Posted by Cindy on June 26, 2009
Don’t ever call me completely punctual. We studied early pioneers and settlers of Kentucky at the beginning of last school year. A trip to Fort Boonesborough – the first pioneer settlement in KY – was planned then, but we never made it. My children never fear, though – eventually I tend to fulfill my promises. 
You can learn more about Fort Boonesborough at:
Kentucky State Parks
Fort Boonesborough Living History
Fort Boonesborough Foundation
We had a great time touring the fort, watching an action-packed film, visiting with reinactors and taking a walk down to the beach located on the KY River. Field trips are worth their weight in gold!
Outside the fort
Inside the fort
Learning to start a fire
Caleb’s favorite part – the jail
Visiting with Daniel Boone to get our land deed
A view of the beach
Posted by Cindy on February 21, 2009
Well, time flies! We finished off our Westward Expansion unit with a “project week”. On Monday, I gave the kids a test and a project list, both of which were to be completed by Friday. I don’t always give tests, but I like to surprise them once in a while with new methods of assessment. As for projects, Caleb had to choose three to complete and present, while Mahayla had to choose four. Besides math and a little grammar and reading, projects were the only things on the schooling agenda.
(I’m not sure my links show up very well, so I wanted to point out that you can access my test and project list at hslaunch. Run your mouse over those words in the paragraph above and they will link to the files.)
Here’s what the kids came up with. As usual, I’m not only pleased, but very surprised at their ingenuity and eagerness to do a good job. Give ‘em and inch and they’ll take a mile – that’s a good thing in this case!
Mahayla had to choose four projects. She couldn’t decide, so chose to complete five instead. (Next time I complain, remind me of this!)
A diorama and file folder report on Lewis and Clark
A quilt square. She researched pioneer quilt squares on the internet and came up with this one named “Oh Suzanna”. She completed the entire quilt square from start to finish without any help from me. Not bad for a first timer, huh? My granny would be so proud!
A five page report on Sam Houston, who happens to be in our family line. She had to interview my mom who has done extensive geneology research, and had to find information on her own.
A cowboy meal of chili and homemade crackers.
Homemade Crackers
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cube butter
1/4 c milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Use fork to mash butter in until it looks like crumbs. Add milk and stir until dough forms a ball. Sprinkle flour on counter and roll dough into a flat rectangle with a rolling pin. Use a knife to cut the dough into small squares. Place onto a greased cookie sheet and poke holes into the crackers with a fork. Bake for 9 minutes. Makes about 24 crackers.
And she was Flying Sparrow in their original play entitled “Cowboy and Indian”. It was complete with five scenes, a playbill and a script!
Caleb had to choose three projects. In his usual fashion, he chose projects that required lots of hands-on and little writing. That’s okay, though, because he was still required to give a presentation about the projects. Even with very little writing, the information he gleaned and presented was very good.
A model of the Lewis and Clark keelboat.
A model of the corner watchtower from a fort that might have been set up along one of the trails west. He said he would have built the whole fort, but ran out of Lincoln Logs!
And he was Jeremiah (with a great country accent) in their play “Cowboy and Indian”. As you can see, the play ended rather sadly. Jeremiah and Flying Sparrow couldn’t find a better way to solve their conflict except through the use of guns. Maybe we watch too many Gunsmoke episodes on Sunday afternoons?
Posted by Cindy on February 16, 2009
We’re nearing the end of our Westward Expansion unit, so I’m moving the resources from my sidebar into a post for future reference. I’ll be adding Slavery and Civil War resources to the side bar over the next few days.
My Spine – Amanda Bennett Pioneers Unit
Research Questions
Teacher Planet Links
Louisiana Purchase Game
Lewis and Clark Lessons
Lewis and Clark Mapping Activities
Easy Fun School Lewis and Clark Unit
Easy Fun School Santa Fe Trail Unit
Easy Fun School Gold Rush Unit
Posted by Cindy on January 4, 2009
Our Pioneer unit will soon be underway! I thought I’d share some of our plans as I try to get my thoughts organized.
I’ve added some links, activity books and literature books that I plan to use for our Pioneer Unit in my sidebar – scroll pretty far down.
Here’s the rest of the plan….
Daily
Copywork Quotes from Amanda Bennett’s Pioneers
Timeline and Map work
Reading/Research
Work on one or more projects (project ideas below) and/or work on a hands-on project from Westward Ho!, Pioneer Days or Wild West Days
Order of Learning – most of the outline comes from Amanda Bennett’s Pioneers, I have noted when I added something with an *.
Daniel Boone – pioneer, frontier boundaries after Revolutionary War, Wilderness Road, Northwest Ordinance
Thomas Jefferson – Louisiana Purchase
Lewis and Clark – Northwest Passage, plants and animals discovered (nature journals), geographic barriers, cartography, map of Native American tribes across N. America
Sacagawea – conestoga wagons, Monroe Doctrine, fur trade, Oregon Fever (*use some of the Sacagawea unit)
*War of 1812 – America & Great Britain, disagreement over shipping & trade on seas – Embargo Act, Henry Clay, fought in America & Canada, Star Spangled Banner, Treaty of Ghent
Jedediah Smith – Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail (*use bits and pieces of Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail units)
Davy Crockett – prairie schooner, Jason Lee, Independence Rock
*Trail of Tears – Indian Removal Act, Andrew Jackson, Cherokee history
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) – six states created from 1816-1821, wagon groupings, Pony Express
*The Battle of the Alamo – some of Alamo unit
*Oklahoma Land Run – some of Oklahoma Land Run unit
*Chisolm Trail and Cowboys – some of Chisolm Trail unit, Buffalo Bill, Ben Holladay, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickock
Potential Projects
Choose one major pioneer to research and complete a biography project.
Choose one major westward expansion movement or event and create a presentation project.
Interview grandma (who is very much into our family’s history) about a pioneer relative. Put together a book including the story behind the person with pictures if able.
Plan and prepare for a “no electricity day”.
Prepare a book report on assigned chapter book.
As usual, I’ll be sharing bits and pieces of the unit as we go along. As my blog’s title says, we’re just about ready to go on “Our Journey Westward”!
