After having fun with the map theme yesterday, I decided to apply it to 'A's favorite subject, Little House on the Prairie. It wasn't hard to find resources online - many educators and homeschoolers use the stories at some point or another, and there is so much information available. 'A' and I started with blank maps of the United States and a timeline of Laura's life. We added the towns where the Ingalls family lived and drew the route they would have taken to get from one homestead to the next. We talked about crossing the river and about moving to a place where so few towns were established. We talked briefly about moving into Indian Territory and the Homestead Act of 1862. It's hard to explain it to a 5 year old just yet.
Right now we're in the middle of reading The Long Winter. The winter is just starting to get really hard - food is running out and the snow is piling up. All of the books touch upon such topics as hardship, self-reliance, and the importance of working together as a family for survival, and this book is no exception.
Now that I'm older and rereading the series, I find myself wondering a lot about Pa and Ma. What was life like for them, moving so often? How did they get along? What kept them moving?
Little House on the Prairie educational resources:
Author Study of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House links
I'll come back to this site when 'A' is a little older and is reading the series the 2nd time around: Little House on the Prairie: An Adventure
This Little House Classroom Activity Guide is filled with discussion questions that can be tailored for any age
From the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum, a Laura Ingalls Wilder teaching unit
National Geographic Xpeditions Lesson Plans: There's No Place Like Home
Enjoy!
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1 comments:
thank you so much for posting this, I'm part of a homeschooled co-op and we are studying farmer boy as part of our co-op. I was wrecking my brain trying to think of activities. this blog post could not come at a better time.. so thank you.
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