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On the Banks of Plum Creek Adventure: Week by Week Science Lessons

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Here are our Lesson Plans For Science

These lessons were made to go along with ‘On The Banks Of Plum Creek‘ 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, 4, 5 & 6

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Willow Trees

  • Morning Glories

  • Growing plants

  • Butterflies

  • Lichens

  • Badgers

  • Heat Transfer

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Seasons

3. Read:

Curiositree: Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature - Jacket unfolds into a huge wall poster!

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?

Week 2: Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Animal Groups

  • Insects

  • Bees

  • Response to Fear

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Spring

3. Read

Extra Activities:

Fun Express Animal Bingo Game For Kids, Animal Recognition, Educational Games For Classroom

Week 3: Chapters 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Crabs

  • Leeches

  • Creek animals

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Floods

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

Nature Up Close! Light Table Slides

Week 4: Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Fish

  • Blue herons

  • Snipes

  • Waterbirds

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Seasons

  • Droughts

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

Week 5: Chapters 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Grasshoppers

  • Food Chains

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Water Table

  • Dust Devils

  • Heat Waves

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

bugs &-insects-instant-learning-center-1

Week 6: Chapters 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 & 34

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Birds

  • Grasshopper Migration

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Fall

  • Lightning

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

Week 7: Chapters 35, 36, 37 & 38

1. Pick one or two topics to learn about:

  • Beavers

  • Winter Coats

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Winter

  • Blizzards

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

Weathers & Seasons - Interactive Science Activities

Week 8: Chapters 39, 40 & 41

1. Go back and review previous topics you may have skipped or want to learn more about.

Watch this video:

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

  • Clouds

 

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

Week 9: Finishing Up

1. Tests

Make sure to print out the results from online quizzes.

2. Learn about the weather and seasons.

Earth Science by Rock 'N Learn

  • Learn about hurricanes as we have a lot of them here.

3. Read:

Extra Activities:

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

**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission.

 –Thank you!

 

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

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**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

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 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:

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!

 

 

 

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Egg carton snow man craft

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These are fairly simple to make. They are also very easy for kids of all ages. 

You will need:

  • one egg carton 
  • Glue 
  • pipe cleaners 
  • sequins 
  • sharpies 
  • construction paper 
  • other craft supplies, as desired

Cut each egg carton into four pieces. Turn over add eyes and mouth with marker. Make hats from construction paper. Use pipe cleaners as hanger. Allow kids to decorate with sequins and other supplies as their imagination guides them.