Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the Prairie is about the Ingalls family.  They travel from the "Big Woods" to out west in the Indian Territory to find new land to settle on.  This book tells the story of their journey, and the things they had to face while traveling. The end up settling just south of Independence, Kansas.

This book is considered an Historical Fiction.

About the Author:

Laura Ingalls Wilder  was born in 1867 and died in 1957. During her life she wrote many books including Little House on the Prairie and Little House in the Woods, and many more.  Her inspiration for writing was due to her own childhood.  When she was young her family, along with her settled on land called the "Indian Territory."  They did not always stay there.  They moved from place to place as she grew up.  When she was fifteen she began her first teaching job.  She married Almanzo Wilder when she was eighteen, and had a daughter (Rose) in 1886.

Activities:

Pioneer Craft:
Homemade Ink from Berries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of ripe berries (blueberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, elderberries, raspberries, etc.
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Tools:

measuring cups and spoon
strainer
bowl

wooden spoon

baby food jar

Directions:

1. Fill the strainer with the berries and hold it over a bowl.

2. Using the rounded back of a wooden spoon, crush the berries against the strainer so that the berry juice strains into the bowl.

3. Keep adding berries until most of their juice has been strained out and only pulp remains.

4. Add the salt and vinegar to the berry juice. The vinegar helps the ink to retain its color and the salt keeps it from getting moldy.

5. If the berry ink is too thick, a tablespoon of water.

6. Store in baby food jar.

7. Only make a small amount of berry ink at a time and when not in use, keep it tightly covered. 

http://www.easyfunschool.com/article1337.html

Homemade Butter: 

Ingredients:

• Heavy cream
• A Jar with a lid

Preparation:

1. Fill a jar halfway with heavy cream (baby food jars work great for small batches), and screw the lid on tight.
2. Shake the jar up and down until the cream thickens and begins to stick together.
3. Then, open the jar, and pour any remaining liquid into another container; this is the buttermilk. Everything else is butter.
4. Knead the butter under cold running water for several minutes to work out any remaining buttermilk (otherwise the butter will spoil quickly).
5. Knead in salt, if desired.
6. Refrigerate.

Bibliography:

 "Homemade Butter in a Jar." About.com Frugal Living. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"EasyFunSchool - Pioneer Craft - Homemade Ink from Berries." EasyFunSchool - Pioneer Craft - Homemade Ink from Berries. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"ByGrace." : Book Review: Little House on the Prairie. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

"Topic Page:." Wilder, Laura Ingalls (1867. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.