Unit Plan
Nebraska Studies

Nebraska Studies: Building a Sod House

For Students 9th - 10th
Here's great information on building sod houses. You can even watch a video of a famous two-story sod house that stood until 1967.
Article
Canadian Museum of History

Cmc: Virtual Museum of New France: The Explorers: Pierre Gauthier De Varennes

For Students 9th - 10th
The life and explorations of the La Verendryes are profiled in this biography. Forts, search for the sea, furs, Rocky Mountains, and so many more adventures are shared.
Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Frontier Life: Frontier Education and the One Room Schoolhouse

For Students 9th - 10th
See how much public education has changed from the one-room schoolhouse days of the frontier. From a companion essay to the PBS series, Frontier House.
Handout
White Pine Pictures

White Pine Pictures: The Magnificent Abersons

For Students 9th - 10th
Bob and Jane Aberson were Dutch immigrant farmers to the Manitoba prairies. Jane Aberson wrote a column in a Dutch newspaper for 30 years, describing the hardships and joys of farming life on the prairies. Her columns influenced many...
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Students 3rd - 5th
Site provides some historical information on early prairie life through the eyes of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Book Files: Sarah, Plain and Tall

For Students 3rd - 8th
Patricia MacLachlan's "Sarah, Plain and Tall" takes place on a prairie during the late 1800s. Sarah arrives to live with a family and brings them new life. Make a smart choice by reading your favorite novel with a BookFiles reading...
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Letter to Grandmother [Pdf]

For Teachers 6th
"Letter to Grandmother" is a one page, fictional, reading passage about a family of early settlers who moved west. A boy writes a letter to his grandmother telling her about their new life on the plains. It is followed by...
Website
US National Archives

Pioneering Journals of the Ingalls Family: Pepin, Wisconsin: Household Chores

For Students 9th - 10th
Based on journals for Laura Ingalls Wilder's family, these descriptions of housework in a pioneer home are typical of the life of most pioneers on the prairie or in the northern woods. These chores would have been "women's work."
Lesson Plan
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learn more about Laura Ingalls Wilder when you visit this site. Check out this comprehensive resource featuring links to her books and life.
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Settlement [Pdf]

For Teachers 7th Standards
"Settlement" is a one page, nonfiction, reading passage about natural gas, its uses, and how it gets to homes. It is followed by questions which require students to provide evidence from the story; it includes: determining main idea and...
Graphic
Curated OER

Graphical Element: Henry Kelsey on the Prairies

For Students 3rd - 5th
This site has information about Henry Kelsey's life and expeditions. It is designed for ages 9-12. It is a companion site to one designed for the general public.
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My Hero Project

My Hero: Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this resource to learn about why Laura Ingalls Wilder is a writer hero and learn about her life as pioneer girl in the late 1800s.
Handout
PBS

Nh Pbs: Nature Works: Wetlands

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Did you know that wetlands are frequently used as resting stops for migrating birds? This is just one of the many interesting facts found within this educational resource. This site features information on the characteristics, types,...
Website
Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada: Community Stories: Powering Up Rural Manitoba

For Students 9th - 10th
The spread of hydroelectric power across the Manitoba prairies and its impact on rural communities is profiled. Archival photographs, the introduction of new electrical appliances, and the major changes to rural life are included.
Activity
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Things to Do at Home

For Students 9th - 10th
Families can come together through games designed to make history something fun and integral to family life. Build a sod house like prairie settlers did in the 1800s. Go back in time to visit five families that lived in the same house...
Graphic
Curated OER

Unesco: Spain: Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
Ibiza provides an excellent example of the interaction between the marine and coastal ecosystems. The dense prairies of oceanic Posidonia (seagrass), an important endemic species found only in the Mediterranean basin, contain and support...