Right before the start of the holiday travel season, our second grade finished up a study on Westward Expansion and Pioneers. They began their journey by packing bags for a mystery trip in wagons. They soon realized the year was 1849 and most of the possessions they packed had not even been invented yet (fancy neck pillow, iPad, phone, Easy Mac). Most pioneers only packed one set of clothes, tools, weapons, and pots and pans, so they made revisions on what they would want to take given the choices available at the time.
Day to day activities for pioneers were exciting for our students to learn about as well. They were shocked to hear that kids worked and did chores most all of the day! Students spent their weeks in class cooking Johnny cakes and sampling snacks like dried fruit, beef jerky, and cider. They also shared stories of the “Little House in the Big Woods” and were even assigned real pioneer names during this unit. They wrote journal entries from the pioneers’ perspectives, refining their writing skills while also learning about pioneer life. The study concluded at Magnolia Mound where the students toured the antebellum home and outdoor kitchen, learned how to weave on a loom, played with wooden toys from the olden days, and performed a square dance and song! Overall, it was an enriching educational experience that will remain a highlight of the year.