Subject Matter Emphasis and Level:

We will be reading, and studying about an author, with 2^nd graders.

Brief Description of the Lesson:

We will be studying about Laura Ingalls Wilder, her life as a Pioneer, and as an author. We will be reading, discussing, and doing activities that go along with the book "On the Shores of Silver Lake."

Goals:

Ø To foster a love of reading

Ø To learn what an author is

Ø To make students aware of hardships faced by pioneers

Ø To give the students practice with writing skills

Ø To teach students technology skills

Content:

I will teach the children what an author does, and to appreciate the work of Laura In galls Wilder. We will learn what it was like for our ancestors, and how technology has changed things over the years. We will also enjoy reading and discussing a book that Laura wrote. The students will help make up the rubric that we will be using. They will also decide which of Pa’s songs we will sing, and which craft that they would like to do. I think that the students will be proud of what they learn and accomplish during this unit.

State Standards that we will meet:

 

Second Grade Reading Standards:

1) explain major elements in text to form an understanding of stories and other materials. (example: theme, main idea, problem/solution)

2) describe cause and effect relationships in various text. (example: why, what if, how, when)

3) describe the role and contribution of authors and illustrators to print materials. identify resources which provide factual information. locate and paraphrase information within text to answer questions.

Second Grade Writing Standards:

4) use correct grammar in a variety of sentence structures.

5) use appropriate vocabulary and descriptive words in written work.

6) use correct spelling of frequently used words in final copies.

7) use the writing process to generate various forms of writing. (example: notes, letters, stories)

8) use descriptive detail and a variety of sentence type use technology to share writing with others.

Second Grade Listening and Viewing Standards:

9) follow three and four step oral directions.

10) summarize main points presented with courtesy and respect when responding to others.

11) compare related information from different sources. (example: television, videos)

Second Grade Nature of Science Standards:

12) investigate scientific contributions made by people everywhere in the world.

Second Grade Physical Science Standards:

13) explain how heat can be produced in many ways

Second Grade Life Science Standards:

14) describe how seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surrounding. (example: migration, hibernation, camouflage, adaptation, dormancy)

Second Grade Earth/Space Science Standards :

15) describe how weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings.

Second Grade Science, Technology, Environment, and Society Standards:

16) describe how technology contributes to solving problems.

17) explain how technology is applied to daily life.

18) analyze the impact and interactions of human activities on the environment.

19) explain scientific findings which have generated solutions to various environmental and social concerns. (example: water pollution, fire hazards, malnutrition)

Second Grade Algebra Standards:

20) solve addition and subtraction problems using numberlines

Second Grade Measurement Standards:

21) order events by time sequence; past, future, and equivalent periods of time.

22) use $, cent symbol, and decimal point appropriately when working with money.

23) select an appropriate standard or non-standard unit to measure various objects and substances

24) use appropriate tools and units of measure to solve problems.

25) use scales of length, weight, and volume within a measurement system

Second Grade Number Sense Standards:

26) identify the correct usage of decimal point for decimals and money.

Second Grade Algebra Standards:

27) solve addition and subtraction problems using numberlines.

 

Prior Learning, Interests, Misconceptions, and Conceptual Difficulties:

The student may have some difficulty understanding the timeline of Laura’s life, and the maps that go along with her travels. To address these issues, we will use a huge time line and the children will illustrate part of the time line to help them understand when things happened. I will also have pictures on the timeline that go along with that period of Laura’s life. We will map out the travels as we talk about them. We will also take a trip to De Smet so that we can see first hand where Laura lived.

Major Learning Activities:

Lesson 1:

We will have a discussion about authors.

We will read a letter from Laura written to children

Lesson 2

 

We will construct a timeline using a huge piece of freezer paper that will go along one whole wall of the classroom. The children will depict her wife with drawings of the major events in her life. I will add pictures to the outline also. We will discuss how many years lapsed between major events, and how old Laura was at the time of the events. I will have paper books with the titles of Laura’s books and the age that they depict Laura being written on each book to add to the timeline.

Lesson 3:

We will view a power point presentation about the life of Laura In galls Wilder, which I have constructed using 40 slides. I will have a big classroom map of the area that Laura’s family traveled, and the children will have small maps. As we view the power point we will mark in the family’s travels.

Lesson 4:

We will search www.walnutgrove.org on the Internet. Students will research about the pageant that is held in Walnut Grove. We will also look at picture that I took this year at the pageant in DeSmet. We will also visit http://webpage.marshall.edu/   . On this sight we will make a postcard to send to whomever we choose. We will be able to decide which of Laura’s houses that she lived in that we would like on our postcards. We will also visit http://www.searsportrait.com/storybook/schoolhouse_98_form.html  where we will insert our names etc. into a form and make a story about ourselves in a one-room schoolhouse.

Lesson 5:

We will fill in a then and now chart as we discuss the differences in transportation, housing, foods, costs, toys, and expectations of children. When we finish these we will put them in blank books shaped like a houses.

Lesson 6:

Using Story Book Weaver, students will compose a scene and story about what it would be like to have lived 100 years ago. What would they have liked about it? What would they have disliked?

Lesson 7:

We’ll look at Laura’s family tree and make family trees of our own. We will use the digital camera to insert pictures of ourselves. These will also go in our "Little House Books."

Lesson 8:

We will do a cross word puzzle found at

http://webpages.marshall.edu/~irby1/laura/frames.html 

About On The Shores of Silver Lake, and sing some of Pa’s favorite songs.

Lesson 9:

As a class, we will decide between making covered wagons, log houses, dioramas with paper dolls, weaving rugs, button lamps, beaded jewelry, quilts from wall paper, baby carries button string, or corncob dolls, such as the one that Laura had. We will do 2 or 3 of these activities as time permits.

Lesson 10:

We will make butter, bake cornbread, and enjoy an old fashioned feast.

Lastly, we will take a field trip to DeSmet, South Dakota. Here we will see how Laura lived, go to school in an old fashioned school house and ride in a wagon pulled by a team of horses!

Materials and Resources:

ü Postcards, and pamphlets that I purchased at DeSmet at the Ingalls homestead.

ü Laura’s Travels document

ü Rules For Teachers 1872 document

ü Copy of Ingalls Family Record in Ingalls Bible doc.

ü Laura Ingalls Wilder-timetable of her life document

ü All of the above documents were purchased in DeSmet.

ü A booklet of assorted materials that I received at the National Reading Conference.

ü My Little House Crafts Book.

ü My Book of Little House Paper Dolls

ü Pictures that I took at DeSmet.

ü The internet – sights listed above

ü The Laura Ingalls Wilder Frontier homepage

ü PowerPoint

ü Scanners

ü Computers

ü Storybook Weaver software

ü Twisted hay – purchased at DeSmet

ü Homemade soap – purchased at DeSmet

ü We advertise in our newsletter for any elderly community volunteers to come and talk to the students. We will also be asking to borrow any memorabilia that could be shared.

Assessment:

Technology will assist in our assessment because we will be doing our writing assignments on the computer. The children will be able to correct their mistakes to improve their grades.

 

To go to rubric

 

Management:

We will be discussing the book as a group while we read it in class. Most of the work will be done on an individual basis. The writing assignments will be completed in the Elementary computer lab. I have a volunteer that will assist with the students requiring extra help.

 

Supportive Services and Special Teacher Notes:

 

We have a wonderful Technology Coordinator that I have already visited with. He, and our new elementary computer teacher will assist me with any technological difficulties. I will have to have help with the 2^nd grade classroom teacher, as I generally only teach reading through my Title 1 duties.

It will be wonderful to know that my TTL support team will be there to help me with suggestions. I plan to expand upon this unit as I go, possibly teaching it to other grade levels in subsequent years.

 

Timeline:

 

This unit will take approximately 1 month to complete. I’m not sure quite how the time line will work yet, because I am a Title 1 teacher. I don’t have the opportunity to have large blocks of time with students at one setting so this will have to be worked out.