LHOP: On the Prairie Schedule

The Reading plan is pretty much the same set up:

Week 1: Reading thru Chapter 6, Links Page
Week 2: Chapters 7-13, Links Page
Week 3: Chapters 14-21, Links Page
Week 4: Chapters 22-26, Links Page

I've already listed alot of the goodies to pad out your reading of On the Prairie, plus there are wonderful links and Youtube clips at We Love the Prairie Primer blog (I've linked the individual weeks above with our reading plan) as always.

During this book, we can work on so many fun things that flow along with the book. Some suggestions in the Primer include checking out your family tree for your relatives living during the 1870s.  You can also add in some extra geography by mapping out the Ingalls' route as they traveled across the various states, learning about each state along the way, including a study on the prairie lands of North America. We have been using GeoMatters Trail Guide to US Geography for a couple years now and love it. It works well as a stand-alone program, but it also lends itself nicely to virtually any other curriculum as well. 

On the Prairie is perfect for branching off in may different directions...a study of the Native American groups that have a foundation in so much of our history, (which can lead to a whole variety of art and craft projects as well, like beaded belts, mocassin making, Indian dwellings, games, etc...),  a study of the Pony Express and the history of our postal service (which could lead into a cultural discussion on postal offerings in other countries, or just a comparison of then and now, as we keep running into the electronic age, etc.)  You can easily study the nuances of the English language and review the many differences in speech styles and phrasing from the late 1800s to today (the word 'providential' is used so often in the late 1800's speech, and we have turned it into something as short and lacking as 'lucky'...).

During this book you can discuss a variety of animal and plant life...the Mustang, meadow larks, chickadees, mockingbirds, Phoebe birds, gophers, goldenrod, mosquitos, snakes common to the prairie lands, wolves, beaver, muskrat, mink, panthers,  oak, sycamore and cottonwood trees and of course, the buffalo.

From a science standpoint you have simple machines, the study of your blood and its components and their functions, the affects of chewing tobacco, the disease malaria (fever 'n' ague), sun exposure ( which will lead us to a study of the Sun in general), the water table and water aquifers, etc.

Some larger projects for this story could be continued work on a simple quilt project, sampler stitching, needlework or for the boys, building a stockade or Calvary fort, or even a scale model of an Indian village.

Keep an open mind while reading and I'm sure your children will lead the way in discovering all sorts of fun projects and learning directions along Laura's journeys!