Little House On The Prairie Adventure Week 5 Lesson Plans

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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.

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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.

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This one came from Lakeshore Learning.

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.


Week 5: Chapters 13, 14 & 15 (Texas Longhorns, Indian Camp, Fever ‘N Ague)

Here is our lesson plan for the week:


Language Arts

Reading:

Read Chapters 13, 14 & 15

Discussion Questions:

Chapter Thirteen:

  • Why did the cowboys need Pa’s help?
  • How would they pay him?
  • What did Laura want to be?
  • What did Pa bring home?
  • What did they let Baby Carrie have?

Chapter Fourteen:

  • What time of year did Ma say it was?
  • Where did Pa take the girls?
  • What did they find?
  • What did the girls make with their beads? Who did they give it too?

Chapter Fifteen:

  • What did the Laura help Ma pick? What did they do with them?
  • What did Mary do while Laura was helping Ma?
  • How did they keep the mosquitos away?
  • Who came to help when the family was sick? How did they help?
  • What was different about the Doctor?
  •  What did Mrs. Scott say caused the sickness? What really caused the sickness?

Additional Reading:

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

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

Vocabulary/Spelling:**

Older Kids:

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

Younger Kids:

Handwriting:

Using  Spencerian Penmanship go over the instructions on p. 8-9

Writing:

Choose one prompt below:

  • Write a story about when you were not feeling well. Tell about who helped you and what made you feel better.
  • Continue working in your workbook.

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

Other Activity:

Group:

Older kids:

Younger kids:


Math

You can work on a lesson in your Ray’s Arithmetic Books or other math workbook. (The lessons below reflect what we worked on.)

Group:

Rotate through these activities:

Older Kids:

Check out this video on multiplication:

Younger Kids:

 

 

 

 


Geography and History

1. State Study

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

2. Continue to Research Native American Indian Tribes

  • Click HERE to learn more about Indian Family life.

What did the Indians eat?

  • You can read about Indian diets HERE and then watch the video below.
  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Complete this Lapbook piece HERE on foods that the Indians may have eaten.

3. Research Cowboys

  • Watch this video about a cattle drive.

Extra:


Science

1. Continue to study Prairie Animals.

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

2. Is there anything good about mosquitoes?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

3. What are parasites?

  • Discuss what you learned.

4. Research blood.

  • Discuss what you learned.

5. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are wheels and axles?

  • Read pages 34-40 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • crank
    • Mesopotamia
    • sledge
    • spokes
    • artifact
    • radiocarbon dating
    • carbon
  • What did people use to move things before wheels were invented?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 41-45.

Watch this video for more information:

Extras:

Play one of these games:


Life Skills

1. Following Ma’s Example

Routines, like manners, can be used anywhere and everywhere even when we go outside.

The family was all sick during this section of the book. Do you think they kept up with their routines while they were sick? They seemed like they were all too sick to care about routines.

What happens when your mom and dad get sick? Does everyone know the daily routine well enough to keep the house running smoothly?

What do you think are some ideas for a good outside routine? Here are some ideas that could be incorporated into your routine:

  • Put on shoes
  • Put away shoes, jackets
  • Put on Bug Spray
  • Put on Sunscreen
  • Put on a hat, if needed
  • Cleaning up inside toys
  • Ask permission to go outside
  • Cleaning up outside toys
  • Put on outerwear, depending on the weather
  • Washing hands

Can you think of anything else?

  • Add your own ideas to this list.
  • Put the tasks in order from what you should start with.
  • How could this routine have helped keep the family from getting sick?

2. Ways to help around the house like Laura

We are going to learn how to mop. Mopping can be done a couple of ways. Some people prefer to use a mop and bucket of soapy water, others like myself like to use a steam mop, and some people use disposable mops like Swiffers.

However you mop if up to you but you need to make sure it is done properly. Sometimes we need to hand scrub areas of the floor too and we will learn about that next week.

How to Mop:

  • Floors need to be swept well before mopping.
  • Move anything that can be moved to make mopping easier.
  • You need to find your mop and whatever supplies you will need.
  • For steam mops you usually only need to fill the tank with water.
    • Ask for a parent’s help.
  • For Swiffer type mops, you just need the mop and disposable pad.
  • For mops and buckets you need:
    • a mop
    • a bucket filled halfway with hot water and cleaner added to it.
    • each time you put the mop in the bucket you will need to wring it out well before putting it on the floor.
  • Begin mopping in one corner of the area and work your way around.
  • Pay attention to areas that may be extra dirty.
  • Check to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
  • When finished you need to pour out the dirty water, if a mop and bucket was used. We usually pour it in the toilet when we use this method.
  • Rinse out the bucket.
  • Clean out your mop, throw away any disposable pads, or put the washable pads in the hamper.
  • Put away your tools.
  • Replace anything you moved before you started mopping.

3. Character

We will be focusing on OBEDIENCE this unit. If you don’t have the book we used you can go HERE and download a lesson plan guide to use in your home.

MemorizeChildren, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossians 3:20

We will be studying obedience during this unit. What is obedience?

Watch this video about obeying your parents:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • How can you apply this to your life?
  • Be sure to keep praying for God’s help to be obedient even when it is hard.

4. Manners

– Read through the next four pages of Emily’s Everyday Manners and discuss the manners shown in the pictures:

  • Good manners are important when you go to school
  • Good manners help you make friends and get along with others
  • Good manners help you keep friends too.
  • Good manners are important whether you are the host, or the guest.

5. Memory Verse

We will be memorizing Psalm 8 during this unit study. Print it HERE.

  • Work on memorizing a verse during the week for a special prize.
    • Verse 5: For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
  • Older kids can copy the memory verse down in their notebook.

6. Fun Activities

  • Watch this video about cowboy cooking:
  • Plan and make an Indian meal using what you learned this week.

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

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

Kids Cook Real Food 

  • Work on: Class 7 – Salads, Tortillas, Chickpea Wraps (Beginner)

  • Help to prepare a meal using your new skills.

Skill Trek:

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

Memorize the books of the Bible:

  • Try it now without the teaching:

Learn about camping.

  • Learn how to set up a tent.
  • Practice doing this with a helper and by yourself.

Watch this video:

  • Remember that all tents are different so you will need to know how to set up your own tent.

Learn about Herbs.

As we are learning plants are so much more than what they seem. They each hold a special gift and some of them can be very beneficial to us.

Lemon Balm: The Pleasant Fever Breaking Herb

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Be sure to jot down some notes.
  • Would this have been useful when the family was sick? Why or why not?

PE, Health & Safety

1.What to do if you get lost.

  • The girls often went exploring but made sure not to wander off. It would probably have been easy to get lost on the big prairie. Would you know what to do if you got lost?
  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • Make a list of all the steps to do if you get lost.
  • Work on memorizing the information you would need if you got lost.
    • name
    • phone number
    • address
  • Click HERE for a FREE printable.

2. Insect Safety

  • When the family got sick they didn’t know what had caused the illness. Mrs. Scott had believed it had come from the watermelon but it had actually came from mosquitoes. How can we protect ourselves from mosquitoes and other insects?
  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • What are some ways that we can prevent bug bites?

3. Calcium for strong bones

  • Ma and the girls were excited to see that Pa had brought home a cow as they hadn’t had any milk for a long time. Why is milk so important in our diets?
  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • Name some of the benefits of drinking milk.
  • Watch this video to learn about how much calcium we need and other sources of calcium.

Click HERE to read about the Plains Indian’s diet.

  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • How does this compare to our diet?

4. Games/Outdoor Play

  • Regular exercise is important for strong bones. Watch this video to learn about what exercises can help increase bone density.
  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Go outside and play 30 minutes and try out some bone strengthening activities.

Bonus:

Did you know that Square Dancing is a good exercise for helping you to have strong bones?

If you haven’t already signed up for classes have your parents check for a local club near you.


Music, Arts & Crafts

You can find more Native American crafts and activities HERE , HERE, HERE and a FREE printable coloring book HERE.

Crafts:

  1. 9 NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFTS FOR KIDS
  2. Indian Necklace Craft
  3. Make a Fringed Vest p. 13 Pioneer Crafts for Kids

Art:

  1. Longhorn coloring pages
  2. Cattle drive coloring page
  3. Three Wigwams coloring page

Look at these Native American Bead Projects HERE or below:

Music:

Listen to some of these old cowboy songs:

 


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

Little House On The Prairie Adventure: Week by Week Science Lessons

**This post may contain affiliate links to some of the products and resources that we have used. These are provided at no extra charge to you and help to support our blog and family if a purchase is made through these links. -Thank you!

Here are our Lesson Plans For Science

Please note that YouTube has been removing some content from its site so you may need to search for another video on the topics listed.

These lessons were made to go along with ‘The Little House On The Prairie‘ written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We are planning to go through the whole series and I am keeping track of the different topics we are learning about here on my blog. We hope you enjoy these as much as we have!

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

Tip: If you want to go to a certain week/chapter 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.


Week 1: Chapters 1, 2 & 3

1. Read about mustangs.

  • Older kids can also work on a report. The report needs to include behavior, habitat, and diet.

2. Start learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are Simple Machines?

  • Read pages 1-3 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • Simple Machine
    • Mechanical Advantage
    • Compound Machine
  • What are the 6 types of simple machines? Write them down in your notebook.

Watch this video for more information:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • What simple machines do we use in our homes?

What is Force?

  • Read pages 4-7 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • work
    • force
    • push
    • pull
    • equilibrium
    • unbalanced
    • gravity
    • friction
    • weight
    • lubricant
    • Newton
  • How can you fight friction?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 8-11.

Watch this video for more information:

3. What are Stars?

  • In this book Laura mentions watching the sky a lot and describes the stars.
  • Discuss what you learned.

Extra:


Week 2: Chapters 4, 5 & 6

1. Read about prairie animals.

  • Older kids can also work on a report about prairie animals. The report needs to include behavior, habitat, and diet.
  • Here are a couple of videos to get you started:

Here is a video about prairie dogs:

And another about Hawks:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Choose an animal to study and write a report about. Your report will be due next week.

2. What is the solar system?

  • Discuss what you learned.

3. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are levers?

  • Read pages 12-19 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • fulcrum
    • load
    • effort
    • engineer
    • linkage
    • agriculture
    • defense
    • invent
    • shaduf
    • counterweight
    • irrigation ditch
    • archaeologist
    • catapult
    • trebuchet
  • How many types of levers are mentioned in the book? What are the differences?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 20-25.

Watch this video for more information:

Extra:


Week 3: Chapters 7, 8 & 9

1. What are mules?

  • Learn about mules and how they are different from horses.
  • Mules are hybrids. Learn more about this here:
  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Name four ways that mules are different from horses.
  • Name two more hybrid animals.

2. Continue to study Prairie Animals.

  • Older kids can also work on a report. The report needs to include behavior, habitat, and diet.
  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Name one interesting fact about wolves that you didn’t know before.

Listen to these sounds:

  • How would these sounds make you feel?

3. Why do animals’ eyes glow in the dark?

  • Find out why animals’ eyes glow in the dark.
  • Discuss what you have learned.

4. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are screws?

  • Read pages 46-52 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • thread
    • pitch
    • design
    • bolt
    • worm gear
    • spur gear
    • drill bit
  • What are some different ways that screws are used? How could these have helped Pa?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 53-56.

Watch this video for more information:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • Play Simple Machines Game
  • Check out this video to see how this talented artist uses screws to create pictures:

5. Research plants on the prairie.

We have been looking at prairie animals but what about the plants?

  • Discuss what you have learned.

6. Constellations

  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • Check out these neat constellation cards on this page HERELook for ‘constellations.pdf’ under History and Geography.
  • Or try this really neat craft HERE (I might try this with small flashlights.) or HERE.

Week 4: Chapters 10, 11 & 12

1. Continue to study Prairie Animals.

  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • Do you know how to tell a poisonous snake from a non-poisonous snake?
  • My kids like to remember this little rhyme:

Image result for red and black friend of jack

This holds pretty true here in Florida but may not hold true in other areas.

Watch this video about the differences between venomous and non-venomous species:

Watch this video on how other animals react to snakes:

  • Discuss what you learned.

Watch this video on skunks too:

  • Discuss what you learned.

2. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are pulleys?

  • Read pages 68- 74 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • fixed pulley
    • movable pulley
    • compound pulley
    • block & tackle
    • windlass
  • How many types of pulleys are mentioned in the book? How are they different?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 75-79.

Watch this video for more information:

  • Discuss what you learned.

Here is a fun project:

3. How do we get our drinking water?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

Here is a quick video showing the well that was dug in the book.

4. What gases were in the well?

  • Check out this article HERE for some possible answers to this question.
  • Discuss what you learned.

Check out this video on quicksand too:

  • Discuss what you have learned.

5. What is the Milky Way?

  • Discuss what you learned.

Week 5: Chapters 13, 14 & 15

1. Continue to study Prairie Animals.

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

2. Is there anything good about mosquitoes?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

3. What are parasites?

  • Discuss what you learned.

4. Research blood.

  • Discuss what you learned.

5. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are wheels and axles?

  • Read pages 34-40 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • crank
    • Mesopotamia
    • sledge
    • spokes
    • artifact
    • radiocarbon dating
    • carbon
  • What did people use to move things before wheels were invented?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 41-45.

Watch this video for more information:

Extras:

Play one of these games:


Week 6: Chapters 16, 17 & 18

1. Watch this fun video:

  • Discuss what you learned.

2. Why do leaves change color?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

3. Why do birds migrate?

  • Watch a video and older kids can do some independent research.
  • Discuss what you learned.

4. Continue learning about simple machines.

  • We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.What are inclined planes?
    • Read pages 26-29 of your book.
    • Write down these words and their definitions:
      • lock
      • skeleton
      • switchback
      • ascent
      • descent
    • What are some different ways that inclined planes are used?
    • Do one of the activities on pages 30-33.

    Watch this video for more information:

5. Meet the five dwarfs.

  • Discuss what you learned.

Week 7: Chapters 19, 20 & 21

1. Continue to Research Prairie Animals.

  • Discuss what you learned.

Listen to these sounds:

  • How would that make you feel?

2. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

What are wedges? Not the shoes.

  • Read pages 57-62 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • ravine
    • caravan
  • Can you name four uses of wedges? p.59 Write them down.
  • Do one of the activities on pages 63-67.

Watch this video for more information:

  • Discuss what you learned.

3. Get to know your galaxy.

  • Discuss what you learned.

Extra:


Week 8: Chapters 22, 23 & 24

1. Research Wild Fires.

  • Discuss what you learned.

How we fight wildfires:

  • Discuss what you learned.
  • How do these methods compare/contrast with the methods used by Pa and Ma?

2. Continue learning about simple machines.

We will be using Explore Simple Machines!: With 25 Great Projects for this study.

Can you be an inventor?

  • Read pages 80-83 of your book.
  • Write down these words and their definitions:
    • engineering design process
    • construct
  • What five types of inventors are there?
  • What would you invent?
  • Do one of the activities on pages 84-85.

Watch this video for more information:

  • Discuss what you learned.

3. Navigating the night sky.

  • Discuss what you learned.

Extra:


Week 9: Chapters 25 & 26

1. Free Choice

  • Pick out a previous topic to research more and write a report about it.
  • Go to Mystery Science and learn about something you are interested in.

2. Continue learning about simple machines.

3. Planets in our Solar System.

  • Discuss what you have learned.

4. Read about how to start plants indoors like Ma did.

  • Discuss what you have learned.
  • What plants would you like to start?
  • Make a list of materials you would need.

Extra:


Week 10: Finishing Up

1. Free Choice

  • Pick out a previous topic to research more and write a report about it.
  • Go to Mystery Science and learn about something you are interested in.

2. Continue learning about simple machines. Pick a project to do.

3. A constellation guide.

Extra:

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