PP: The Long Winter

This is probably one of my favorite Little House on The Prairie Books.

 

Memory Work:

Psalm 34 or Psalm 37

 

Activities, Studies and Crafts:

weather patterns, including natural disasters such as tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc) We will utilize The Handbook of Nature Study and Considering God’s Creation with this study.

modern agencies that help victims of storm-related disasters (FEMA, Red Cross, National Guard, etc)

make a plan of action for the common natural occurrences in your region…include emergency bags and kits, safety plans, etc.

learn about Samuel Morse (online here and here) and Morse Code and the telegraph (online here and here)

Muskrats,

the water cycle

Indians of South Dakota Souix, Blackfeet

The Battle of Wounded Knee

Earth’s rotation, effects on sunrise, sunset, climate, etc.

heat index and wind chill

Chicken digestive system

medicinal properties of ginger

light, effects of light deprivation

crude oil, kerosene, coal…for heating and lighting (where does it come from)

grind wheat and bake bread

study verses on complaining, use a Concordance

learn about the effects, prevention and treatments for frostbite

the importance of vitamins, the effects of vitamin deficiency

braid straw (how a straw hat is sewn here and here) a bracelet using straws, but could be done with straw

 

Word List:

equinoctial

whiffle characteristics of trees

PP: By The Shores of Silver Lake

Memory Work:
Romans 8:31-39
50 States has a nice site, including this chart on Statehood order.

Activities and Studies:
Read a biography on Fanny Crosby  online here, and here, and here
learn some causes of various diseases
learn about germs and infections and how they work online here and here
Meningistis, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Immunizations, Tuberculosis
Your own State history
Dissection and study of a cow eye online here, here and YouTube
study the anatomy of an eye
steam engines, trains, history of the railroad
study the purposes of United States territories/states
read about Helen Keller, Loius Braille and the Braille system
bird migration
discuss the uses and structures of root cellars in food preservation/storage
study the Timber Culture Act
cottonwood trees,


Word List:
satchels
greenhorn
literary terms: setting, plot, characters, conflict, climax
slough

Topics Covered by The Prairie Primer

As mentioned before, you don’t have to have a copy of the Prairie Primer. It isn’t a hard fast rule for enjoying the Little House on The Prairie books. It will, however, give you a great direction to follow to get as much out of the books as you can. Here are the Topics and their entries, as listed in The Primer itself.
Bible Concepts/Character Builders
Bible Memory
Crafts
Health
History, Government, Social Studies and Geography
History – Biographies
Literature and Language Arts
Living (as in conservation, manners, music, gun safety)
Science (bacteria, viruses, light and prism, heat transfer, food chain, electricity, energy and fuel, distillation, pollination, properties of fire, rust, simple machines, trees, telegraph, water table, water purification, weather)
Science – Animal Kingdom (animal classification, tracks, and a wide variety of animals)
Science – Human Body (digestive systems, ears, eyes and eyesight, genetics, blood, heart and vascular, immune system, lungs and breathing, nervous system, reproduction, skin and taste)

Some additional suggestions shared in The Primer are creating a historical timeline on butcher paper. We have several kits from Homeschool in The Woods History Time Travelers that we love, but you don’t need anything fancy.  Use what you have :)  Also making note of your memory work along the way, on index cards kept in a file, or worked out with drawings and copywork or as lapbook coponents. 

You can also add in some good old fashioned (and so often better) math and handwriting curriculum to give a complete schooling adventure. For a curriculum from the 1800s, try Ray’s Arithmetic and the Spencerian System of Practical Penmanship.  Folks just don’t teach good handwriting anymore. Most schools have worked over the past few years to cut cursive writing altogether. It’s a shame. I suppose in an age of computerized everything from ebook texts for school and assignments handed in on flashdrives, folks just don’t need to use real penmanship anymore :(
So there you go.  The Primer has all the guidance and direction you need to get the most from your Little House on The Prairie series. You can add and subtract at will, the ideas throughout the Primer will certainly spur your creativity along…but it will carry you along very nicely on those hectic days when gathering and planning just aren’t going to happen.

Enjoy! I look forward to hearing from everyone joining the summer reading series!