The Long Winter - Week 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dump Wagons:

HOW TO BUILD A RAILROAD:

BIRD MIGRATION:

POLKA DANCING:

By the Shores of Silver Lake - Week 1

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

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

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.