Homeschool Lesson Plan Using the Little House on the Prairie Books

Children of all ages love to read or have read to them the adventures of Laura and her sisters Mary and Carrie along with her Ma, Pa and forget the faithful dog Jack, as they move westward in a covered wagon.

Whether your lesson plan or unit consists of one book or all of the Little House books there are many games and activities you can use to further your child's grasp of that far away era.

Activity One: Printable Covered Wagon

There are several websites online where you can download and print off a covered wagon picture such as this one at http://coloringbookfun.com/oldwest/imagepages/Covered%20Wagon.htm.

Have your child color it and then discuss what would be most important to take with them in a wagon since space was very limited. What would they have to leave behind?

Activity Two: Word Scramble

Armoredpenguin.com has free word search and word scramble games. Just add the words such as wagon, prairie, creek etc and it creates the puzzle for you. Terrific for kids second grade age and above.

Activity Three: Make Butter

Kids love this activity. Using a clean glass jar that has a lid that screws on tightly add approximately 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (whole milk will not work). Have the children take turns shaking the jar. Vigorous shaking is necessary but within a few minutes the changes will become obvious as butter begins to form. Continue shaking the jar until a large lump of butter has formed in the jar. Open the jar and pour off the remaining liquid (this is where buttermilk comes from) and spread the butter on bread or crackers. It might smell odd but tastes delicious.

Activity Four: Journal Entry

This activity is best for older children to do on their own. Younger children can dictate to you individually or as a group. Have them imagine what life would be like for them in Walnut Grove or on the prairie and then create a journal entry describing it.

Activity Five: Good and Bad

Have the child or children discuss (or write out) what would have been better about living in Laura's time. What would have been worse? Was life harder back then? More exciting? More dangerous?

These books are classics and The Little House on the Prairie was even a popular television show from the fall of 1974 to the spring of 1983. It is based on the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote nine books in the Little House series which are:

Little House in the Big Woods

Farmer Boy

Little House on the Prairie

On the Banks of Plum Creek

By the Shores of Silver Lake

Little Town on the Prairie

The Long Winter

These Happy Golden Years

The First Four Years