We Love the Prairie Primer

Welcome to Our Prairie Primer Blog!

2010-06-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

We're so glad you stopped by! If you are using the Prairie Primer Curriculum with your homeschooling, we hope you will find this blog to be a helpful resource for you.

Listed below, you will find videos and links that go along with all the activities in the Prairie Primer. If you come across a video or link that is inappropriate or no longer working, please leave me a comment so I can update this page. The contents are as follows:

Introduction

Prairie Days Festival

How to Make a Corncob Doll

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the Prairie Websites

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Pioneer Christmas Links

By the Shores of Silver Lake

The Long Winter

Tour of Our Little House Log Cabin

Happy Birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder!

Little Town on the Prairie

These Happy Golden Years

Farmer Boy

The First Four Years

Our Year of Prairie Primer Has Come to an End :-(

2010-06-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

We just completed our Prairie Primer Curriculum for the year and to celebrate we attended the Prairie Days Annual Festival in Independence, Kansas. This was our 4th year to go and we had so much fun, as usual. The girls made pottery and a beaded craft, participated in a Spelling Bee, shopped in the gift store, checked out the one-room log cabin that Laura lived in, watched Native American dancers and petted some animals in the petting barn. The following are pictures from this year, as well as years past.

2011:

2010:

2009:

2008:

2007:

We have so enjoyed doing the Prairie Primer curriculum this past year and highly recommend it to anyone considering it as part of their homeschooling! We've made some wonderful memories together reading the books and doing the suggested activities. As for our curriculum choice next year, we'll be doing "Portraits of American Girlhood" which is based on the American Girl books. Looks like another blog may be in my near future :-)

The First Four Years - Week 2

2010-05-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

DIPHTHERIA:

GROWING GERANIUMS:

THE LORD'S PRAYER:

FIRE SAFETY:

The First Four Years - Week 1

2010-05-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

CONTRALTO:

n. Music, pl., -tos. (Abbr. contr.)
The lowest female voice or voice part, intermediate in range between soprano and tenor.
A woman having a contralto voice.

DROP-LEAF TABLE:

A drop-leaf table is a table that has a fixed section in the center and a hinged section (leaf) on either side that can be folded down (dropped). If the leaf is supported by a bracket when folded up, the table is simply a drop-leaf table; if the leaf is supported by legs that swing out from the center, it is known as a gate leg table.

Drop-leaf tables were found mostly in England where they date back to the late sixteenth century; Elizabethan and Jacobean examples are still extant.

PANTRY:

n., pl., -tries.

A small room or closet, usually off a kitchen, where food, tableware, linens, and similar items are stored.

A small room used for the preparation of cold foods.

THE INGALL'S KITCHEN:

--Photo courtesy of Leslie A. Kelly and the
Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society,
105 Olivet Ave., Box 426, De Smet, SD 57231 http://www.discoverlaura.org

MARRIAGE:

(Photo: Laura and Almanzo in 1886.)

MAR'RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.

Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb.13.

1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Matt.22.

2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev.19.

MONEY SITES FOR KIDS:

Crown Financial Ministries
Teaching Kids About $ the Dave Ramsey Way
FamilyMint
How to Teach Budgeting to Kids

THOMAS EDISON:

HOW A BABY IS BORN:

Childbirth (Birth) 3D Video Animation from childbirth on Vimeo.

Inside Pregnancy (amazing videos of the growth of a baby in the womb)

HAIL:

Hail Lesson Plans
MrDonn.org

ST. BERNARD:

Video from Animal Planet

Breed All About It (Animal Planet)

Farmer Boy - Week 4

2010-05-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

CUD:

CUD, n. [See Chew and Jaw.]

1. The food which ruminating animals chew at leisure, when not grazing or eating; or that portion of it which is brought from the first stomach and chewed at once.
2. A portion of tobacco held in the mouth and chewed.
3. The inside of the mouth or throat of a beast that chews the cud.

FLAIL:

FLA'IL, n. [L. flagellum. We retain the original verb in flog, to strike, to lay on, L. fligo, whence affligo, to afflict; plaga, a stroke, or perhaps from the same root as lick and lay. Gr. See Lick.]

PECK:

PECK, n.
1. The fourth part of a bushel; a dry measure of eight quarts; as a peck of wheat or oats.
2. In low language, a great deal; as, to be in a peck of troubles.

COW'S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

Rumen Anatomy (Click on the cow's body parts to find out about it's function)

How Cow's Digest Food

A Cow's Digestive System (PBS Movie)

ENERGY:

THRESHING MACHINE:

Threshing Machine (Wikipedia)

Great Engineers – the Biography of Andrew Meikle, the Thresher Inventor

GEMS:

HOW TO CLEAN TARNISHED SILVER:

MAUL:
MAUL, n. [L. malleus. See Mall.]
A heavy wooden hammer; written also mall.

MAUL, v.t. To beat and bruise with a heavy stick or cudgel; to wound in a coarse manner.

WITHE:
WITH, WITHE, n. [L., probably a shoot.]
1. A willow twig.
2. A band consisting of a twig, or twigs twisted.

LIVERYMAN:
LIV'ERYMAN, n.
1. One who wears a livery; as a servant.
2. In London, a freeman of the city, of some distinction. the liverymen are chosen from among the freemen of each company, and from their number are elected the common council, sheriff and other superior officers of the city. They alone have the right of voting for members of parliament.

HAYPRESS:

BANKING INFORMATION:

Lots of links about banking and teaching your kids about money can be found here.

"THE ROAD NOT TAKEN" - by Robert Frost

Farmer Boy - Week 3

2010-05-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

A Plant Story

Plants at EnchantedLearning.com

Photosynthesis with Mr. Donn

GROWING PUMPKINS:

BRIDLE:

BRI'DLE, n.
1. The instrument with which a horse is governed and restrained by a rider; consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages, according to its particular form and uses.
2. A restraint; a curb; a check.
3. A short piece of cable well served, attached to a swivel on a chain, laid in a harbor, and the upper end drawn into a ship and secured to the bits. The use is to enable a ship, when moored, to veer with the wind and tide.
Bowline bridles are short legs or pieces of rope, running through iron thimbles, by which the bowline attaches to different places on the leech or edge of a large sail

BRI'DLE, v.t. To put on a bridle; as, to bridle a horse.
1. To restrain, guide or govern; to check, curb or control; as, to bridle the passions; "to bridle a muse."
Bridle the excursions of youth.
BRI'DLE, v.i. To hold up the head, and draw in the chin.

HARNESS:

H`ARNESS, n.
1. Armor; the whole accouterments or equipments of a knight or horseman; originally perhaps defensive armor, but in a more modern and enlarged sense, the furniture of a military man, or offensive, as a casque, cuirass, helmet, girdle, sword, buckler, &c.
2. The furniture of a draught horse, whether for a wagon, coach, gig, chaise, &c., called in some of the American states, tackle or tackling, with which, in its primary sense, it is synonymous.

H`ARNESS, v.t. To dress in armor; to equip with armor for war, as a horseman.
Harnessed in rugged steel.
1. To put on the furniture of a horse for draught.
Harness the horses. Jer.46.
2. To defend; to equip or furnish for defense. 1 Macc.4.

MAKING HOMEMADE ICE CREAM:

HOW TO PICK OUT A RIPE WATERMELON:

RAISING PIGS:

FISH:

Fun Fish Art

Fish at EnchantedLearning.com

HOW TO MAKE EGGNOG:

HEART AND VASCULAR SYSTEM:

Heart Anatomy at Enchanted Learning
Heart Programs and Activities for Kids (American Heart Association)
Heart Lesson Plans at Education World

Grain Cradle

c. 1900

To harvest grain, the crop was usually first cut and then the grain was separated from the stalk or body of the crop. Grain cradles were used for cutting and gathering the crops. The long wooden "fingers" of the cradle gathered the straw as it was cut and deposited it in piles. The cradle was an improvement on a single blade because the fingers acted as extensions of the farmer's arms and made harvesting a little easier.

SELFISH:

SELF'ISH, a. Regarding one's own interest chiefly or soley; influenced in actions by a view to private advantage.

HOW TO TREAT A BURN:

BELGIAN HORSE:

HOW TO MAKE CANDLES:

How To Make Container Candles
Candle Making 101

Farmer Boy - Week 2

2010-05-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

AUG'ER, n.

An instrument for boring large holes, chiefly used by carpenters, joiners, cabinet makers, wheelwrights and shipwrights. It consists of an iron blade, ending in a steel bit, with a handle placed at right angles with the blade. Augers, made with a straight channel or groove, in some places, are called pod-augers; the modern augers, with spiral channels, are called screw-augers.

MOOSEWOOD TREE:

Plantguide.org

Wikipedia

Backyard Gardener

PATIENCE, n. pa'shens:

1. The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission to the divine will.

2. A calm temper which bears evils without murmuring or discontent.

3. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent.

Have patience with me,and I will pay thee all. Matt.18.

4. Perseverance; constancy in labor or exertion.

He learnt with patience, and with meekness taught.

5. The quality of bearing offenses and injuries without anger or revenge.

His rage was kindled and his patience gone.

6. Sufferance; permission. [Not used.]

7. A plant, a species of rumex of dock.

HOW TO MAKE MAPLE SYRUP:

* Why harrow a field? Find out here.

POTATOES:

Life Cycle of a Potato Plant
Lots of Potato Links
Potato Prints
The Potato Story

FLOWERS:

Flowers at PPPST.com
Flowers in Motion - QuickTime Movies
Flowers at Enchanted Learning
Plants and Flowers at The Teacher's Guide

STAR SPANGLED BANNER:

* Lots of 4th of July links can be found here.

AMERICAN FLAG OF 1867:

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE:

PAR'ASOL, n. [L. sol.]
A small umbrella used by ladies to defend themselves from rain, or their faces from the sun's rays.

Farmer Boy - Week 1

2010-04-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

ALMANZO WILDER:

Almanzo Wilder (Wikipedia)

Farmer Boy (Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum)

Wilder Homestead

WOOL PRODUCTION:

RED CEDAR TREES:

WOOD:

BIRD'S NEST PUDDING RECIPE:

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
1/2 tsp butter
1 c homogenized milk
1/2 c powdered sugar
6 tart apples (about 2 lbs)
1 tsp maple flavoring

Directions:
Step #1 Butter a baking dish (2-quart).
Step #2 Peel & core the apples & place them in the dish.
Step #3 Fill the wholes with brown sugar, pressing slightly, & sprinkle half the nutmeg on top.
Step #4 Place in preheated 350° F oven to start baking while you prepare the batter.
Step #5 Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a larger bowl & the whites onto a platter.
Step #6 Beat whites with a fork or whisk until they no longer slip from the tilted platter.
Step #7 Beat the yolks until they change color; stir in the maple flavoring & milk.
Step #8 In smaller bowl mix flour, cream or tartar, salt, baking powder, & any remaining brown sugar.
Step #9 Stir this mixture quickly into the liquid.
Step #10 Fold the egg whites into this thin batter.
Step #11 Pour the batter evenly over & around the partly cooked apples & return dish to the oven, baking it until the crust has browned, another 45 mins to 1 hr.
Step #12 While the pudding bakes, stir the powdered sugar & remaining nutmeg into a pitcher of heavy cream.
Step #13 Take the finished pudding directly to the table before it falls, & turn each serving onto a plate so the apple is nested in the fluffy crust.
Step #14 Pour sweetened cream over them.

OTHER LITTLE HOUSE RECIPES:

Twist Doughnuts

Rye n' Injun Bread

Stacked Pancakes

SOLIDS, LIQUIDS AND GASES:

These Happy Golden Years - Week 4

2010-04-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

TORNADOES:

THE WEDDING OF LAURA AND ALMANZO:

* Find out what happened to some of Laura's friends here!

These Happy Golden Years - Week 3

2010-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

VOICE LESSONS:

SOUND:

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL:

THE 5 ELEMENTS OF MUSIC:

MUSICAL NOTATION:

HOW TO MAKE POPCORN:

These Happy Golden Years - Week 2

2010-03-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

JEALOUS, a. jel'us.
1. Suspicious; apprehensive of rivalship; uneasy through fear that another has withdrawn or may withdraw from one the affections of a person he loves, or enjoy some good which he desires to obtain; followed by of, and applied both to the object of love and to the rival. We say, a young man is jealous of the woman he loves, or jealous of his rival. A man is jealous of his wife,and the wife of her husband.
2. Suspicious that we do not enjoy the affection or respect of others, or that another is more loved and respected than ourselves.
3. Emulous; full of competition.
4. Solicitous to defend the honor of; concerned for the character of.
I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.
1 Kings 19.
5. Suspiciously vigilant; anxiously careful and concerned for.
I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. 2 Cor.11.
6. Suspiciously fearful.
'Tis doing wrong creates such doubts as these,
Renders us jealous and destroys our peace.

JEALOUSLY, adv. jel'usly. With jealousy or suspicion; emulously; with suspicious fear, vigilance or caution.

LOGGING INDUSTRY:

WOMEN'S RIGHT TO VOTE (19TH Amendment):

CHICKEN EGGS:

ROBERT HERRICK:

These Happy Golden Years - Week 1

2010-03-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

"These Happy Golden Years" Lapbook

SOJOURNER TRUTH:

JEDIDIAH SMITH:

Discovering the Lost Legacy of Jedidiah Smith

PETER CARTWRIGHT:

Peter Cartwright: Perhaps America's Most Colorful Country Preacher

D.L.MOODY:

Dwight L. Moody Quotes

D.L. Moody Story

Life of Dwight L. Moody (by ChristianHistory.net)

PHOEBE PALMER:

SAMUEL MORRIS:

SENTENCE STRUCTURE:

Little Town on the Prairie - Week 4

2010-03-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

ABRAHAM LINCOLN:

(16th President; 1861-65)

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States of America. He served as President from March 4, 1861, until April 15, 1865 (he was re-elected in 1864). Lincoln's Vice-President was Andrew Johnson (1808-1875).

Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He had very little formal schooling and was mostly self-educated. He eventually became a lawyer and a Republican politician; he earned the nickname "Honest Abe." Lincoln married Mary Todd in 1842; they had four sons, but only one (Robert) survived childhood.

Lincoln was elected President in 1860. During Lincoln's presidency, the Southern states seceded from (left) the Union because Lincoln and the Northern states were against slavery. Six weeks after becoming President, the Civil War began. In this war, the Northern states (which stayed in the Union) fought the Southern states (called the Confederacy). The Civil War lasted from 1861 until 1865.

On Jan. 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which eventually led to the freeing of all slaves in the USA. During the Civil War, Lincoln gave many speeches, including the Gettysburg Address (Nov. 1863), a short speech in which he stated how a country must be dedicated to human freedom in order to survive.

Lincoln was re-elected President in 1864 (defeating Democrat George B. McClellan).

General Robert E. Lee (from the Confederacy) surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant (from the Union) on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth (an actor). Lincoln had been attending a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the next morning. He was the first US president ever assassinated. Andrew Johnson (Lincoln's Vice-President) became the next US President.

Abraham Lincoln Lesson Plans and Activities By...

ANDREW JOHNSON:

(17th President; 1865-69)

Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was the 17th president of the United States. Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was Abraham Lincoln's vice-president, and became president after Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Johnson was the only US president who never went to school; he was self-taught. During the Civil War, Andrew Johnson was the only Southern senator who remained loyal to the Union. During his presidency, Johnson authorized the purchase of Alaska from Russia. Johnson died on July 31, 1875, at Carter Station, Tennessee.

ULYSSES S. GRANT:
(18th President; 1869-77)

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) was the 18th president of the United States. Grant was born on April 22, 1822 in Port Pleasant, Ohio. He was a popular commander of the Union Army in the Civil War. The transcontinental railroad (the east-west railroad across the USA) was completed during Grant's term. Grant's two terms (1869-1877) were littered with scandals that involved some of the under-qualified people that Grant had put in high offices; Grant declined to run for a third term. Grant died on July 23, 1885, in Mount McGregor, New York.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES:
(19th President; 1877-81)

Rutherford Hayes (1822-1893) was the 19th president of the United States. Hayes was born on October 4, 1822, in Delaware, Ohio. Hayes ended the Reconstruction of the South after the Civil War. During his term as president (1877-1881) the country became more prosperous, but Hayes did not run for a second term. He died on January 17, 1893, in Fremont, Ohio.

JAMES GARFIELD:
(20th President; 1881)

James Garfield (1831-1881) was the 20th president of the United States. Garfield was born on November 19, 1831 in Orange, Ohio. In 1881, four months after becoming president, Garfield was shot and fatally wounded by a person who had wanted, but was not given, a government job by Garfield. Garfield died on September 19, 1881, in Elberon, New Jersey.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR:
(21st President; 1881-85)

Chester Arthur (Oct. 5, 1829-Nov. 18, 1886) was the 21st President of the USA (serving from 1881-1885). Before he was President, Arthur had been the Vice-President of the USA, serving under President James A. Garfield. After Garfield was assassinated, Arthur was elected President. During his term as President, tried to reform the civil service system. Early in his career, Arthur worked as a lawyer and as the customs collector for the Port of New York City (but Arthur was ousted from that office for doing political favors for his party supporters).

CLARA BARTON:

THE PROCESS OF IMPEACHMENT:

Congress for Kids

A Kid's Guide to Impeachment

Helping Kids Understand Impeachment

BATTLE AT LITTLE BIGHORN:

Little Bighorn on Discovery Education

U.S. History Blog

Awesome Stories about the Battle at Little Bighorn (warning: some graphic video, may not be appropriate for young audiences)

Little Town on the Prairie - Week 3

2010-02-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

* You can take a quiz about "The Little Town on the Prairie" here!

JAMES POLK:

(11th President; 1845-49)

James K. Polk (1795-1849) was the eleventh president of the United States. Polk was born on November 2, 1795, near Pineville, North Carolina. Serving as US President from 1845 until 1849, Polk was the first president who decided not to seek a second term in office. In 1845, Polk convinced Congress to declare war on Mexico to continue the expansion of the US westward (the Mexican War lasted from 1846-1848). During his term, much of the Southwest and California became part of the United States. Polk died on June 15, 1849, in Nashville, Tennessee, only three months after leaving office.

ZACHARY TAYLOR:

(12th President; 1848-50)

Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, near Barboursville, Virginia. Taylor was a military hero in the War of 1812, the Indian Wars, and in the Mexican War. He served as US president from 1848 until 1850 (only 16 months). He died suddenly in office on July 6, 1850, in Washington, D.C.

MILLARD FILLMORE:

(13th President; 1850-53)

Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800 in Locke, New York. Fillmore was Vice President under Zachary Taylor, but became president after Taylor died in office. Although Fillmore was against slavery, he approved of the Compromise of 1850, which allowed more new slave states to be entered into the Union and harshly penalized people who helped runaway slaves; because of this, Fillmore lost much of his support from the North. One of Fillmore's achievements was opening up trade with Japan (Fillmore sent Commodore Matthew Perry to Japan). Fillmore was president from 1850 until 1853, and died on March 8, 1874 in Buffalo, New York.

FRANKLIN PIERCE:

(14th President; 1853-57)

Pierce was born on November 23, 1804, in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. During his term (1853-1857) his greatest accomplishment was the Gadsden Purchase (1853), this added parts of northern of Mexico to the United States (now parts of southern Arizona and New Mexico). President Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), which repealed the Missouri Compromise, creating two new teritories, Kansas and Nebraska, and let the new settlers decide whether they would have slavery in the new territories. Pierce died on October 8, 1869, in Concord, New Hampshire.

JAMES BUCHANAN:

(15th President; 1857-61)

Educated as a lawyer, Buchanan had worked as a Pennsylvania state legislator, Representative, minister to Russia, US Senator, Secretary of State (to President James K. Polk), and minister to Great Britain. After he was elected President, Buchanan fought to preserve the Union (the North and the South were heading towards war over the issue of slavery). Although he was against slavery, Buchanan let Kansas (a slave state) join the Union - this angered the anti-slavery North. Buchanan's support of the outcome of the Dred Scott court case (in which it was ruled that Scott, a black man could not obtain his freedom because he was not a US citizen) also decreased support in the North. Lincoln became President in 1861 after Buchanan left office.

MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR:

Mexican-American War With Dr. Donn

U.S. - Mexican War on PBS

The U.S. - Mexican War on ProTeacher

THE COMPROMISE OF 1850:

VANITY (from the 1828 Webster's Dictionary):

1. Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity.

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher; all is vanity. Eccles. 1.

2. Fruitless desire or endeavor.

Vanity possesseth many who are desirous to know the certainty of things to come.

3. Trifling labor that produces no good.

4. Emptiness; untruth

Here I may well show the vanity of what is reported in the story of Walsingham.

5. Empty pleasure; vain pursuit; idle show; unsubstantial enjoyment.

Sin with vanity had fill'd the works of men.

Think not when woman's transient breath is fled, that all her vanities at once are dead; succeeding vanities she still regards.

6. Ostentation; arrogance.

7. Inflation of mind upon slight grounds; empty pride, inspired by an overweening conceit of one's personal attainments or decorations. Fops cannot be cured of their vanity.

Vanity is the food of fools.

No man sympathizes with the sorrows of vanity.

JOHN BROWN:

SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND:

THE DRED SCOTT DECISION:

ELECTRICITY:

HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE TELEGRAPH USING AN ELECTROMAGNET:

Directions from Professor Tom

How to Build a Simple Telegraph Set from Energizer

Got the Message? (from Scholastic)

INDULGENCE (from the 1828 Webster's Dictionary):

1. The act of indulging or humoring; the quality of being indulgent; forbearance of restrain or control.
If I were a judge, that word indulgence should never issue from my lips. Tooke.

They err, that through indulgence to others, or fondness to any sin in themselves, substitute for repentance anything less. Hammond.

2. An indulgent act; favor granted; gratification.
If all these gracious indulgences are without any effect on us, we must perish in our own folly. Rogers.

3. Remission of the temporal punishment due to sins, after the guilt of sin has been remitted by sincere repentance; absolution from the censures and public penances of the church. It is a payment of the debt of justice to God by the application of the merits of Christ and his saints to the contrite soul through the church. It is therefore believed to diminish or destroy for sins the punishment of purgatory.

4. To grant an indulgence to.

Little Town on the Prairie - Week 2

2010-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS:

(6th president; 1825-1829)

ANDREW JACKSON:

(7th President; 1829-1837)

MARTIN VAN BUREN:

(8th President; 1837-1841)

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON:

(9th President; March 4, 1841 - April 4, 1841)

Harrison on the History Channel

JOHN TYLER:

(10th President; 1841-1845)

John Tyler on the History Channel

WAR OF 1812:

War of 1812 Lesson Plans

SPANISH NEEDLE GRASS:

BLACK BIRD PIE RECIPE:
(Do not worry - we will NOT be trying this recipe!)

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup very warm water (almost hot)

Mix little biscuit dough. Knead 'til tough and dry - roll with rolling pin 'til very thin and cut into 2-inch strips.

(Clean birds according to information posted under recipe)

BIRDS:
25 black birds well covered with water
3/4 lb. sausage (link) - optional

Cook until tender (at least 2 hours or 1 hour for chicken). Salt and pepper to taste. When black birds are tender, keep broth at a rolling boil and drop in pastry - piece by piece, shaking pot constantly to keep pastry pieces separated. When all is in pot, place cover on and let cook for approximately 10 minutes. Let set for about ten more minutes. Then eat.

If you are unfamiliar with making pastry from scratch, you can substitute canned biscuits (roll individually with rolling pin). Or buy frozen pastry from bakery. If you use canned biscuits, let set for one-half hour and roll or flatten again to thinness desired.

ALFRED LORD TENNYSON:

Alfred Lord Tennyson - Crossing The Bar from Stewart MacGregor on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder!

2010-02-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

February 7, 1867
Laura would be turning 143 years old!
Here's a few pictures of her growing up...

And here are a few pics and videos from a Birthday Celebration my girls attended at Owasso Library this weekend:

How To Spin Yarn...

"M" Learning How to Spin Yarn...

"A" Learning How to Spin Yarn...

Little Town on the Prairie - Week 1

2010-01-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Little Town on the Prairie Lapbook:

U.S. Presidents:

Free Presidents Lapbook (from Homeschool Share)

Lapbooks, Printables and More (from Squido)

List of President Lapbooks for Sale (from CurrClick)

The Presidents (from the WhiteHouse.gov)

U.S. Presidents (from Biography.com)

American Presidents (from MrDonn.org)

American President Resources (from C-SPAN in the Classroom)

President Day Activities (from Education World)

Activities, Worksheets and Crafts for President's Day (Enchanted Learning)
The Presidents (on Disney's Educational Channel on youtube)

GEORGE WASHINGTON:

JOHN ADAMS:

THOMAS JEFFERSON:

JAMES MADISON:

JAMES MONROE:

MILKING A COW:

SHEEP SORRELS:

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a tall herb that is found in grasslands, prairies, meadows, fields, pastures, and roadsides of Europe, Asia, and North America. This perennial plant from the buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family was originally from Eurasia, but is now naturalized throughout Canada and the United States. Sheep sorrel is also known as field sorrel, red top sorrel, sour grass, common sorrel, and dog-eared sorrel. The plant is related to other highly acidic members of the Rumex genus, including French or garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa). You can read more here.

TAKING CARE OF CHICKENS:

LOUISIANA PURCHASE:

HOW TO MAKE LEMONADE:

Tour of Our Little House Log Cabin

2010-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

The girls looove to play "Little House" and have turned our upstairs loft area into their "log cabin". They decorated it like it was back in the pioneer days complete with lace, simple table settings and quilts. "M" is the responsible, older sister, Mary, and "A" is the spirited, younger sister, Laura, who apparently is currently sick with Scarlett Fever :-O "Little House" music is playing in the background from our "Prairie Primer" blog and they are having so much fun! Here's a tour of their "work"...

The Long Winter - Week 4

2010-01-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Fascinator - A woman's head scarf made of net or lace

WIND:

PSALM 61:1-2
Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

PHILIPPIANS 4:11, 13 and 19
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

PSALM 146:7
He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free...

PSALM 37:25
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

MATTHEW 6:8-13
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

The Long Winter - Week 3

2010-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

MILLING WHEAT:

What is the difference between whole wheat flour and refined white flour?

White flour has had the inner husk or bran and the germ (the seed) parts removed so that just the starch contents of the wheat remain.

Whole wheat flour has all these ground into the flour, so has more fibre and nutrients. It also has a little more oil, (such as the wheat bran oil), and therefore has a shorter shelf life.

Whole wheat flour requires a little more moisture to be added to recipes when used instead of refined/plain/white wheat flour because the bran absorbs some moisture.

HOW TO MAKE A BUTTON LAMP:

CRAFT FICTION! (Projects from the Classics)

Mother Bird's Blog

How to Make an Oil Lamp

McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader, by William Holmes McGuffey, can be read on-line here.

TUBAL-CAIN:

tu'-bal-kan (tubhal qayin): One of the sons of Lamech (Genesis 4:22). He is a brother of Jabal and Jubal, who appear to have been the founders of several industries and articles The text (loTesh kol choresh nechosheth u-bharzel) has been the cause of endless dispute. Holzinger and Gunkel hold that laTash was a marginal gloss to charash, and that, as in Genesis 4:20 and 21, there stood before kal originally hu hayah 'abhi. This would make Tubal-cain the founder of the metal industry, and place him in a class similar to that of his brothers. The Septuagint, however, has no equivalent of qayin. This omission leads Dillmann, Wellhausen, and others to the position that "Tubal" originally stood alone, and qayin, being a later addition, was translated "smith." Many commentators identify Tubal with the Assyrian Tubal, a people living Southwest of the Black Sea; in later times they were called "Tibareni" (Ezekiel 27:13). Tubal may be the eponymous ancestor of these people, whose principal industry seems to have been the manufacture of vessels of bronze and iron.

FROSTBITE:

The Long Winter - Week 2

2010-01-11T05:49:00.000-08:00

Check the sunrise and sunset times in your state here.

WIND CHILL FACTOR - Still-air temperature that would have the same cooling effect on exposed skin as a given combination of temperature and wind speed. As the wind speed increases, the wind chill equivalent temperature decreases; e.g., an air temperature of 30 °F ( – 1.1 °C) with a wind speed of 20 mph (32.2 kph) produces a wind chill of 17 °F ( – 8 °C). Wind chill is often included in weather reports to describe how cold it feels.

LIGHT DEPRIVATION:

What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Light Up Your Life

Shedding Some Light on the Winter Blues

FUEL:

Automobile Choices and Alternative Fuels (PBS)

Cool Fuel Technology and Lesson Plans

Renewable Energy Activities - Choices for Tomorrow

NUTRITION:

The Long Winter - Week 1

2010-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

HOMESTEAD ACT OF 1862:

The Homestead Act of 1862 was passed by the U.S. Congress. It provided for the transfer of 160 acres (65 hectares) of unoccupied public land to each homesteader on payment of a nominal fee after five years of residence; land could also be acquired after six months of residence at $1.25 an acre. The government had previously sold land to settlers in the West for revenue purposes. As the West became politically stronger, however, pressure was increased upon Congress to guarantee free land to settlers. Several bills providing for free distribution of land were defeated in Congress; in 1860 a bill was passed in Congress but was vetoed by President Buchanan. With the ascendancy of the Republican party (which had committed itself to homestead legislation) and with the secession of the South (which had opposed free distribution of land), the Homestead Act, sponsored by Galusha A. Grow, became law. In 1976 it expired in all the states but Alaska, where it ended in 1986. See the actual Act here.

MEDICINAL USES OF GINGER:

Info from the Univ. of Maryland Medical Center

Natural Herbs Guide

GourmetSleuth.com

Ginger Water Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 quart cold water
ice
serving pitcher
gingeral ale, optional

Directions:
In a bowl, dissolve the sugar and powdered ginger together with the vinegar.
Pour into the cold water and stir well.
Add ice to a serving pitcher, add the ginger water mixture, and stir well.
Enjoy!
You can drink it chilled as it is, or you can mix it with ginger ale added to your preference.

EXERCISE:

Adults and children need three types of exercise to build a strong body:

1. Cardiovascular: Exercise experts call this aerobic exercise. Aerobic is just a fancy word for "with oxygen", and simply means that you are getting your heart rate up. Exercising in this way makes your body's heart and large muscles stronger.

How Much? The very latest evidence suggests that kids need about 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. For adults, at least 4 days a week, if not daily.

What Types? Soccer, basketball, football, tennis, hockey, and other sports you play and practice; cycling, walking, running, swimming, canoeing, skating, roller blading, skipping, playing hopscotch, skiing, snowboarding, dancing, jumping rope, to name a few...

2. Stretching: Staying flexible is one way to avoid getting strains and sprains when active. It's easy, you can even stretch while watching television. Always stretch before and after any activity, so that muscles stay relaxed. That means fewer injuries and a better workout. Some activities can actually make you more flexible, including yoga, ballet, gymnastics, tumbling and martial arts, such as tai chi and karate.

Everyone should participate in flexibility building activities 4 to 7 times a week.

3. Strengthening: You are absolutely right if you think that stronger muscles are good for your health. Muscle building activities should be included in your workouts at least 2 to 4 days a week. While most people associate weight lifting with strength training, beware - for children, weight lifting is not recommended! Instead, try: push-ups, sit-ups, dips, knee bends, throwing, pulling and pushing (like vacuuming). Building strong muscles makes it easier to do just about anything. Plus, an added bonus, muscle mass is more metabolically active, so the more you have, the more efficiently the body uses calories for fuel.

Fit Kids at Kaboose.com

Fitness and Exercise at Kids.gov

Why Exercise is Cool

NOCTURNAL - belonging to or active during the night

SAMUEL MORSE:

EARTH ROTATION:

Lesson Plans from NASA
Common Misconceptions about Day and Night, Seasons
Lesson Plans from EnchantedLearning.com

BLUE BONNETS OVER THE BORDER:

Precipitation - Rain, snow, hail, or sleet.

Precipitation Coloring Sheet
On-line Meteorology Guide
Definitions of Precipitation
Water Cycle Lapbook

INDIAN SUMMER - an informal expression given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, typically in late October or early November, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost but before the first snowfall.

BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE CREEK:

By the Shores of Silver Lake - Week 4

2009-12-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Root Cellar — A room or large hole dug into the ground used for food storage during pioneer times. A root cellar kept food cool and fresh for long periods of time before refrigerators were invented.

The Return of Root Cellars

Pioneer Farm Cooking

Root Cellar Basics

Shelter on the Western Frontier

SLOUGH:

slough (n.)

1.any outer covering that can be shed or cast off (such as the cast-off skin of a snake)

2.a stagnant swamp (especially as part of a bayou)

3.a hollow filled with mud

4.necrotic tissue; a mortified or gangrenous part or mass

slough (v.)

1.cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers"our dog sheds every Spring"

synonyms

slough (n.)

gangrene, pool of mud, puddle, quagmire, sphacelus

slough (v.)

exuviate, lose hair, moult, shed, molt (American)

Sloo and Slough on Beyond Little House

OLD BUILDINGS IN OWASSO, OKLAHOMA:

Komma Building

Owasso Historical Museum

Owasso Historical Society

Owasso Historical Museum Newsletters

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE UNITED STATES:

Architecture of the United States

History of Architecture (Written in 1848)

How to Check the History of a Building

Periods and Styles

TIMBER CULTURE ACT: An 1870s weather hypothesis suggested that growing timber increased humidity and perhaps rainfall. Plains country residents urged the Federal Government to encourage tree planting in that area, believing trees would improve the climate. Also, 1870 government land regulations dictated that home seekers in Kansas, Nebraska, and Dakota could acquire only 320 acres of land. To encourage tree planting and increase the acreage open to entry, Congress passed the Timber Culture Act in 1873, declaring that 160 acres of additional land could be entered by settlers who would devote forty acres to trees. Some 10 million acres were donated under this act, but fraud prevented substantive tree growth. The act was repealed in 1891.

COTTONWOOD TREES:

Coloring Page of a Cottonwood Tree

Facts and Information

Great Plains Nature Center

Legend of the Cottonwood Tree Star

By the Shores of Silver Lake - Week 3

2009-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

HOW TO MAKE RECYCLED GIFTS:

12 Awesome Recycled Crafts for Kids

Kinder Art From Recycled Materials

Recycled Crafts

Recycled Crafts From FamilyCorner.com

Recycled Crafts From FreeKidsCrafts.com

Reusing Materials to Make New Crafts

WRISTLET - A small bag with a thin strap intended to dangle from the wrist

DRIED APPLESAUCE - Put 1 quart dried apples to soak. Let stand two hours. Pour off water; put in earthen vessel, cover with water, Boil slowly and add hot water as needed; when nearly done slice one lemon in, not allowing seeds to get in, and sweeten to taste.

LOUIS BRAILLE:

Braille Bug Site

Louis Braille Biography

Louis Braille on EnchantedLearning.com

GREENHORN - n. An inexperienced or immature person, especially one who is easily deceived.
A newcomer, especially one who is unfamiliar with the ways of a place or group.

ELEMENTS OF A STORY:

Downloadable Graphic Organizers

Elements of Literature at pppst.com

Graphic Organizers at EnchantedLearning.com

Interactive Elements of a Story

THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME:

Pioneer Christmas Links

2009-12-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Pioneer Days

Christmas in the Old West

Heart Shaped Christmas Cake Recipe

How to Have a "Little House on the Prairie" Christmas

Kirsten's Winter Stars On-line Game (from AmericanGirl.com)

Little House Christmas Items for Sale

Pioneer Christmas Crafts (book by Scholastic)

Pioneer Christmas Internet Links

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE/CHRISTMAS ON PLUM CREEK:

By the Shores of Silver Lake - Week 2

2009-12-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Dump Wagons:

HOW TO BUILD A RAILROAD:

BIRD MIGRATION:

POLKA DANCING:

By the Shores of Silver Lake - Week 1

2009-11-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

US STATES AND CAPITALS:

On-line Games That Teach the States & Capitals
Capital Catch Game
United States Map Puzzle
Where Is That? On-line Game

BACTERIA:

Note to Parents: This video talks about HIV/AIDS and how you can contract it.

PIONEERS "MEETING THE ELEPHANT"
(a term used by westward emigrants to mean encountering the worst conditions possible):

Illnesses and Hazards That the Emigrants Faced
Penicillin Lesson Plans
President's Children of the 1800's Who Had Serious Diseases

Measles:

Vaccines:

HUMAN BODY:

EYESIGHT:

COW'S EYE DISSECTION:

OKLAHOMA HISTORY:

Teaching Oklahoma History (Cindy Downes)
Mr.Donn's Oklahoma Lesson Plans
Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities about Oklahoma
Oklahoma at EnchantedLearning.com

FANNY CROSBY:

UNCLE SAM'S FARM:

On the Banks of Plum Creek - Week 4

2009-11-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

BEAVERS:

Beavers at EnchantedLearning.com
Eager Beaver Coloring Page

HEAT:

LIGHTNING:

BALL LIGHTNING:

BEAN PORRIDGE HOT GAME:

PUSS IN THE CORNER GAME:
All that is needed to play this game is four corners (four trees will work) and five players. Four of the players stand, one in each corner. The fifth player or "pussycat" stands in the middle. The pussycat says, "Puss, Puss wants a corner," and all of the players, including the pussycat, hurry to a different corner. Whoever does not make it to a corner before they are all taken becomes the pussycat. You can play this game with more than 5 players; just be sure that there is one more player than there are corners or trees!

CAT'S CRADLE GAME:

How to Make Cat's Cradle (Illustrations)

LIFE OF NOAH WEBSTER:

SONGS THAT PA USED TO SING AND PLAY ON THE FIDDLE...

WEEVILY WHEAT:

LILLY DALE:

On the Banks of Plum Creek - Week 3

2009-11-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

VOCABULARY: (1828 Webster's Dictionary)

belfry

BEL'FRY, n. [L. belfredus.]
1. Among military writers of the middle age, a tower erected by besiegers to overlook the place besieged, in which sentinels were placed to watch the avenues, and to prevent surprise from parties of the enemy, or to give notice of fires,by ringing a bell.
2. That part of a steeple,or other building, in which a bell is hung, and more particularly, the timer work which sustains it.

cravat

CRAVAT, n. A neck-cloth; a piece of fine muslin or other cloth worn by men about the neck.

ROCKS AND SOIL:

CAR SAFETY RULES:

Auto Safety from KidsHealth.org

Riding Rules for Tots and Teens

Rules for the Ride

HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC:

American Folk Music

Popular Songs in American History

FIRE SAFETY:

Staying Alive: The Great Escape
Fire and Life Safety Brochures and Pamphlets
Fire Safety for Kids
FireSafety.gov
Smokey Bear

On the Banks of Plum Creek - Week 2

2009-10-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE SPIN TOY:

Great Toy from Button Homemade - For more funny movies, click here

LEECHES:

BLUE HERON:

Blue Heron Facts at EnchantedLearning.com

Little House Vanity Cakes
from the Little House Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 lbs Lard (for frying)
1 large egg
1 pinch Salt
1/2 cup Flour
Powdered sugar

Preparation:
Use large fryer to produce depth of 3", heat lard to 350* F.
In bowl beat egg & salt for a full minute.
Beat in 1/4 cup flour, a tablespoon at a time, until batter is too stiff for beating but too soft to roll out.
Cover a dinner plate with flour.
With a teaspoon, spoon batter onto plate in 6 separate portions.
With knife turn each over to flour, then drop into hot fat.
Aim for limp but compact dough mass that will not string out when it leaves the knife.
Cook each cake for at least 3 1/2 minutes, during which time it may need help in turning.
If it darkens too quickly, fat is too hot.
Drain cakes on paper & dust with sugar.

SCHOOL VS. EDUCATION (Meanings of according to the Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

SCHOOL, n. [L. schola; Gr. leisure, vacation from business, lucubration at leisure, a place where leisure is enjoyed, a school. The adverb signifies at ease, leisurely, slowly, hardly, with labor or difficulty. I think, must have been derived from the Latin. This word seems originally to have denoted leisure, freedom from business, a time given to sports, games or exercises, and afterwards time given to literary studies. the sense of a crowd, collection or shoal, seems to be derivative.]
1. A place or house in which persons are instructed in arts, science, languages or any species of learning; or the pupils assembled for instruction. In American usage, school more generally denotes the collective body of pupils in any place of instruction, and under the direction and discipline of one or more teachers. Thus we say, a school consists of fifty pupils. The preceptor has a large school, or a small school. His discipline keeps the school well regulated and quiet.
2. The instruction or exercises of a collection of pupils or students, or the collective body of pupils while engaged in their studies. Thus we say, the school begins or opens at eight o'clock, that is, the pupils at that hour begin their studies. so we say, the teacher is now in school, the school hours are from nine to twelve, and from two to five.
3. The state of instruction.
Set him betimes to school.
4. A place of education, or collection of pupils, of any kind; as the schools of the prophets. In modern usage, the word school comprehends every place of education, as university, college, academy, common or primary schools, dancing schools, riding schools, &c.; but ordinarily the word is applied to seminaries inferior to universities and colleges.
What is the great community of christians, but one of the innumerable schools in the vast plan, which God has instituted for the education of various intelligences?
5. Separate denomination or sect; or a system of doctrine taught by particular teachers, or peculiar to any denomination of christians or philosophers.
Let no man be less confident in his faith - by reason of any difference in the several schools of christians -
Thus we say, the Socratic school, the Platonic school, the Peripatetic or Ionic school; by which we understand all those who adopted and adhered to a particular system of opinions.
6. The seminaries for teaching logic, metaphysics and theology, which were formed in the middle ages, and which were characterized by academical disputations and subtilties of reasoning; or the learned men who were engaged in discussing nice points in metaphysics or theology.
The supreme authority of Aristotle in the schools of theology as well as of philosophy -
Hence, school divinity is the divinity which discusses nice points, and proves every thing by argument.
7. Any place of improvement or learning. The world is an excellent school to wise men, but a school of vice to fools.

SCHOOL, v.t.
1. To instruct; to train; to educate.
He's gentle, never school'd, yet learn'd.
2. To teach with superiority; to tutor; to chide and admonish; to reprove.
School your child, and ask why God's anointed he revil'd.

EDUCA'TION, n. [L. educatio.] The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.

Little House on the Prairie Websites

2009-10-26T06:18:00.001-07:00

Laura Ingalls Wilder Biography Info

Laura Ingalls Wilder Website Index

Laura's Friends

Songs and Musical Memories Of Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Little House Timeline

The Official Site of Little House on the Prairie

Other Helpful Websites That Go Along With the Prairie Primer Curriculum:

Index of Lesson Activities to go with 'Little House on the Prairie' Books

Kath's Korner Little House on the Prairie Page

Little House in the Big Woods Lapbook

Little House in the Big Woods - Vocabulary and Lessons

Little House Lapbooks

National Wild Horse Adoption Day

Prairie Primer Planner

Prairie Primer Product Review

Prairie Primer Blog

Prairie Primer Links

Prairie Primer Page

Prairie Primer Support on Facebook

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

On the Banks of Plum Creek Lesson Plans

2009-10-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Literature: "On the Banks of Plum Creek" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Learning with Little House: "On the Banks of Plum Creek" Trivia

On the Banks of Plum Creek Chapter Guide

Prairie Primer/On the Banks of Plum Creek - Week 1

2009-10-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS:

KidsBiology.com

Animal Classes at Kidzone.ws

Classification of Animals On-Line Game

BrainPOP.com

Animal Kingdom's 2 Main Groups

Power Point Presentation on Animal Classification

Vertebrates at BrainPOP.com

Invertebrates at BrainPOP.com

Animal Classification On-Line Game

Animals of the World On-Line Game

GRASSHOPPERS:

Grasshopper Links at EnchantedLearning.com

Weather's Effect on Grasshopper Populations
Grasshopper Plague

"Hurt No Living Thing" Poem

Hurt no living thing:

Ladybird nor butterfly,

Nor moth with dusty wing,

Nor cricket chirping cheerily,

Nor grasshopper so light of leap,

Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,

Nor harmless worms that creep

WATER PURIFICATION:

The Importance Of Water Purification To The World
Water Purification Lesson Plans
Dirty Water Science Experiment

WEEPING WILLOW TREES:

Care of Willow Trees
Willow Trees at EnchantedLearning.com

METHODS OF HEAT TRANSFER:
Conduction, Convection and Radiation
Heat Transfer and Efficiency at BBC

BUTTERFLIES:

Butterfly Links at Kid's National Geographic Magazine On-Line
Butterflies at EnchantedLearning.com
Butterfly Lesson Plans

Scholastic Answers Your Butterfly Questions

WATER SAFETY:

BADGERS:

Badgers at EnchantedLearning.com
Badgers at CyberSleuth.com
Badger On-Line Quiz

Do You Want To Be a Badger?

WHEAT:

Wheat - From the Field to You (On-line presentation)
Wheat Lesson Plans

PILGRIMS' FIRST THANKSGIVING:

The First Thanksgiving at Scholastic.com
Thanksgiving Activities at EnchantedLearning.com
Thanksgiving Lesson Plans at A to Z Teacher Stuff

Prairie Primer/Little House on the Prairie - Week 4

2009-10-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

SAND CREEK MASACRE

PIONEERS AND WESTWARD EXPANSION
Tons of great links at Kidinfo.com
Power Point Presentations
Western Expansion with Mr. Donn
The West by PBS

VIDEOS RELATED TO LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

Prairie Primer/Little House on the Prairie - Week 3

2009-10-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

CHICKEN POX

What Is Chickenpox?
Chickenpox Overview at Web MD
Pictures of Chickenpox

NATIVE AMERICAN FOOD

Foods & Recipes of Native Americans
Guts and Grease: The Diet of Native Americans
Lifestyle of the Plains Indians

TREES

Trees at Enchanted Learning
Tree Lesson Plans at A to Z Teacher Stuff
American Field Guide: PBS Tree Videos
Trees Sprout Classroom Lessons Throughout the Year

FOXES

Foxes at Enchanted Learning
Can Animals Be Nice?
Preschool Fox Activities

BEAVERS

Beavers at Enchanted Learning
Beaver Lesson Plans
Beaver Badminton On-Line Game

MUSKRATS

Muskrats at Enchanted Learning
Facts About Muskrats
More Facts About Muskrats

MINKS

Minks at Wikipedia
Minks at Enchanted Learning
Minks at e-Nature

PANTHERS

Panthers at Enchanted Learning

Prairie Primer/Little House on the Prairie - Week 2

2009-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

MULES

Grand Canyon Mule Rides
Raising Mules
What Is A Mule?
Mule Characteristics
Mule Facts
Mules at A to Z Animals

MALARIA & MOSQUITOES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mosquitoes at Enchanted Learning
Stop Malaria - Donate a Mosquito Net

WOLVES

Wolf Printouts at Enchanted Learning
Wolves at National Geographic Magazine
Wolves at Nova
Wolves at the Wild Ones

SNAKES

Snakes at Backyard Nature for Kids
Snake Printouts at Enchanted Learning
Snake Safari at National Geographic Magazine for Kids
Facts About Rattlesnakes

NATIVE AMERICAN LIFESTYLES

Life Style Photos
Native American Facts for Kids
Native American Indian Lesson Plan Links

THE SUN

Sun Printouts at Enchanted Learning
Sun Proof by the CDC
Sun Wise Kids

Prairie Primer/Little House on the Prairie - Week 1

2009-10-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Mustangs

Horse Lesson Booklet
Horse Lesson Plan Resources
Horse Facts
Horses at Kid's Farm
2,029 Horse Lesson Plans
Horses at Enchanted Learning

HOW TO MAKE MOLASSES

Tim Thrift "Making Molasses" from Macrosystem on Vimeo.

NATIVE AMERICANS/OSAGE INDIANS

Activities to Celebrate Native American Heritage!
Osage Nation
Osage Indian Fact Sheet for Kids
Native Americans Graphic Organizer Worksheet with Map
Native American Crafts for Kids
Odell Borg's Native American Flute Lessons

HEALTH HAZARDS OF CHEWING TOBACCO

PRAIRIE ART

Phoenix Gallery

Little House on the Prairie Art Project Ideas

Purple Prairie Art Gallery

SIMPLE MACHINES

Levers at Enchanted Learning
6 Simple Machines
Machines for Kids
Simple Machines at Kid's Connect

BLOOD AND CIRCULATION

Prairie Primer/Little House in the Big Woods - Week 4

2009-10-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

California Gold Rush

Women in the Gold Rush

Fun Facts About the Gold Rush

Gold Rush Lesson Plans

Gold - From the Mine To You (Lesson Plans)

The History of Gold is the History of the World

Fun Activities That Teach Children About Gold

The Many Uses of Gold

We are finishing up reading Little House in the Big Woods this week. For the past four weeks, we have been working on activities that will go into a Little House in the Big Woods lapbook. Here's a video that explains how we put it together and I'll post pictures of our finished product soon!

We had a great time with this book and we look forward to reading the next one!

Beautiful Day To Do School Outside!

2009-10-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

We had such BeAuTiFuL weather today, we just had to do our schoolwork outside!

Mom's work station :-)

The girlz school desk...
Doing a math project sorting & counting M&M's...
Of course, eating a few, too...
Our Science Curriculum is Apologia Zoology 3. We are learning about habitats and how when animals are camouflaged with their fur or skin, they are harder for prey to find. So we conducted a science experiment camouflaging M&M's in a matching color habitat of construction paper. We discovered the M&M's were more difficult to find if they matched their surroundings.
Then we made Corncob Dolls like what Laura Ingall's used to make and play with.
First we took a corn on the cob...
and took off the husks and silk...
We set the husks and silk aside for later...
Then we scraped off the corn with a sharp knife...
After that, we put the silk on top of the cob for hair, made a face on one of the husks & wrapped it over the "head" and "hair". Then we wrapped them in bandanas. They turned out pretty cute...

The girlz had so much fun playing with the dolls they made. Thank you, God, for this beautiful weather! We love doing school outside :-)

Prairie Primer/Little House in the Big Woods - Week 3

2009-10-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

We read this week in Little House in the Big Woods that Ma made homemade cheese so we watched a video on how to make cheese...

We also read that Pa harvested honey from bees so we learned about harvesting honey...

Here's a few more topics we studied about this week...

The Moon

The Moon @ Enchanted Learning
Data Record - Moon Observation
Moon Crossword Puzzle
Shape Book - If I Lived On The Moon

Yellow Jackets

Yellow Jackets at Enchanted Learning
How To Treat a Yellow Jacket Sting
Yellow Jackets at Wikipedia

Ma weaved straw hats for her family so we watched a video of women from Ecuador that have perfected this craft...

How To Make Your Own Straw Hat
Cowboy Straw Hats
Cousin Ed's Straw Hat

OATS

Eat More Oats
Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder
Quaker Oats (Recipes and More)
Health Benefits of Oats

And last but not least, we learned how to make Johnny cakes, similar to what Ma used to make...

Video on About.com
Pioneer Cooking at Easy Fun School
History of Johnny Cakes

Prairie Primer/Little House in the Big Woods - Week 2

2009-10-26T05:40:00.002-07:00

Pa's grandfather made his own maple syrup. Here is a video about making maple syrup...

How To Make Maple Syrup

The Ingalls girls loved to hear Pa playing his fiddle. We listened to fiddle and folk music on pandora.com by searching for "Old Man Tucker" - a favorite song sung by Pa.

Laura and Mary said this prayer every night. It reminds me of the prayer I used to say when I was little, too. My girlz memorized it when they were younger but have since forgotten it so we are re-learning it this week.
Pa kept a loaded gun above the doorway of his house so we studied about gun safety...

The Ingalls family went to a grand party at Pa's father's house where they had a great time eating and dancing. Being city girlz, I had to educate my girlz as to what square dancing was...

Children in pioneer days learned how to knit at a very young age. My girlz know how to crochet but I think they would like to learn how to knit, as well...

SKIN