On the Banks of Plum Creek Week 4 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 4: Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23

(The Fish-Trap, School, Nellie Olsen, Town Party, and Country Party)

Here is our lesson plan for the week:

Language Arts

Reading:

Read Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23

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

Discussion Questions:

Chapter Nineteen (The Fish-Trap):

How old is Laura?
What did Laura not want to do?
What did Laura help Pa make?
How did the fish trap work?
What did they have for supper that night? How did Ma make it?
How often did they eat fish?

Chapter Twenty (School):

Why did the girls put on their best dresses?
What did Ma have for them?
How did the girls get to school? How far was it?
What did they have on their feet?
How did they find the school?
What did the boys call them? Why?

Chapter Twenty-One (Nellie Olsen):

How did Mary carry the money?
What was the money for? What did Pa say about being beholden?
What did Willie and Nellie do for their father to fuss at them?
How did the girls buy the slate pencil? What do we use now instead of a slate and slate pencil?
What games did the children play?
What rule did Laura remember that kept her out of trouble?
Why was Nellie crying?

Chapter Nineteen (Town Party):

Where was Nellie’s house?
Did the girls use good manners? Why or why not?
Did Nellie use good manners? Why or why not?
What happened that caused Laura to be embarrassed?
What did Laura have for the first time?
What did Ma say about hospitality? What did they decide to do?

Chapter Nineteen (Country Party):

What did Ma make for the party?
What did Nellie complain about on the way to the house?
What lied did Laura tell Nellie about the dolls?
What trick did the girls play on Nellie?
What did Ma say about the vanity cakes? Who might this have applied to?

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 Vocabulary Week Four 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 Four 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 using the Writing Activity Station Kit from Lakeshore Learning for some of our lessons.

Choose one prompt below:

Write a one-page report about vanity.
Write a thank you letter to someone for something nice they have done for you.

Watch this video about similes:

Identify similes from page 134.

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

Other Activities:**

Group:

Read: To Climb a Waterfall
Continue reading Word Fun
Watch Signing Times: Leah’s Farm
Work on your Moby Max account

Older kids:

Finish reading your book.
Write a book report. Use one of these forms HERE.
Play Bookworm Wordy Wonder Bundle.
Free Choice Spelling Activity
Bonus Points: Read to a younger sibling

Younger kids:

Read: The Rainbow Fish
Work with the Alphabet Theme Box from Lakeshore Learning.
Teach Your Monster to Read
Busy Box Activity

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
Special Tasks:
- If the girls could walk 4 miles per hour how long would it take them to walk 20 miles? 30 miles?

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

This week we will study Virginia.
Complete your notebooking pages.
Older kids can write a report about the state.

Play GeoBingo USA Educational Geography Board Game

2. Landforms & Mapping

Maps:

Discuss what you have learned.
Look at a map of where you live.
- What symbols do you see?
- Can you find the capital of your state?
Do one activity from:
- Landforms & Mapping Resource Box

Landforms:

Waterfalls

Deltas

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

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:

Fish

Blue herons

Snipes

Waterbirds

Discuss what you learned.
Read Bizarre Birds
Choose a topic to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.
Find a coloring page HERE or HERE about your favorite topic.
Use the Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever to research.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

Seasons

Droughts

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 45 & 53
Discuss what you learned.

Extra Activities:

Life Skills

1. Memory Verse

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

Work on memorizing a verse during the week for a special prize.
- Verse 7: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
- Verse 8: Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Older kids can copy the memory verse down in their notebook.

2. Character

What character does the peacock remind you of?

Do you remember how Laura wanted to get even?
Was this a good idea?
What should she have done?

3. Manners

– Read pages 43 through 55 of Emily Post’s Table Manners for Kids and discuss the manners used in each situation below:

What are some trickier foods to eat?
What are some different things you may see at the table?
How do you handle a spill?
How do you handle a burp?
How do you handle something you don’t like?
Practice these manners when you eat.

4. Fun Activities

Plant a butterfly garden.
Discuss and compare the ways that the parties were hosted.
Check out some photos of old velocipedes.
Make one of these recipes:
- vanity cakes p. 202 of The Little House on the Prairie Cookbook.
- lemonade p. 188 of The Little House on the Prairie Cookbook.
- popcorn balls p. 216 of The Little House on the Prairie Cookbook.
Watch Beauty and the Beast
Research ways to preserve foods with Preserving Everything.
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.
Naturally Sweetened Treats

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 504-511
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

Dog Training

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

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

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

Note:

We will also be using:

PE, Health & Safety

1. Medicinal Uses of Leeches

Discuss what you have learned.

2. Leech Removal

Discuss what you have learned.
How does this compare with how Laura removed them?
Do an activity from the Health & Safety Theme Box

3. Games/Outdoor Play

Play Uncle John (p. 159)
Play Stuck in the Mud p. 157 of The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book by Guy Bailey

Music, Arts & Crafts

Crafts:

Rainbow Fish Craft
Make one of these crafts:
- Jumping Jack Toy
- Jumping Jack Bugs
Or choose a craft from Pioneer Crafts For Kids

Art:

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

Music:

Sing Uncle John to the tune of Yankee Doodle:

Uncle John p.74 Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook

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

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