Have you ever felt like you may have been born in the wrong century? I always wanted to be a pioneer girl. When I was growing up my favorite books were the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Then, in my early teens I was able to watch the Little House on the Prairie TV show.
When my daughters were in Kindergarten and third grade I found the Prairie Primer unit study by Margie Gray. I don’t know who was more excited to dig into it, myself or my girls!
In one year we traveled through all 9 of the Little House books…from the Big Woods of Wisconsin to De Smet, South Dakota…from about the time Laura was 4 years old to the First Four Years of Laura and Almonzo’s marriage. And all the joys and tears in between.
Margie has done a great job in incorporating all the things we love about unit studies into one of the most enjoyable, fascinating studies our family has ever done. The topics are interesting and varied. They range from: Bible Concepts and Building Character (Comparing Ourselves, God’s Umbrella of Protection, Struggle with Sin Nature…), Bible Memory (various verses), Crafts (Candle Making, Moccasin Making…), Health (Causes of Diseases, Effects of Tobacco and Alcohol, Food Groups, Rabies…), History, Government, Social Studies and Geography (American Folk Songs, Family History, Geographical Terms, Indians, Louisiana Purchase, Presidents, States and Capitals, Woman’s Suffrage…), History – Biographies (Clara Barton, Abraham Lincoln, Noah Webster…), Literature and Language Arts (Composition, Foreshadowing, Vocabulary…), Living (Cooking, Guns and Gun Safety…), Science (Bacteria and Viruses, Electricity, Simple Machines…), Science – Animal Kingdom (Animal Classification, Leeches, Grasshoppers…), Science – Human Body (Blood, Eyes, Genetics…). It’s a very full year!
This study is most appropriate for grades 3 – 6; but our family has done it twice…as mentioned above, our girls were in K and 3 the first year we did the study and in 4 and 7 the last time. It was quite easily adapted to lower or upper grades. Very easy to work with. When our girls were in the upper grades there was so much time that had passed, and since the subjects were covered more deeply, it seemed like a whole new study.
The Prairie Primer was by far one of our favorite studies.
Blessings from Ohio...Kim<><
thank you so much for this review! i have been wondering about it. i have heard there is a great deal of prep work for mom- is this true?
ReplyDeleteTami ~ I didn't think there was any more than any other unit study. We generally went to the library & got any books we needed, & shopped for any art/craft/cooking supplies we needed, once a month. Which is usually how long each unit lasts. But now, you can find so much more info on the internet that it will cut down any library time you may have had to do.
ReplyDeleteWe LOVED it!
Blessings, K<><
Kim that looks like it would be a very fun study, and I have seen most of the movies, but not the read all the books, that is neat, and would love that too, hugs, Barbara
ReplyDeleteI use to have this for my older kiddos and now have ordered it for my little man to do as well! You know what a Laura Ingalls nut I am! :-)
ReplyDelete((HUGS)))
How do you think this would work for a boy? My kids have both enjoyed the two Little House books I have shared w/them (Farmer Boy and On the Banks of Plum Creek were scheduled in our curriculum two school years ago). My daughter loves to pretend that she is Laura. I plan to do this when she's a little older (she's 6), but I'm wondering if it is something that will work for both kids. That always makes things a little easier. :)
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