prairie dogs – Pollywog's Place Blog

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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.

Discuss what you learned.
Mustang coloring pages

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:

Discuss what you have learned.
Print out this Simple Machines Game to play.

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:

Discuss what you have learned.
Play Simple Machines Game

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 HERE. Look 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:

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:

Discuss what you learned.
Play Simple Machines Game

Extras:

Play one of these games:
- Lakeshore Fascinating Facts Human Body Game
- Operation Game

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:
- Discuss what you learned.
- Play Simple Machines Game

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: