Little House on the Prairie Lessons

Book 2 of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder was another book that I read this summer. I wanted to read this series from the viewpoint of an adult and a teacher to see how to make this novel relevant in the classroom.

I think the lessons could be adapted to any grade level. It could be informational on the lower levels and it could be a research topic for the upper levels. Upper levels could also do the research and teach a lesson to the lower levels. I can also see lessons being taught through Universal Design for Learning and have students exhibit their understanding in a variety of ways.

These are topics to be used in project based lessons:

1. Traveling by wagon
2. Heading into Indian country.
3. Traveling across ice covered rivers.
4. Thawing of ice.
5. Indian Territory
6. Missouri River
7. Starting fires on prairie land.
8. Fire safety.
9. Wolves
10. Gophers
11. Hunting game for survival
12. Building a house
13. Fiddle Music
14. Building Doors
15. Building a fireplace.
16. Being Good Neighbors
17. Indian clothing
18. Making beds
19. Candles and gas
20. Texas Longhorns
21. Milking cows
22. Malaria

Have you read this book from an adult point of view? What other lessons would be useful for the classroom? Please share.

Little House in the Big Woods Part 3

This is the final part of Little House in the Big Woods. I have really enjoyed reading it again and I look forward to the next book and the wonderful things I will relearn from reading it. Hope you have enjoyed this too! Please join me in reading the next book:

1. Godey’s Ladys Book - using catalogs then and now, fashion styles then and now; Sears catalog
2. Making cheese - then and now
3. Honey - have a beekeeper come in and talk to the class; uses of honey; honey never goes bad
4. Harvesting and Threshing - what harvest are grown in what states? How are crops harvested?; farm tools, how does weather affect crops?
5. Hat making - how are hats made; different kinds of hats, purposes of hats
6. Gathering nuts - different types of nuts, how nuts are used besides in cooking, the nutrients in nuts
7. Cooking with pumpkin - grow pumpkins, pumpkin recipes, jack o’lanterns

Picture from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods Part 2

(As mentioned yesterday: I decided to read books by Laura Ingalls Wilder this summer and see if it looks differently from an adult perspective compared to a child’s perspective. The first book was Little House in the Big Woods. What a neat trove of information I found in the book. I know many people roll their eyes when they think of these books but I think they were sweet and full of great stories that children of all ages would enjoy. I loved the books and I loved the TV series! I will be sharing topics and activities that can be done in the classroom that goes along with this book. If you think of any other activities that go along with a topic, please share!)

1. Handmade Gifts - There is a joy in making gifts with your own hands, brainstorm things you can make to give as gifts, discuss how the gift of time is as precious as material things.

2. Dressing appropriately for the weather - Discuss different types of clothes to wear in different kinds of weather.

3. Fur Trading - The art of trading; what was traded for the furs? What trading goes on in today’s world?

4. Bears and Spring - What happens when animals come out of hibernation?

5. Sugar snow - Making maple syrup and candies then and now.

6. Construction of houses - then and now; building codes

7. Stores - shopping in small towns vs. cities, then and now

8. Travel - by wagon then; modes of transportation now

Picture from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods Part 1

I decided to read books by Laura Ingalls Wilder this summer and see if it looks differently from an adult perspective compared to a child’s perspective. The first book was Little House in the Big Woods. What a neat trove of information I found in the book. I know many people roll their eyes when they think of these books but I think they were sweet and full of great stories that children of all ages would enjoy. I loved the books and I loved the TV series! I will be sharing topics and activities that can be done in the classroom that goes along with this book. If you think of any other activities that go along with a topic, please share!

1. Geography - this book takes place in Wisconsin. Students can identify Wisconsin on the map, identify bordering states, climate, population, topography.

2. Animals that live in the forest - this would be a great activity for young children. Some children might live in an urban area and have no idea what animals live in the forest.

3. Cooking venison - Look at the process then and now. Some people still eat venison. Look up recipes.

4. Hunting for survival vs. sport - they used every piece of the animal and didn’t waste anything.

5. Bears - talk about hibernation. What other animals hibernate? Why is hibernation important?

6. Preserving Meat - discuss about food safety and food handling.

7. Cooking hogs - talk about the process. Great activity for sequencing.

8. Butchering Time - time of the year it is done, what is involved, what is expected, what did they use the different parts of the animal for?

9. Playing dolls - compare then and now; make cornhusk dolls,

10. Every day chores - how do the chores differ from then and now; discuss if children should have required chores?

11. Making butter - have students make butter

12. Gun safety - What are the gun laws in your state? Talk about gun safety such as don’t touch guns unless you know how to use it. Maybe find a book that goes along with gun safety.

Picture from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder