap that faces INTO the box. Flatten out all the winkles. Wipe glue smears off with a damp towel before they dry.
Tape the plastic to the inside of the box. Tape one side first, then the opposite side. Make it tight so it looks like glass. Tape the other edges. Seal tight so no air can get in.
Cut a piece of string as long as the box. Tape one end to the top of the flap. Push a small nail into the back of the box so you have a place to tie the string.
Give it a try ... (English muffin pizzas, melting rate of chocolate "s-mores," etc....)
Can you improve your oven? (add insulation, add reflectors, etc...)
What else can you cook?

Standards Addressed

(4)3.7 identify the sun as a star, and as the main source of energy for planet Earth [E5A1; E5B3]

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

One-room School Houses

One-room school houses were very typical and consisted of students ranging from 1st grade to 8th grade. The number students varied from 6 to 40 or sometimes even more. The teacher taught all subjects at all the different levels. Usually the younger students would sit in the front while the older students sat in the back. It was common that the tecaher would pull different grade levels and work seperately with them while the older students helped the younger students.

The earliest of schools were build using simple construction methods. Usually framed models were usued. In some parts of the country sod and stone were used as well. The blackboards used in the classroom were really boards painted black. It wasn't until late that slates were used. Often time the students had their own slates to use for writing.

Teachers who taught in the schools were just a few years older then the oldest students themselves. They were typically women and most of them were probably previous students themselves. They typically lived at the school or dormed with a family close by the school. They weren't paid very much for their duties and they held a large accountability. It is noted that on cold days the teachers would arrive early to start heating the room. They would most often cook hot meals for dinner to feed the children. Dinner was the afternoon meal. Teachers would also clean and prepare the room for the next day of learning.

A typical school day began at 9 a.m. and lasted until 4 p.m. There would be a morning recess and an afternoon recess that was about 15 minutes long. The students also had an hour for lunch. Many one-room school houses were used too hold town meetings at night.

The location of schools was usually in town. Students mostly arrived at school by walking. The students that lived too far too walk arrived usually by horse drawn wagons.

Many one-room school houses aren't used anymore. They may have been torn down or preserved by many museums all over the world. In many town in the United States one-room school houses are used by communities of people such as the Amish.

Additional Resources

http://clarke.cmich.edu/schoolhouse/schoolsintro.htm by Clark Historical Library: History of the teachers and education, students, and the architecture of the buildings.

http://www.lauraingallswilderhome.com/ by Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum: shows the history of Laura Ingalls Wilder

http://www.solarcookers.org/basics/how.html by Solar Cookers International: shows the principles behind solar coookers

www.wikipedia.org/ online encylopedia

http://www.littlehousebooks.com/ by Little House Books: description of all the Little house books and activities to go with them

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Banks of Plum Creek: 18—"The Old Crab and the Bloodsuckers" and 19—"The Fish-Trap"

2008-11-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Jessica Graham, 3rd grade teacher, John Tartan Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Chapters 18 and 19 focus on Laura, and her love of adventure. Laura is a young, curious girl. She and her sister, Mary, are exploring the little creek that runs near their house. While Mary stays on or near the bank, Laura decided to venture into the dark water underneath the Plum Trees. When she returns to her sister, dark spots cover her legs and feet. Leaches! Later, Laura returns to the creek after helping her father to make a fish trap. She is curious about this trap, because it is open on the top and she feels the fish should be able to swim right back out. Her father places the trap underneath a waterfall and explains how the pressure of the water keeps the fish from swimming back out. Both girls learn that they will begin attending school, and Laura resists the notion claiming she could not bear to part with her daily visits to the creek.

Chapters' Themes: Curiosity, Plum Creek, respect for parents, using nature, self independence

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Diagram of a Leech

Laura told Pa "about those mud-brown things without eyes or head or legs, that had fastened to her skin in the creek." Students will use the internet to conduct basic research on leeches, and use that information to label the following parts of a leech: anterior end, posterior end, eyes, and suckers.
Standards Addressed

NS 4.3.1 identify the purpose of and gain information from diagrams
NS 1.3.4 comprehend, build, and extend vocabulary
NS 1.3.4 use resources to find and/or confirm meaning of unknown words encountered in text

Short Narrative

"No, Laura," Pa said. " I don't want you to go back to that creek, where the dark, deep holes are." Pa told her not to go, but Laura went anyway and got leeches stuck all over her. Students will think about a time their parents asked them not to do something, but they did it anyway. Then the students will write about that experience, and tell what happened to them as a result of their disobedience.
Standards Addressed

5.2 Draft paragraphs about a single topic that address audience and purpose with an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion
5.7 Prepare a legible final draft to display or share
6.2 Write narrative/descriptive paragraphs appropriate to audience and purpose with a logical sequence, characters, and setting

Mathematics

Create a Table

Students will create a table to record data on their leeches, such as the length and weight of all the leeches. Then, using the data in their table, students can calculate average, mean, median, and mode of either length or weight.
Standards Addressed

NS 5.1 Pose questions that can be used to guide data collection, organization, and representation
NS B. 3-5 Use inquiry techniques (discussion, questioning, research, and data gathering) to solve mathematical problems

Cipher

"I know, little half-pint," said Pa, "but it isn't everybody that gets a chance to learn to read and write and cipher." Students will learn the vocabulary word 'cipher.' Then, the students will sit in rows with little chalk boards (slates) and practice some basic ciphers.
Standards Addressed

NS 1.3.5 immediately recall and use addition and subtraction facts
NS D. 3-5 identify, explain, and use mathematics in everyday life

Social Studies

Bonnets

"Her bonnet slid back and hung by its strings around her neck..." Students will brainstorm in small groups what a bonnet is, what time period it represents, and what it is used for. The whole group will discuss predictions. A Venn Diagram can be used to organize findings.
Standards Addressed

NS 6.3.17 describe the lives of pioneers from diverse groups
NS 6.3.1 use visual clues to determine when and where an event took place in the past

Gone Fishing

"Every day there was fish for breakfast and fish for dinner and fish for supper." Students will converse with peers in a small group about this quote in terms of the effect on the environment and the positive and negative aspects of this fishing for the family.
Standards Addressed

5.0 Students understand the effects of interactions between human and physical systems and the changes in use, distribution, and importance of resources
5.3.6 Describe ways humans depend on natural resources

Science

Im sick! Give me some leeches!

After reviewing the diagram of a leech done in Language Arts, students will brainstorm a list of ways they think leeches might be used for medicinal purposes and how they came to that conclusion. Teacher will eventually lead them to discuss the mouth, the special saliva leeches have which aid in healing wounds, and the fact that leeches only eat bad tissue which leaves only healthy tissue behind.
Standards Addressed

N5A Students understand that science involves asking and answering questions and comparing the answers to what scientists know about the world
L5B Students understand that living things have specialized structures that perform a variety of life functions

Life Cycle of a Leech

Students will study the life cycle of a leech and then compare/contrast it to the life cycle of humans using a Venn Diagram.
Standards Addressed

4.2 Compare and contrast the life cycles of living things
4.7 Classify plants and animals according to their observable characteristics

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

In the time of Laura Ingalls Wilder, people were much more dependent on themselves and nature to survive. They could not simply drive to a fast food restaurant (or grocery store) to pick up dinner, or go shopping at the nearest mall for clothing. This video clip from an episode of "Little House on the Prairie" will give students an idea of what the outside of a mercantile looked like. This video clip shows the inside of a mercantile.
Video clips from this series can be extremely helpful for visual and auditory learners. There are episodes which show Caroline and Mary Ingalls sewing their own dresses, churning butter, making candle, etc. There are episodes that depict Charles Ingalls milking cows, hunting/fishing, etc. all of which show how dependent they were on nature to provide for them.

Additional Resources

Bloody Suckers by PBS.org: This website gives more details on leeches, including pictures of leeches and a leech stuck to a man's arm.
Leeches by Australian Museum Online: This website offers some information on leeches for the Social Studies lesson.
Venn Diagram Chart by Microsoft Office Online: This website offers a blank Venn Diagram to use in either the Bonnet or Life Cycle of a Leech lesson plans.
Eye in the Sky-Human Impact by National Geographic: This website shows videos of how humans directly impact the environment. It's good because it makes the link between humans and the environment much less vague. Students will be able to actually see damage being done.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 16—"The Wonderful House" and 17—"Moving In"

2008-11-04T20:12:00.001-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Kristen Curto, 3rd grade teacher, Manch Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Chapter 16
The Wonderful house
Pa begins the spring planting. It is exausting work, and he is in the fields from early morning until the sun goes down. Ma and the girls plant a vegetable garden. When all the wheat is planted and begins to sprout, Pa travels to town and purchases materials to build a house. With the help of Mr. Nelson, he build a house using all store-bought materials, including: shingles, boards, doors with hinges and a lock, and glass windows. Pa builds a beautiful house and surprises Ma with a shiny new cookstove. Ma is nervous about all of the big purchases because Pa has used credit based on his future potential earnings from selling his wheat crop.
Chapter 17
Moving in
The family moves out of the dugout house and into the new house that Pa has built. Ma is surprised and excited by her new stove. The girls are thrilled to have their own room in the attic.

Chapters' Themes: Life on a Prairie farm, Springtime chores, Building a home on the Prairie, Appreciating good fortune (the family was very excited by simple pleasures), Benefits of hard work, Work ethic, Women's work, Efficient use of resources, Finding new uses for old materials, Planting a garden
Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Pioneer Diary

Choose 1 or more characters from the story and write diary entries from the point of view of the character based on events from each chapter. Show students examples from actual Pioneer diaries as a model. Students should also include illustrations of key objects or events that are described in the chapters.
Standards Addressed

(3) 6.5 A. write responses to expository text
(3) 6.5 B. write responses that use specific details from expository text with assistance, summarize information from expository text with assistance

How- to paragraph

Use a flow map to organize information. Use this to write a how-to paragraph that explains the steps Pa used to build the prairie home. Illustrate it by drawing a detailed picture of the home Pa built or making a 3-D model of the home.
Standards Addressed

3.6.1 C write to a given prompt about an event, place, object, or person (e.g., to inform, to explain, to describe)
3.4.5 G. organize information (e.g., graphic organizer)

Mathematics

Prairie Life economics

Using a data table provided by the teacher, have students calculate the cost of planting wheat vs. the potential profits to be made by selling the crop. Then, have students calculate the cost of building a home on the prairie. Provide them with an information table that shows how much various supplies and household goods would have cost during the 1870's.
Standards Addressed

Data Analysis (3)5.3 draw conclusions from charts, tables, and graphs to solve problems
Problem Solving
(3)A.1 select, modify, develop, apply, and justify strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts
Create word problems

Have students create word problems based on planting crops or building a house on the prairie. They will then exchange the problems with other students to solve.
Standards Addressed

Mathematical Communication
(3)B.1 discuss and exchange ideas about mathematics as a part of learning
(3)B.6 express mathematical ideas and use them to define, compare, and solve problems orally and in writing

~Social Studies

Text- to -self connections

Show students a photograph of a Pioneer Prairie home from this time period. Also have them read a letter or diary excerpt from the 1870's. Students will then create a double-bubble map to compare and contrast Pioneer homes and home life to the student’s home and every day life.
Standards Addressed

History
(3)4.10 describe the lives of pioneers from diverse groups
(3)4.15 read and interpret historical passages

~Mapping

Locate Plum Creek on a map of the United States. Use Google Earth to locate the modern town to see how it has changed between then and now. In a group, create a poster, essay, diorama or salt map showing what the area was like in the 1870's and 2008.
Standards Addressed

Geography
(3)3.3 use maps, globes, photographs, and graphs to collect geographic information
(3)3.42 create a visual model to illustrate the results of a geographic inquiry

Science

Life cycle of a wheat plant

Research to learn about the life cycle of a wheat plant. Describe the various problems that can harm a wheat crop (insects, diseases, weather issues.) Create a display (poster, research paper, tree map) to share findings with the class.
Standards Addressed

Organisms and Their Environment
L2C Students understand that living things live in different places.
L5C Students understand that there is a variety of ecosystems on Earth and organisms interact within their ecosystems.
L8C Students understand how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact.
L12C Students understand that ecosystems display patterns of organization, change, and stability as a result of the interactions and interdependencies among the living and non-living components of the Earth.
(3)4.2 investigate, compare, and contrast life cycles of various living things [L5B2]
(3)4.3 investigate and describe the interactions of organisms with each other and their ecosystem [L5C2]
(3)4.4 identify and compare needs common to most living things

~Animals of the prairie

Research to find out the various types of animals that lived on the prairie in 1870. Choose one animal to focus on. Prepare a research paper, poster, or other representation to describe the ainmal's life cycle, food sources, and other aspects of the animal's life on the prairie. Explain its interactions with humans and its current situation in modern times.
Organisms and Their Environment
L2C Students understand that living things live in different places.
L5C Students understand that there is a variety of ecosystems on Earth and organisms interact within their ecosystems.
L8C Students understand how living and non-living components of ecosystems interact.
L12C Students understand that ecosystems display patterns of organization, change, and stability as a result of the interactions and interdependencies among the living and non-living components of the Earth.

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Life on a farm in the American West during the late 1800’s was not easy. All members of the family were expected to share the labor involved with frontier life. Most of the duties of frontier women focused on the home and family. Women were determined to provide a comfortable and pleasant home for their families. They were responsible for cooking, cleaning, and washing the clothes on a weekly basis. In addition to their regular duties, they made most of the families clothing and mended it when repairs were needed. Many women maintained a vegetable garden and preserved this and other foods to prevent them from spoiling. Another chore involved raising chickens, hogs, and other livestock which would eventually be butchered and cooked or preserved. Women milked the cows and made butter and cheese.
At times, women also produced goods to sell to help support their families. Some examples include; sewing clothing, selling butter, washing others’ clothing, or cooking food for others.
A large part of the lives of Frontier women was devoted to bearing and raising children. Women played the focal role in caring for young children. Often, women also educated their own children if a school was not available. When children were old enough to work, women delegated chores to them and oversaw that they were completed properly.
Overall, life on a Frontier farm was full of exhausting work. Surprisingly this was a life that many people preferred. It allowed them unprecedented freedom and opportunity. For many, the hard work was worth the rewards involved.

Additional Resources

http://www.over-land.com/shelter.html by [Elizabeth Larson]: Includes photographs of Pioneer homes and other items of interest used daily by pioneers
http://www.walnutgrove.org/dugout.htm by [Walnut Grove Historical Society]: This site is the Walnut Grove historic site. It includes artifacts, photographs, and information about the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family
http://www.liwfrontiergirl.com/by [Rebecca Brammer & Phil Greetham]: This site contains information about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her life, travels, and family
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/ngp:@FILREQ(@field(SUBJ+@BAND(sod+buildings))+@FIELD(COLLID+ndfa)) by [Library of Congress]: This site contains photographs of Pioneer artifacts and early pioneer homes.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 14—"Spring Freshet" and 15—"The Footbridge"

2008-11-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Ivy Nelson, 4th grade teacher, Piggott Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: With the end of winter, the snow melt causes the nearby creek to bubble to it's fullest. Laura is awakened by the roaring of the creek and the concern in father's voice. Although she is told that there is nothing to worry about, Laura shows more curiosity than concern. She ventures out into the stinging cold and rain to have a look at the noisy creek. Laura is mesmerized by the power of this once serene creek. After she has seen enough, she returns home to a mother who knows her curiosity and scolds in a loving way.

The following day, Laura sneaks out to explore the creek in all it's wonders during the day. As she reaches the foot bridge, her child like curiosity draws her into a near drowning experience.

Once home, her mother makes her promise to stay put!

Chapters' Themes: Spring comes in with fury, honesty is the best policy, don't underestimate nature

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Post card from home

Students will create a postcard. Writing as if they were Laura, they will recount the event that occurred on the footbridge. Students will be expected to use all the senses in the letter. Students will decorate the front of their postcard with what they believe the prairie would look like in the early spring.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT understand and use key vocabulary
SWBAT restate main ideas
SWBAT write a response to literature

Figurative Language

Teacher will read aloud pgs. 101-102. The teacher will specifically point out examples of personification and similes. Teacher will prompt students to find other examples using two column notes. Students will record the figurative language examples on side 1 and will record implied meaning on side 2.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT explain similes and personifications
SWBAT record information
SWBAT organize information

Mathematics

Graph Rainfall Average on the prairie

Teacher will provide average rainfall by season for life on the praire. Students will create two different graph to represent their results. (bar graph, circle graph, pictograph, line graph)
Standards Addressed

use a variety of methods to represent and communicate mathematical ideas
organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations.

Finding Mean, Median, Mode and Range

Using the data from the previous lesson, Teacher will model how to find mean, median, mode and range of rainfall during the seasons. Students will practice independently and will record their details on a poster.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT collect, organize, display, describe and interpret simple data to solve problems
SWBAT model and compute range

Social Studies

Ecosystem

Students will explore numerous types of ecosystems. Students will discuss similarities and differences between the ecosystems. Students will then create a poster detailing the animals and structure of a prairie. Students will write a brief caption to go with their ecosystems.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT generate specific examples of various ecosystems found here in Nevada and the United States
SWBAT construct a model of an ecosystem

Spring Hazards

Students will make a list of natural hazards that occur in our state. Students will narrow it to one and will plan a skit of the natural hazard. Students will act out their skits for the class and class will guess which hazard each group is acting out. Students will be specific when giving reasons for their guesses.
Standards Addressed

describe the effects of various natural hazards on the natural environment

Science

Grasshopper life cycle

Teacher will reread pg. 100 to the class and will ask the students what Laura meant when she asked Pa If it was Grasshopper weather yet? Teacher will record students responses in a circle map. Students will then use the internet to research the life cycle of a grasshopper and will create a diagram of it's life. Students will label all parts of their diagram.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT investigate, describe, compare, and contrast identifiable structures and characteristics of animals
SWBAT cooperate and contribute ideas within a group

Bodies of Water

Students will compare and contrast 4 bodies of water. Students will fold a large piece of construction paper into four sections. Students will title each section one of the following: stream, river, lake and creek. Student will draw a picture to represent each body of water and will write a brief caption for each one.
Standards Addressed

SWBAT investigate and describe bodies of water
SWBAT compare and contrast landforms

Historical Viewpoint

One of the main themes in this passage was nature is unpredicatable. Nature is often the cause of natural disasters and hazards that have a significant impact on the inhabitants living nearby. Environmental changes often occur quickly, but some, such as global warming, can occur very slowly over time. Certain meteorological phenomena such as floods and droughts, show what a valuable, yet scary resource water can be.
Less than 1 % of water, which covers 70% of the Earth's surface is accessible fresh water. Children really have no idea how limited this resource is. Students are often blown away that there is actually more fresh water tied up in glacial ice.

Additional Resources

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/ Natural Hazards
http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=647 Ecosystem reference page

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Banks of Plum Creek: 12—"The Christmas Horses" and 13—"Merry Christmas"

2008-11-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Suzanne M. Hill, 4th Grade Teacher, William K. Moore Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews: Holiday time has arrived on the Plains. Laura and Mary are having longing dreams of Christmas. Soon their dreams are put aside by a choice that mama has them make. They must decide whether the gifts they long for are more important than the horses their pa needs in order to run the farm. The girls show their unselfishness by making the right choice. Laura and Mary make Carrie (their baby sister) a chain made out of buttons for her Christmas present. When Christmas morning arrives the girls are surprised to find small gifts in their stockings. Pa is happy that he has his horses to help him with farming. Laura gets to take a ride on the new horse.

Chapters' Themes: Holidays, Horses, Weather, Farming, Traditions, Snow, Unselfishness, Love, Family, Pioneer Life

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Pioneer Christmas Research Project

Students will use internet resources and books to research Christmas traditions followed during the time of the pioneers. Students will then create a foldable style book featuring traditions of the pioneers. Students will be given expectations through a teacher created rubric. Traditions to be studied will include foods, decorations, gifts and other traditions.
Standards Addressed

(4)6.1: Students will use the writing process.
(4)11.1:Students will formulate research questions and establish a focus and purpose for inquiry.
(4)11.2:Students will use a variety of library resources, media and technology to find information on a topic.
(4)11.5:Students will present research findings for different purposes and audiences using various media.

Literature Response Activity

The teacher will read aloud "A Pioneer Christmas"
Students will respond to reading by writing a two paragraph summary of the text.
Standards Addressed

(4)2.1:Students will use pre-reading, during, and post-reading strategies to improve comprehension.
(4)2.4:Students will determine importance in stories.
(4)5.5:Students will write responses to literary selections using supporting details from the selection to support their responses.

Mathematics

Christmas Recipe Adjustment

Students will need to double a recipe in order to make enough for the class. Students will be given a traditional Pioneer recipe to use to complete the activity. We will then complete the activity during Science instruction time.
Recipe can be found on Besides Pizza.
Standards Addressed

3.0:Students will use appropriate tools and techniques of measurement.
(4)1.19: Students will multiply and divide multi digit numbers by one digit numbers.

Create a Log Cabin

Students will use their skills at measuring and cutting to create a log cabin. They will use brown paper rolled into log style, stacked together to form a house. They will then use a different color paper to fashion the roof for their cabins.
Standards Addressed

3.0: Students will use appropriate tools and techniques of measurement.
Students will measure length to a required degree of accuracy.

Social Studies

Create a Pioneer Newspaper

Students will work in small groups to create a one page newspaper using a template from the computer. The newspaper will include some typical happenings in pioneer times. Students will use information from earlier research and books to find interesting stories for their papers.
Standards Addressed

(4)4.4: Students will describe experiences of pioneers moving west.
(4)4.10: Students will recognize famous people in Nevada's history.
(4)4.12: Studies will read historical passages and interpret details.

Primary Document Study

Students will study pictures of pioneer scenes and read excerpts from diaries to study pioneer history. Students will then write one paragraph about each document as they see it through their own eyes.
Standards Addressed

(4)4.4: Students will describe experiences of pioneers moving west.
(4)4.13: Students will identify appropriate resources for historical information.

Science

Christmas Recipe

Students will combine ingredients from math lesson recipe to prepare a batch of cookies that we can share in the classroom. Students will measure and stir ingredients. The teacher will then complete the cooking during prep time to serve to the children later in the day.
Standards Addressed

(4)1.10: Students will cooperate and contribute ideas within a group.
20.3.3: Students will demonstrate that when parts are put together they can do things that they couldn't have done on their own.

What makes soil fertile

Students will research what makes soil fertile. Farming was a huge part of pioneer life and many chapters of the book mention farming and soil.
Standards Addressed

N2A: Students understand that science is an active process of systematically examining the natural world.
P5A: Students understand the properties of objects and materials.

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

The major theme in both my chapters was Christmas on the Plains. I did some research about typical Christmases during this time period and have included some background information here. Christmases were often hard for the pioneers. The weather proved to be a huge factor during winter time, blizzards were whipping outside the home. Through all hardships found on the prairie Christmas was a shining light. The tree (if there was a tree) would be decorated with cookie dough ornaments, pine cones, nuts and berries. Many families waited anxiously for mail from back east that might contain Christmas surprises. Families would gather around the fire on a cold blustery Christmas Eve and sing carols or tell stories. After the children were asleep parents would fill their stockings with cookies, candy and fruits. Presents bought in a store were often too expensive for the pioneers. Most families made gifts for the children such as corn husk dolls, wooden toys, scarves and socks. When Christmas arrived the food was plentiful. Christmas dinner was the main event of the year. The table would be laden with poultry, plum pudding and vegetables. After dinner it might be time to attend church, or to attend to chores around the farm. Even though Christmas was much simpler back then, in many ways it sounds like a happier time than now.

Additional Resources

Pioneer Christmas in the early days of Owen Sound by Paul White: Wonderful description of a typical holiday during pioneer era.
Pioneer Christmas Internet Links by Unknown: Great links to projects, research ideas, and activities.
Christmas in Pioneers Times by Saks Schools: Brief descriptive page about Pioneer Christmas traditions.
Little House Books by Harper Collins Publishers: Classroom activities, information about books, recipes and more.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 9—"Grasshopper Weather" and 10—"Cattle in the Hay" and 11—"Runaway"

2008-11-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Mindie Pink, 4th grade teacher, Fong Elementary School, Clark County School District

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Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:

Chapter 9 - Laura and Mary go picking ripe plums from the trees along the creek. Later they will let the plums dry in the sun so the family will have dried plums throughout the winter. Laura picks fast but eats many of the plums. Mary gets cross with her mostly because she doesn't like picking plums and would rather be reading or sewing. As Laura watches Pa plow his field, she daydreams about a time when Pa has a good wheat crop and they will have a real house, horses, and candy. Soon there's frost on the ground and the frost plums are ready for picking. The weather is unusually nice with no storms, cold, or rain. It's warm and sunny. Pa says Mr. Nelson calls it "grasshopper weather" but he isn't sure what that means.

Chapter 10 - Ma, Pa, and Carrie are going into town and leaving Mary and Laura at home with Jack the dog since the trip to town is short and they'll be back at sundown. Mary and Laura play and eat lunch and then Laura wants to play on the big, gray rock but Mary doesn't want to so they argue a bit and Laura heads off for the rock and sees the cattle eating the stacks of hay that Pa had told the girls was feed for the oxen for the winter and had to last. Laura goes running toward the hay stacks with Mary following. They try everything to stop the cattle from eating and trampling the hay. They run after the cattle and shake sticks at them but the cattle just keep on eating. Finally, Laura stands right in front of a cow that's coming right at her, too scared to move or scream at first. The cow, with all the other cattle behind her, swerves around Laura, who shakes her stick at them. She and Mary and Jack chase the cattle to the higher prairie away from Pa's stacks of hay. They are hot, sweaty, and tired after that ordeal and are glad to get back to the dugout and rest.

Chapter 11 - Laura and Mary spend the rest of the day in their dugout home. Near sundown they begin to walk the path to where they can meet the wagon and after several trips back and forth they sit down to wait. Finally, they hear the wagon but it's coming too fast. One of the oxen is trying to run away. Pa is running alongside the oxen as fast as he can trying to get the runaway to stop but the runaway ox is steering too close to the steep edge of the creek bank and is close to causing Pa and the wagon holding Ma and Carrie to go over the edge. Pa hits the runaway very hard and Jack snaps at his nose and the oxen turn toward the stable and crash into it. No one is hurt but everyone is shaken. Laura and Mary help unload the wagon and get supper ready. While eating, they tell Ma and Pa about the cattle in the haystacks. Ma and Pa are proud of Laura and Mary for taking care of things while they were gone. Pa brings out the candy he'd brought back from town for the girls and they sit outside eating their candy and listening to the creek.

Chapters' Themes: bravery, dangers pioneers face, farming, responsibility, animal behavior, prairie living, chores on a farm, play time in the 1800's, costs and wages in the 1800's

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Character Comparison

Laura and Mary are two very important main characters in the Little House books. They are sisters and share similarities and differences. Working with a partner, students will mine through the book to build a comparison of the likenesses and differences of Laura and Mary including physical descriptions as well as personality traits. Students can use a list format, a double bubble map, or a Venn diagram for the comparison. Student will then make inferences about the characters using the information they collect about the personalities of these girls. Some questions they will need to think about and find evidence for are: who is the braver of the two girls? Who is more responsible? What do their actions and activities say about each girl?
Standards Addressed

3.4.2 Describe the physical and personality traits of characters
3.4.2 Describe the motivations for characters' actions; make inferences and draw conclusions about characters based on evidence.

Journal writing

Laura and Mary often have play time during which they spend a lot of time outdoors exploring their surroundings. In their journals, students will write which activities they read about in On the Banks of Plum Creek they would enjoy doing and what would they do today if they could not use electronics (TV, video games, cell phones, computers, etc.).
Standards Addressed

6.4.4 Write responses to literary text that demonstrate an understanding of setting, character development, and motivation
(4)5.2 Participate in daily writing activity

Mathematics

Graph the dangers endured by the Ingalls family while living in Minnesota

Students will read the book On the Banks of Plum Creek and make a graphical representation of the dangers faced by the Ingalls family over the course of their stay at Plum Creek. Students can use a pictograph, bar graph, pie chart, line plot or other graphical representation to show the dangers and difficulties encountered at Plum Creek and then students can use the data to predict whether the Ingalls family will stay on the prairie or go back where the were before or move on to somewhere new. Students can also use the data to decide what they would do if they were Ma or Pa and had to decide whether to stay or go.
Standards Addressed

5.4.1 Organize and represent data using a variety of graphical representations
5.4.3 Interpret data and make decisions using frequency tables and line plots

Make a budget for a family living in the 1800's

Teachers gather some information about wages and costs of the 1800's using sites such as this one: http://oldrecipebook.com/1800s-livingcost.shtml and print out the information or retype it and print it. Students work in groups to make a budget for the needs of the family for a month with a little left over for emergencies or to save for something such as Christmas presents. Students must stay under the wages earned with a percentage (5 or 10%) for savings. They must make decisions on what are necessities and if there are treats they want to include like the candy sticks bought for Laura and Mary when Pa and Ma go to town, they will need to estimate the cost and add it into their monthly total.
Standards Addressed

3.4.4 Determine totals for monetary amounts in practical situations and use money notation to add and subtract given monetary amounts
A.3-5 Select, modify, develop, apply, and justify strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts

Social Studies

Write a description and draw detailed picture Laura's new home on the prairie

In order to get a better picture of the land where Laura's family settled, students will work in pairs to draw a picture of the setting of On the Banks of Plum Creek including the dugout home of the Ingalls family, Plum Creek, the plum trees along the bank of the creek, the stables, the big gray rock where Laura meets the cattle every day and waits for Ma & Pa to come back from town. Students will pull out the details of the setting from the different parts of the book and put them all together into a written description and a color picture of the prairie where the Ingalls family make their home.
Standards Addressed

(4)3.36 Describe the physical setting of an historical event
(4)3.43 Incorporate a visual display into a report about a geographic topic

Research report on work and play time for pioneer children

Laura and Mary are pioneer children migrating west with their family. They settle in a prairie state and help their parents with the daily chores of running a farm. In On the Banks of Plum Creek, Laura and Mary are left alone all day while their parents go into town with their little sister. Students will research pioneer children's work and play during the 1800's. Using books and internet sources, students will research the kinds of chores pioneer children did to help out their families and also what things they did in their free time. Then students will write a rough draft about the information collected. Students will organize, revise, and edit their drafts to produce a two or three page report about the lives of pioneer children.
Standards Addressed

Social Studies - (4)4.4 Describe experiences of pioneers moving west
ELA - (4)6.9 Write research papers by: identifying and collecting, paraphrasing and summarizing information, organizing collected information, documenting sources

Science

Animal Comparison

At the beginning of On the Banks of Plum Creek, Pa trades two horses and a mule-colt for oxen. Laura is sad and Pa tells her he'll buy more horses when he has successful crops. Students will compare the three kinds of animals - horses, mules, and oxen. Students will have to do some research through books and the internet to find out the characteristics of each kind of animal and which characteristics are best for the work on the land that Pa trades his horses for. Websites such as these could be helpful:
http://www.oregonpioneers.com/oxen.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/trailofthe49ers/team.htm
Standards Addressed

(4)4.1 Compare learned and inherited behaviors in animals

Drying plums

In chapter 9 Laura and Mary pick ripened plums from the plum trees. When they bring them home, Ma will dry them so they have dried plums to eat throughout the winter. Students will each get two plums - one to observe and eat fresh and one to dry. Each student will keep a science notebook making observations and drawing illustrations of the ripe and dried plum and the process of drying such as how the two kinds of plums taste, how long the drying takes, the observable changes the ripe plum goes through as it dries.
Standards Addressed

(4)1.2 Use science notebook entries to develop, communicate, and justify descriptions, explanations, and predictions.
(4)1.3 Create and use labeled illustrations, graphs, and charts to convey ideas, record observations, and make predictions.
(4)1.4 Conduct safe investigations

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

Dangers of Prairie Life
Life on the prairie for pioneers was difficult. Though many were excited about the idea of setting off on an adventure where they were able to buy land for homesteading, dangers abounded on the prairie and often the dangers and difficulties made it hard for homesteaders to make a success of their piece of land.
One danger of life on the prairie was the weather. There were dangerous storms on the prairie. Tornadoes caused damage and destruction to crops, buildings, and homes. Blizzards were another kind of dangerous storm causing freezing cold weather that could kill animals and people by making it impossible to do daily chores such as keeping the animals fed and gathering wood to keep fires buring for warmth and to cook food. Blizzards could freeze water sources and lead to frostbite and death if caught away from adequate shelter. A third kind of storm, a dust storm could also lead to a poor crop yield. Dust storms carry away the topmost layer of soil which is rich in nutrients. Dust storms are also abrasive and cause damage to young plants. Dust storms can also be abrasive to people as well as make it difficult to breathe. Dust storms were more prone to develop during drought conditions.
Drought was a great danger to prairie farmers not only because of a lack of water for crops and animals, which is devastating in and of itself, but because drought conditions brought on other dangers and difficulties as well such as the development of dust storms.
Another difficulty of drought was the explosion of grasshoppers and other pests. Grasshoppers eat grasses and vegetation from trees and shrubs and are fairly harmless unless their population soars as sometimes happens during drought conditions. Swarms of grasshoppers can destroy crops.
Still another problem during drought is the danger of a prairie fire. While prairie fires were an integral part of the prairie ecosystem which prevented prairies from turning into forests through unchecked growth, prairie fires could also be very dangerous to pioneers and cause loss of crops, buildings, animals, and/or lives.
Indians were sometimes be a problem for pioneers on the prairie. Some Indian tribes were friendly and coexisted with the pioneers but some were hostile and would try to steal from pioneers
Dangerous animals could sometimes be a problem. Wild animals such as bobcats, coyotes, wolves, and bears lived on the prairie but were seldom a threat to humans. However, pioneers always had to be vigilant just in case. Also, domesticated animals could be a danger as well. In chapter 11, one of the oxen tries to run away while yoked to the wagon carrying Ma and Carrie and almost running them off the edge of the bank into the creek.
Disease was a serious danger on the prairie. There were few doctors and medicines available in those days and those that were around were not easily accessible when the nearest neighbor might be many miles away.
Finally, a difficulty for pioneer families though not usually a danger was the loneliness and boredom of pioneer prairie life. When the nearest neighbor might be miles away and days were filled with hard work, it was easy to feel isolated and alone. Many pioneers, especially women, found it difficult to be so out of touch with others and so far away from their extended families.
Due to the many hardships and dangers faced by pioneering families, many gave up their homesteads and adventures to go back home to the cities they left behind or to go onward to somewhere else where there was hope that the dangers would be minimal and the successes would allow for a relatively prosperous and happy life.

Additional Resources

Oxen Information by Barry and Gloria Nesbitt: This website gives information about oxen such as what they are and how to harness their power using yokes.
Walnut Grove, Minnesota by [Author]: Walnut Grove is the town about 1.5 miles from the dugout home of Laura Ingalls Wilder when she lived near Plum Creek. There is a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum there and people can see the dugout site though none of the buildings are intact .
About Dried Plums by Lorna Saboe-Wounded Head & Gabrielle Tiomanipi: This website tells about dried plums and how to dry them using a food dehydrator or sun-drying.
Horehound Candy by Sunny Savage: Pa brings home horehound candy from town for Mary and Laura. This site has information about horehound candy and a recipe for making some.
Pioneer Life by Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson, updated by Nancy Smith. This is a great website with links to other sites and webquests all about pioneers and their lives. A great resource for both teachers and students to do research and learn about pioneer life.

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Banks of Plum Creek: 7—"Ox on the Roof" and 8—"Straw-Stack"

2008-11-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

Teacher's Guide Author: Marcia Mosby, 4th grade teacher, Gene Ward Elementary School, Clark County School District

_________________________________________________________________

Little House Teacher's Guides
Teacher's Guides for Patty Reed's Doll, Sallie Fox, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and other exploration children's books.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Overviews:

Chapter 7 Summary: Ox on the Roof

This chapter is about the great stampede. It’s a good example of cause and effect. Laura and Mary worked alongside Johnny to take Spot, and the other cattle to graze during the day, then to lead lead them back to the stable later in the afternoon. Unfortunately, one day the herding did not go as usual. As the kids watched the herd coming back from their graze, they noticed that they were actually stampeding, and were very upset. Fortunately, after some hard work on their part, they were able to round up Spot and Bright, but Pete had a different idea in mind. He decided to chase the herd, but was stopped when his hoof fell through the roof of the Ingalls’ dugout. So as a result, Pa had to take off work to build a new roof, and Laura was told by her Pa, “It’s no place for a big ox to be running, right over our roof!”

Chapter 8 Summary: Straw Stack

Chapter 8 is about the mischief of young girls living on the Prairie. Pa had been rustling and compiling straw stacks for the their oxen to eat. As Laura and Mary looked upon these huge stacks of golden straw, all they could see was a playground for two. They jumped, slid, and played in the hay until it was scattered everywhere. Upon his return home from work, Pa scolded them for jumping on the hay, and told them not slide down the hay again. Pa cleaned up the mess. The next day was a challenge for Mary, because she hesitantly followed the lead of Laura to play in the straw again. They played again until their hearts were content. That night, Pa came home again, disappointed at the sight of the straws’ condition. With the same line that Laura had convinced Mary with to play again, she defended herself to Pa by saying,”We did not slide down Pa, but we did roll down.” Pa gave them their second warning, advising them this was the food for Pete, Spot, and Bright come winter. So they needed to be more thoughtful.

Chapters' Themes: Weather, natural resources, animal behavior, resourcefulness, and adapting.

Suggested Activities

Language Arts

Post-Reading Vocabulary Activity

Before Before reading the chapters, students will be assigned a list of vocabulary words to listen for during the reading of each chapter. Every student should have a copy of the words with two additional spaces provided next to each word. The first box should be labeled “my guess”, and the second box should be labeled, “definition”.
During the reading of the text students should be given a moment to decide on the meaning of the words in context.
After the reading, students should be given the time to confirm their meanings.
Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)1.4 use knowledge of vocabulary and context clues to determine meanings of unknown words
CEF: (4) 1.8 develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing selections read aloud
CEF: (4) 1.9 develop vocabulary through meaningful experiences (e.g. wide reading, discussion of word meanings, interactive activities, examples and non-examples)

Write a letter to Laura Ingalls

Write a letter to Laura Ingalls about her experience of playing in the straw, and getting in trouble. Include information about a similar situation you may have been in. You can also ask her questions that relate to where she lives, how it was living on the prairie, and what she did as a kid. These are just examples. Use at least 5 of the words from the vocabulary activity. I encourage you to use more!Before having students write the letters, review friendly letter format, and have an example available for them to refer to.

Standards Addressed

CEF: (4) 5.3 write organized friendly letters, formal letters, thank you letters, and invitations in an appropriate format for a specific audience and purpose.

Mathematics

Estimating Measurements (the dugout roof)

In chapter 7 Pa had to build a new roof on the dugout home, due to a cattle stampede. Reread pp. 50-51. Students will use what they know about measurement to relate to how Pa may have measured the willow boughs and strips of sod without being able to use a measurement tool.

Let students know that they will also be covering something without the use of any type of ruler. They can use anything else in the room except for a measuring instrument. Students should keep in mind the steps they are taking, because they will be writing what they did during the activity later. Also, they can do this individually or in pairs.

Students will use scrap newspaper (different size pieces) to cover the desks. They need to cover it so that no extra paper is hanging over, and so that there are no empty areas on the inside.

After the students have completed the task, they will be asked to write about how they succeeded or did not succeed at the task. They need to write down the steps they took. They should write them in sequence, and also write down why they did it that way.
As a wrap up, and introduction to finding area perimeter, discuss the basics of what area and perimeter are in relation to the activity. Try to connect it to how a measurement tool could have made it easier, using the concepts of finding area perimeter.
Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)3.1 estimate and measure length (including perimeter), capacity, weight/mass, volume, and area using standard measuring devices (English and metric)
CEF: (4) 6.1 select, modify, develop, and apply strategies to solve a variety of mathematical and practical problems and to investigate and understand mathematical concepts
CEF: (4)6.2 apply previous experience and knowledge to new problem-solving situations
CEF: (4)6.3 verify, interpret, and evaluate results with respect to the original problem situation, determining an efficient strategy for the given situation
CEF: (4)6.4 try more than one strategy when the first strategy proves to be unproductive
CEF: (4)7.5 explain and justify thinking about mathematical ideas and solutions

How Big is an Adult Ox?

Students will first take turns predicting how much an ox weighs. Give students sticky notes and allow them write down their guess, and have them post them all on a poster board or on the white board. Then begin a discussion about estimating weight to determine the reasonableness of their answers. Compare weights of buildings, cars, people, animals, and even themselves. Now, allow them to make a second guess of how much an adult ox weighs, now that they have more information. To confirm their predictions, allow students to research the information at the computer lab when the time is available. The final step of the activity will be for them to figure out how far their guess was from the actual weight (a little calculation). Also they should write down why they had originally chosen the weight.

Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)8.6 review and refine the assumptions and steps used to derive conclusions in mathematical arguments
CEF: (4)3.1 estimate and measure length (including perimeter), capacity, weight/mass, volume, and area using standard measuring devices (English and metric)

Social Studies

Comparing rural, suburban, and urban communities

This activity should take place after reading chapters 7 and 8. Students will use class dictionaries to define the terms rural, suburban, and urban. Next students will use the knowledge of the definitions, and the book information to make comparisons of the Ingalls’ community and the community in which they live. It can be a whole group, individual, or small group activity. It can be a two-column comparison chart, with one side titled: My community (Las Vegas) in 2008; and the other side title Laura Ingalls (Minnesota) in the 1870’s. Their descriptions, especially for Minnesota, should be based on the information heard in the chapters, and from any prior knowledge that pertains.
Standards Addressed

CEF: 4)3.25 locate and list examples of rural, suburban, and urban communities

Good and Bad Investments

This will mainly be a discussion about what an investment is, and seeing how certain investments benefit people. You can chart the responses for the whole class to see.
Start with the definition of an investment. Then begin charting possible good investments and bad investments. Provide them with an example of a good investment and a bad investment, and allow them to brainstorm what may make them good or bad investments. Other elements may come into play like their background knowledge, and their own views on money from their own lives. Now, let them choose to chart a good or bad investment and list their reasons for their opinions.
Finally, use the book for the final activity. See if they can recall some things from the story that may equal good or bad investments. Some of the items that may be suggested are: a scythe, an underground home, cattle, oxen, wheat, land, a threshing machine, etc. Some more background may need to be provided to aid in the comprehension. You can also have some students posted on the internet, to search for additional information about some of the possible ideas.
Allowing the students to choose the item from the book, and listing their reasons for determining if it is a good or bad investment is the culminating activity.
Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)2.6 provide an example of how purchasing a tool or acquiring education can be an investment

Science

Sunrise and Sunsets

Reread pp. 45-46 of the text, and begin a discussion about what was happening at that moment. Try to get them to define the words sunrise and sunset. They can also share experiences about their own sightings. Then introduce the KWL chart to find out what they already know, and what they can find out as well. They should also have their own personal chart as well. After completing the “know” portion of the chart, alert students that they will be doing their own research about sunrises and sunset. Show the video of the accelerated sunrise and sunset: (http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.eiu.riseset/)
After the video, allow them to discuss in pairs, or small group, what they want to find out. Chart their questions they come up with, and have them chart them as well. These questions will be used during their research in the computer lab.

During lab time: Students can search in Google, Yahooligans, or any other search engines available to them. Before embarking on the search, have the kids brainstorm some terms, or phrases they may search to find the best information. Post this for kids to see during their search. They can log their findings under “Learned” in their KWL chart.

Wrap-Up: Debrief their research session in class, and chart any good feedback on the class KWL chart. Let them know that scientists always have more and more questions, and seek out any new questions they have now that they have found out a little more information. You can do a follow-up research activity at another time. Finally, show the beautiful photos at: http://www.pbase.com/nickviv/sunsets, to leave them with beautiful reminders of sunrises and sunsets.
Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)3.9 describe how the components of our Solar System (planets, moons, sun), as well as constellations, appear to move through the sky

Oxen vs. Humans

After reading chapter 7, students will compare and contrast learned and inherited behaviors in humans and animals (specifically cattle), using a two-column chart for humans and two-column chart for oxen (cattle). The human chart should be a class chart, and the one for oxen will be for pairs of students.

First, see if students can tell you what learned behaviors are. Give them a hint or an example if they need boost. Fill out one side of the chart labeled, “Learned Behaviors”, as the students respond. Then, see if they can guess or know what inherited behaviors are before giving them the boost. After filling out both sides of the chart for human, advise students that they will be doing this same activity to compare the learned and inherited behaviors of oxen (or cattle).
You can use the suggested web sites to offer students more background information about oxen. You can use an overhead to look at these, allow students to use computers to access this information (and additional research), or print copies of the information for them to use (will be less time consuming during class). As the teacher, there will need to be some interaction to get some students on the right track. Remember, students will be completing the two-column chart about the oxen, the same way they did about the humans.

Finally, as a wrap up come back together as a whole, and discuss some of the ideas they will come up with, and determine the reasonableness.
Standards Addressed

CEF: (4)4.1 compare learned and inherited behaviors in animals

Historical Overview of Chapter Themes

As seen throughout our readings of the Little House series, as well as the other books we have read as a part of this class, resourcefulness was a necessity during the time of these settlers. Unlike today, the people of the land had to literally work for what they had to get, for the most part. So when you look at a family like the Ingalls, they did not have money at this time period to pay someone to fix the roof of the dugout or to fetch food for their cattle. As shown in the book Pa was adamant that the girls be mindful of their destruction of the hay, because it was the oxen were going to have to eat it. Also, to fix the dugout roof, Pa had to go out and find the willow boughs to fix it. Before he fixed it, his wife was resourceful enough to figure out how to patch it until it could be fixed. They couldn't just call a contractor to come out and do the job.
Taking care of, and using what you had wisely, back in those times, was the ticket to surviving cold winters, and bearing blazing summers, by using what was available in the most creative ways possible.

Additional Resources

Oxen Stampede Article from U.S. Kids by [Author]: "BNET provides working professionals with the tools, advice, and insight they need to succeed in today's workplace." It has resources such as articles, a dictionary, stock information, etc.
Prairieoxdrovers.com is a website by Barry and Gloria Nesbitt: The site offers plenty of valuable information about oxen, from Western Canadian oxen enthusiasts.
The Greenville Cattlemen Association web site: The site offers tips, information, and news about raising cattle. It is based out of Ontario, Canada. This specific link will give information on cattle behavior.

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