On the Banks of Plum Creek Week 1 Lesson Plans

Mornings:

We Start every morning off with our prayers and the Pledge of Allegiance. Below is a picture of the prayers that we say and a video of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Not the prettiest example but that’s what we’ve been using for the past few years.

Don’t have a flag? Grab one HEREand print it out to put up somewhere… you could even let the kids make a flag to proudly display. Amazon also has some little ones like this one HERE and HERE.

After this we have our calendar time also where we go over such things as the Days of the Week, the months, and some basic math.

This one came from Lakeshore Learning.

The younger kids will also be watching some of these videos while I work with the older ones:

We may also use some of the songs found HERE.

And we will be trying out some relaxing background music with Google.

We also like to use this song during our ‘Morning Time’ to help the kids learn the 50 States.

Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter or topic simply push the ‘ctrl’ and the ‘F’ button down together and a small bar will pop up. Type in the week number or chapter number you want and it will take you to it.

On weeks where there are several activities listed just choose a couple that interest you the most to work on.

Answer can be found HERE.

Answer Key Password: momsrock

Week 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

(The Door in the Ground, The House in the Ground, Rushes and Flags, Deep Water, Strange Animal, and Wreath of Roses)

Here is our lesson plan for the week:

Language Arts

We plan to use this FREE Lapbook to go along with our study.

Reading:

Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6

You can read it or let the kids help to read it aloud.
You can also access an audio version:

Discussion Questions:

Chapter One (The Door in the Ground):

What four states did they travel through?
Why did Mr. Hanson want to sell his place?
What did Pa trade for the house?
How was this new house different from their old house? Click HERE for pictures.

Chapter Two (The House in the Ground):

Why was Laura sad?
How was the house made?
What did Pa bring back from town?
How far away was the town?
What new animals did they have? Click HERE for pictures.
How did Laura feel about them?

Chapter Three (Rushes and Flags):

What are Rushes? Click HERE for pictures.
What did Laura learn that she could do with the Rushes?
What are Flags? Click HERE for pictures.
What did the girls do with the Flags?
What did Ma say the girls would turn into?
What did Pa warn the girls about?

Chapter Four (Deep Water):

Where did Pa take the family?
What did they see on the way there? Click HERE for pictures.
What did Ma warn Laura about?
What happened to Laura when she disobeyed?

Chapter Five (Strange Animal):

Where did Laura go? Why?
What did Laura see? Click HERE for pictures.
How did it make Laura feel? How can you tell?
What was Laura’s punishment for being disobedient?

Chapter Six (Wreath of Roses):

What did Laura like to watch?
Why did she not touch?
Who was Johnny? How did Laura describe him?
Why couldn’t they talk to him?
What did Pa bring home? How did he get it?
What important lesson did Laura learn?

Additional Reading:

Older Children:

Each child would complete a reading lesson from our McGuffey Primer Books or other reading materials that we chose for the day.

Younger Children:

Younger kids will also be doing one lesson a day from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

We are also working through All About Reading Level Pre-reading with William as he needed something a little different from what we had been doing.

Vocabulary/Spelling:

Print: On the Banks of Plum Creek Week One Vocabulary List

Older Kids:

Day One: Write your words three times each.
Day Two: Write your words in ABC order.
Day Three: Look up definitions and use five of your words in a sentence.
Day Four: Test (optional) or Worksheet:
- On the Banks of Plum Creek Week One Vocabulary Worksheet

Parents click HERE for the answer key.**see instructions at the top of the page.

Younger Kids:

Spelling You See Level A

Handwriting:

Older Kids:

Spencerian Penmanship

-or-

A Reason for Handwriting, Transition to Cursive, Book T, Based on Scripture Verses

Younger Kids:

A Reason for Handwriting: Level A: Manuscript Student Workbook

Writing:**

We will be making a journal to record some of our pioneer adventures in. The link to the journal is HERE.

We will be using the Writing Activity Station Kit from Lakeshore Learning for some of our lessons.

Choose one prompt below:

Write about a time that someone in your family traded something to benefit the family.
Write about a day in the life of a butterfly.

**Remember to use the thesaurus to come up with different words.

Watch this video on foreshadowing:

Foreshadowing Mini-Lesson Activity

Other Activities:**

Group:

Start reading Word Fun
Watch Signing Times: Leah’s Farm
Work on your Moby Max account

Older kids:

Read: Free Choice from Kirby’s Kids Grade by Grade Homeschool Reading List.
Play Bookworm Wordy Wonder Bundle.
Bonus Points: Read to a younger sibling
Free Choice Spelling/Vocabulary Game

Younger kids:

Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar (use puppets to let kids help)
Work with the Alphabet Theme Box from Lakeshore Learning.
ABC Mouse
Listening Center (Choose one book to read/listen to together)

Math

You may find it easier to buy a Math Workbook to work through as you go along with the study.

** For fun you may try ‘ciphering’ on a slate with a slate pencil.

Group:

Do an activity from Building Thinking Skills® Level 1.
Do an activity from Math Games.

Rotate through these activities:

Older Kids:

Work on a lesson in your Ray’s Arithmetic Books or other math workbooks.
Work on Khan Academy

Younger Kids:

Work on your Math-U-See Primer or another workbook.
Practice with Numbers & Counting Theme Box
Work on Khan Academy or ABCmouse.com

Geography and History

Memorize the Continents and Oceans using the videos below to help:

1. State Study

Print out this map HERE or this one HERE. You can color in the states as you learn them and track Laura’s journeys.
This week we will study Minnesota.
Complete your notebooking pages.
Older kids can write a report about the state.

Mark the route that the family may have taken on your map.

2. Landforms & Mapping

Maps:

Discuss what you have learned.
Globes Worksheet
Finding Places on a Globe Worksheet
Can you find where you are?
Where are your ancestors from?
Do one activity from:
- Landforms & Mapping Resource Box

Landforms:

You can print out a lapbook HERE.

Plateaus (tableland p.22)

Valleys

Discuss what you have learned.
Work on your lapbook.
Read 4-5 pages from Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary
Do one activity from each of the following:
- Properties of Earth Activity Tub
- Instant STEM Activities

3. Bonus

Research Dugout homes

Discuss what you have learned.
What are the pros and cons of a dugout home?
Compare this to your home. Make a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two.

Extra:

We will also be using this People Long Ago Resource Box from Lakeshore Learning to go with our lessons.

There are also some other resources available here:

Science

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

Willow Trees

Morning Glories

Growing plants

Butterflies

Lichens

Badgers

Learn a bit more about badgers at the San Diego Zoo website.

Heat Transfer

Discuss what you learned.
Choose an activity:
- Monarch Butterfly … Life Cycle … Photographs … SCIENCE FREEBIE
- Butterfly Life Cycle activity
Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
Do an activity from the Growing Things Theme Box
Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

Seasons

Discuss what you learned.
Seasons & Weather Theme Box activity
Weathers & Seasons – Interactive Science Activities

3. Read:

Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature chapters 30, 31 & 61
Discuss what you learned.

4. Extra Activities:

5. Bonus

Look at a sample of pond water under a microscope and compare it to a sample of tap water. Watch this video if you don’t have access to pond water or a microscope.

Discuss what you learned.
What surprised you the most about this activity?

Life Skills

We will be discussing some of the character qualities that are displayed in the book but if you would like to do a separate character study lesson you can download one HERE.

1. Memory Verse

We will be memorizing Psalm 51 during this unit study. Print it HERE.

Work on memorizing two verses during the week for a special prize.
- Verse 1: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
- Verse 2: Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Older kids can copy the memory verse down in their notebook.

2. Character

Complaining:

Do all things without murmurings and disputings:That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. – Philippians 2:14-15

What did Laura complain about?

– Being honest. God hates lying.

Read this lesson HERE.
Why do you think Laura needed to tell Pa about her adventure?
Should you be honest?

Laura’s punishment was that she had to be watched, she had lost her freedom.
Do you think Laura like losing her freedom?

3. Manners

– Read the intro page through page 21 of Emily Post’s Table Manners for Kids and discuss the manners used in each situation below:

How should you come to the table?
What do you do before you begin eating?
What happens as you are getting started eating?
What are the rules for bread?
How do you eat soup?
How do you eat salad?
How do you eat cherry tomatoes?
Practice these manners when you eat.

4. Fun Activities

Watch this video about the pioneers:

Plant some morning glory seeds, black-eyed Susans, or blue flags.
Find some ways to make your chores a little bit more fun.
Research ways to preserve foods with Preserving Everything.
Put together Melissa & Doug Bugs Jumbo Jigsaw Floor Puzzle
Click HERE to learn about fun and unusual holidays.

5. Bonus Skills — Choose one or two to work on

Practice these until you finish this unit study and then we will move on to new skills.

Emergency Preparedness

Discuss what you learned.
Work on a lesson HERE.
Or read a few pages a week from Show Me How to Survive.
Start reading Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters

Kids Cook Real Food

WORK ON YOUR NEXT LESSON.
Help to prepare a meal using your new skills.
Try Mudballs recipe

Skill Trek

Work on at least one task a week.
Practice your new skill this week.

Back to the Basics

Learn and practice some traditional skills from the book.

Read pages 10-11
Discuss what you learned.

Herb Study

Using one of the following for your study:

Discuss what you learned.
Be sure to jot down some notes.
Play Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game, a cooperative board game

A Kid’s Herb Book: For Children of All Ages

Dog Training

We are using Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days as a guide for training our puppy.

What are the seven basic commands?
How many does your dog know?

Discuss what you have learned
Practice the techniques with your puppy this week.

Also watch this video:

We will also be using:

PE, Health & Safety

1. Water Purification Safety

Drinking unpurified water can sometimes make you very sick.

Read The Magic School Bus At The Waterworks

Discuss what you have learned.
Research some diseases and illnesses that you could get from unpurified water.
Play a Magic School Bus Game

2. Games/Outdoor Play

Play Trees p. 146 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey
Check out these sites for some fun Pioneer games:
- PIONEER CHILDREN – toys and games
- Bobcat Ridge 4th Grade Pioneer Program Games and Recreation Station

Music, Arts & Crafts

Crafts:

Build a Sod House
Badger Crafts
Or choose a craft from Pioneer Crafts For Kids

Art:**

Draw a butterfly from Draw 50 Animals
Try techniques from Zentangle for Kids p.33
Choose a coloring page from one of these:
- Audubon’s Birds of America Coloring Book
- American Wild Flowers Coloring Book

Music:

When Johnny Comes Marching Home p.82 Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook

You can check out my Pinterest page Little House on the Prairie Crafts for even more crafts and activities.

**BE SURE TO SAVE A FEW SAMPLES OF YOUR WORK FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO! TAKE PICTURES OF BIG PROJECTS!

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–Thank you!