Unit Study: Little House in the Big Woods

 In December, we read Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, accompanied by a unit study from Hearth Magic. We got a glimpse of what pioneer life looked like, made some pioneer era foods and crafts, and listened to the music Laura and her family would have listened to. Pumpkin’s favorite activity was making johnny cakes for dinner one night, just like Ma Ingalls made. We discussed the differences between modern life and pioneer life, such as where food comes from. We chose different foods in our kitchen and made maps of their journeys to us. Below, Sweet Pea is seen cradling a sweet potato from our friend's farm while drawing the sweet potato's journey: from Rising Sun Acres right to our house. 

I also felt that this unit study was perfect for December, as many of the activities caused us to slow down and enjoy the season. Simple, pioneer-era activities helped to make the cold, dark December nights seem a little brighter.

We also learned about money by creating our own “general store.” 

We tied this unit into our previous unit by discussing how the Homestead Act of 1862 affected the Native nations we had previously learned about. Here's a poster Pumpkin made to advertise the Homestead Act.