Prairie Life Week Three
Reading:
Read or listen to chapter three of Little House in the Big Woods.
Copywork, dictation or recitation:
Copy the quote above for this week.
Setting the table and manners:
Manners were important in Laura’s time even if they lived a simple life. Children were expected to be respectful and helpful. Find the information on setting the table and old fashioned manners versus today in Prairie Life.
Watch this video on traditional table setting.
The Long Rifle:
Laura goes into great detail in describing how pa melts lead and forms his bullets. Keeping his gun clean and having bullets ready is vital to their survival in the woods. Laura said that it was important to kill any animal on the first shot or it might kill you. She wasn’t worried that Pa would ever miss.
The photo above was my grandfather’s leather pouch he made from deer hide. The bullets he poured and molded similar to Pa. My grandfather loved anything to do with living off the land and pioneer days. I was fortunate to learn many things from him and be able to share this heirloom with my boys. Share with us in the comments if you have items from family members from pioneer days or made to replicate those times.
I found two videos showing you the way Pa would have made his bullets. The first video explains the process better and the second video is in a primitive scene and uses a ladle to melt as Pa did.
Music:
Arkansas Traveler was a popular tune in the late 1800’s. Pa liked to play it on his fiddle. Listen to how the tune goes.
Recipes:
Rye n Injun bread was a staple in the Ingalls home. Their bread would have used cornmeal instead of rye. The word Injun would have come from the Native Americans who introduced corn. This bread dates back to the first New England colonists whose only grain was rye that they brought from England. Later wheat flour would have been added when available. This bread is still cooked today but is better known by Boston Brown Bread and often cooked in tin cans steamed in the oven. Ma’s recipe was time-consuming because it took all night to cook or all day. We made this bread here at The Giles Frontier and let’s just say 3 out of 4 people did not care for it. Grant loved it and he wanted me to include this recipe in Prairie Life for those of you who are brave enough to give it a whirl.
Animals:
Owls- The story of Pa and the owl is a funny story. It is also about obedience and why we should listen to the direction of our parents. When we disobey, we can get into trouble quickly.
[pullquote align=”normal”]”A big boy nine years old is old enough to remember to mind.” [/pullquote]
Use the notebook page to guide you in studying owls.
Use the cut and paste idea for younger students.
Dissecting an owl pellet can be an amazing science experiment. Join Grayson and Grant as they dissect one.
A good guide sheet for identifying bones is HERE.
Homemade products:
Ma made all of the products they used for cleaning, eating, and personal care. I am sure she had a remedy for dry skin and lips. We will do a simple recipe for a lip balm that you can do at home. Watch the video in the heading of this lesson. Print your recipe HERE.
Field Trip:
Visit a local dairy. A commercial set up or a family farm will give you a chance to see how a dairy works.
Tell us about your field trip in the comments below.
