Teacher Guide

There are many activities that can be done before or after Journey Back In Time brings "Pioneer Living" to your school. You are only limited by your imagination, and the amount of time and effort you can spare. The activities we have listed are just some possible ideas that we know schools have tried with success. Please also be sure to visit the Program Information page to familiarize yourself with the activities and stations that we will be bringing to your school. Talking about the activities gets the students excited and helps them to learn more on the day that we visit.

In this section you will find:

Have a "Pioneer Day"

One way to really make this day special for your students is to choose several different activity ideas, and combine them to make a "Pioneer Day". This could correspond with the day we visit your school, or be a lead-in or follow-up activity. Many schools have tried this with wonderful results!

Some possible activities include:

  1. Invite a fiddle player or local quilting, rug hooking or spinners group from your community to demonstrate their craft.
  2. Have a friendly rivalry between classes on your program date to see which class has the most students dressed up like pioneers.
  3. Learn some folk songs from the 1800s and perform them in a concert for the parents and families.
  4. Invite grandparents to come to your program with their grandchildren. This is a wonderful way to celebrate Grandparent’s Day in the fall or to just include family members that don’t always get invited to school events.
  5. Have students bring a pioneer-style lunch to school that day or find out if your food service can specially order a pioneer-style meal such as baked beans and cornbread with apple slices.
  6. Make soap. Pioneers had to make theirs from fireplace ashes and grease, but you can use the recipe below.
  7. Watch a video such as West to Oregon, Along the Oregon Trail (EMA Video Productions, 503-241-8663). This award winning video is one of the best we’ve ever seen and would be appropriate for students grade 2-8. The video can be ordered with a teacher guide or without (both can be used school wide), and features costumed reenactments, authentic covered wagons and detailed maps. Filmed in six states from Missouri to Oregon, it is beautifully done and exciting to watch.
  8. Have each grade or class work on a pioneer craft, using help from parent volunteers when needed and have all the items auctioned off at a school-wide auction night to raise money for future activities. Crafts done in the past include small baskets, woodworking items, braided rag rugs, quilts, hand-dipped candles, etc. (This idea raised several thousand dollars at one school that tried it!)
  9. Turn off the classroom lights for the day and recreate a pioneer classroom. See school rules below. Students can be asked to "toe the line" while reciting answers to problems (a piece of tape on the floor towards the front of the room works well), when filing into class, have boys and girls line up separately, remind students to "make their manners" (this means girls curtsy and boys bow), and have all students address the teacher as "Mistress Carter", or "Master Johnson".
  10. Have existing lessons altered to fit within the pioneer theme. For example: Journal writing can be done in character from a pioneer’s perspective, spelling words can reflect the time period, or reading can be done from a Little House book (they have books appropriate for preschool on up).
Recipes

Hardtack

Hardtack was a flat bread that was baked without yeast. Many consider it to be the granddaddy of the saltine/soda cracker of today! It got its name because it was very, very hard. It usually had to be soaked in a liquid such as water, coffee, or soup before it was eaten. Pioneers heading out west found it to be very resilient, and a food staple that could be kept for long periods of time without spoiling.

What you’ll need:

2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water.

Directions:

  1. Combine flour and water.
  2. Knead together until smooth.
  3. Roll dough out flat, about 1/4 inch thick.
  4. Cut out square or circular shapes using cookie cutters or objects that are available (jar lids, cans, etc.).
  5. Poke holes into shape using a fork. Original hardtack had 13 holes in it for the original 13 colonies. There was a row of three, a row of two, a row of three, another row of two, and a final row of three.
  6. Bake on a cookie sheet for about 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees.
  7. Be sure to soak hardtack before eating it, as it is possible to break your teeth!

Butter

Making butter was a frequent chore in the pioneer household, but you can try it without a butter churn! Here is an old butter churning rhyme that you can say while you work: "Come, butter come, come, butter come. Johnny’s at the gate, waiting for a buttercake. Come, butter come."

What you’ll need:

Heavy whipping cream (can be found in any grocery store), and a baby food or mayonnaise jar.

Directions:

  1. Fill jars about halfway full with whipping cream.
  2. Shake the jar continuously for 30-45 minutes, or find a partner and roll the jar back and forth between you for the same amount of time.
  3. When the whipping cream starts to break up, the butterfat will gather, leaving a thin, milky liquid that is called "buttermilk."
  4. Drain off the water or buttermilk and add fresh water, shaking the jar vigorously to rinse the butter.
  5. Repeat this washing process until the water runs clear. This rinsing process eliminates the buttermilk that would otherwise cause the butter to spoil too quickly.
  6. Add salt for flavoring, if desired. Serve on crackers or bread.

Note: It may be helpful to start with whipping cream that is room temperature.

Mulled Cider

Easy to make, this is a great addition to a pioneer day activity! (And even better when served with a pioneer lunch!)

What you’ll need:

1 gallon of apple cider
2 cups of brown sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoons of salt

Directions:

  1. Dissolve the brown sugar into the cider and bring to a boil.
  2. Add cinnamon, salt and cloves.
  3. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Strain the cider to remove cloves (or place them in a cheesecloth bag or tea strainer when added to cider for easier removal).
  5. Serve hot.

Soap

This is a very simple, non-toxic recipe, most of which can be done in a classroom. An adult will need to use a kitchen to heat the mixture.

What you’ll need:

One-quarter cup of salad oil.
A glass pan for heating up the mixture.
A tablespoon.
One-quarter cup of baking soda.
A wooden spoon.
A measuring cup.
One-quarter cup of water.
A glass jar.

Directions:

  1. Combine the ingredients in the pan and simmer over low heat. Stir with the wooden spoon.
  2. After the mixture begins to thicken, heat for a few more minutes, then remove from heat to let cool.
  3. In a glass jar, put in one tablespoon of the soap and two cups of hot tap water.
  4. Be sure to securely attach the lid, the shake until soap suds appear.

A Brief History of Soap Making

"According to Roman legend, soap was discovered after a heavy rain fell on the slopes of Mount Sapo (the name means "Mount Soap" in Latin). The hill was the site of an important sacrificial altar, and the rainwater mixed with the mingled ashes and animal fat around the altar’s base. As a result, the three key components of soap were brought together: water, fat, and lye (potash leached from the ashes). As the mixture trickled down to the banks of the Tiber River, washerwomen at work there noticed that the mysterious substance made their job easier and the wash cleaner."

-From Reader’s Digest: Back To Basics (1981, The Reader’s Digest Association)

Folksongs

Sweet Betsy from Pike

Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike, who crossed the wide prairies with her husband Ike.
With two yoke of oxen and one spotted hog, a tall Shanghai rooster and an old yeller dog.

Chorus:
Hoo-dle dang fol-di dye-do, hoo-dle dang fol-di day,
hoo-dle dang fol-di dye-do, hoo-dle dang fol-di day.

One evening quite early they camped on the Platte, ‘twas near by the road on a green shady flat.
Where Betsy quite tired lay down to repose, while with wonder Ike gazed on his Pike County rose.

Chorus

They swam the wide rivers and crossed the tall peaks, and camped on the prairie for weeks upon weeks.
Starvation and cholera, nearly drowned in a stream, but to reach California was their only dream.

Chorus

They soon reached the desert where Betsy gave out, and down in the sand she lay rolling about.
While Ike in great terror looked on in surprise, saying "Get up now Betsy, you’ll get sand in your eyes."

Chorus

The alkali desert was burning and hot, and Ike he decided to leave on the spot,
"Dear old Pike County, I’ll go back to you." Said Betsy, "You’ll go back alone if you do."

Chorus

The Shanghai ran off and the oxen all died, the last piece of bacon that morning was fried.
Poor Ike got discouraged, and Betsy got mad, the dog wagged his tail and looked wonderfully sad.

Chorus

One morning they climbed up a very high hill, and with wonder looked down into old Placerville!
Ike shouted and said as he cast his eyes down, "Sweet Betsy, my darling, we’ve got to Hangtown!"

Chorus

Polly Wolly Doodle

Oh I went down South, for to see my Sal, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
My Sal she am, a spunky gal. Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus:
Fare thee well, fare thee well,
Fare thee well my fairy fay.
I’m goin’ to Lou’siana, to see my Susyanna,
Sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

My Sal she am, a maiden fair, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
With curly eyes, and laughing hair, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus

Behind the barn, down on my knees, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
I thought I heard, a chicken sneeze, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus

He sneezed so hard, with the whooping cough, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
He sneezed his head, and tail right off, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus

Oh a grasshopper sittin’, on a railroad track, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
A-pickin’ his teeth, with a carpet tack, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus

Oh I went to bed, but it weren’t no use, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.
My feet stuck out, like a chicken roost, sing Polly wolly doodle all the day.

Chorus

(This is a great song to let kids make up their own silly verse to. You could have your own class song using some of the favorites. Also a neat thing to have the kids share during a pioneer parent night program!)

Oh Susanna

Oh I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.
An’ I’m goin’ to Lou’siana my true love for to see.
Oh Susanna, oh don’t you cry for me,
‘Cause I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.

Oh it rained all night, the day I left, the weather it was dry.
The sun so hot, I froze to death, Susanna don’t you cry.
Oh Susanna, oh don’t you cry for me,
‘Cause I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee.

Yankee Doodle

Father and I went down to camp, along with Captain Good-in.
And there we saw the men and boys as thick as hasty puddin’.
Yankee Doodle keep it up, Oh Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Mind the music and the steps, and with the girls be handy.

And there was Captain Washington, upon a slapping stallion.
Giving orders to his men, I guess there were a million.
Yankee Doodle keep it up, Oh Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Mind the music and the steps, and with the girls be handy.

Square Dancing

This can be a fun way to incorporate physical education into your pioneer activities. Invite a local square dance group to demonstrate some simple steps to the class, or find out if your P. E. teacher has any experience in teaching dance steps (you’d be surprised!). Many schools that we’ve been to with our Single Grade program have incorporated square dancing into a Family Night program. One way to schedule this is to have half of the students demonstrate pioneer square dancing (and maybe some folk songs!) to their families in one area while the other half participate in our Family Night program in another area. Half way through your Family Night the two groups can switch. This is even more fun if the students dress up as pioneers!

Crafts

Clothespin dolls

A child in the 1800s had to learn to entertain themselves with what was available. Rarely did kids on the frontier have store bought dolls, instead dolls were made from corncobs, clothespins, dried apples, corn husks, and scraps of fabric. An easy doll to make is the clothespin doll. Small clothespins can be bought in large bags at Wal-Mart and most craft stores. Usually directions for sample dolls are in the packaging, but kids have just as much fun using their own imaginations.

What you’ll need:

1 clothespin for each student
Triangle-shaped scraps of fabric for bonnets, aprons, and shawls
Misc. scraps of fabric for other items of clothing
Yarn strands for hair
Markers for creating details


Corn husk dolls

What you’ll need:

Corn husks (16 per doll. Available at Mexican food markets and in some supermarkets.)
Heavy string
Scissors
Large tub filled with warm water
1 bath or hand towel per student
Fabric scraps for clothing, or you can soak some extra husks in beet juice to make colored clothing

Directions:

  1. Soak husks in tub of warm water for about 15 minutes before you’re ready to get started. Keep the husks wet while working to keep them pliable.
  2. Spread the towel over the student’s desk or work area to soak up excess water while working.
  3. Hold six husks together with wide edges on the bottom.
  4. Tie the husks together securely about one inch from the bottom.
  5. One at a time, pull each husk down over the tied off area. Do this as though you were peeling a banana (all the way around) until they are all pointed down.
  6. Tie off the husks just below the "head" so that the string creates a "neck".
  7. Roll two husks together the long way (like a thin pencil) to make the arms. Tie these off towards the ends to make wrists.
  8. Insert the arms through the center of the body so that they are in the middle of the husks.
  9. Take a husk and fold it in half lengthwise. Lay this around the shoulders to come down in the back in a criss-cross. Tie this off.
  10. Take another husk and do the same thing again, this time bringing the husks around to the front to make another criss-cross. Tie this off as well and trim strings.
  11. To make a skirt for the doll, take six husks and place them around the doll with the wide ends extending upward and the pointed ends bunching around the waist. Tie these around the waist securely and again peel the husks down around the doll to look like a skirt.
  12. Once you have a skirt, you can easily make a male doll by bunching half of the skirt panels to the left and half of them to the right. Tie them together as legs at the knees, and again at the ankles.
  13. Decorate, then let the doll dry for 1-2 days.

Moonwinders

A popular toy in the 1800s, these were also called button spinners and buzz saws. Boys used to get into trouble for getting them tangled into a girl’s long hair. These are easy to make, but can sometimes take practice to get them going.

What you’ll need:

Large buttons 1-1/2 inches wide
Nylon string

Directions:

  1. Cut the string into sections 36 inches long.
  2. Give one string and one button to each student.
  3. Thread the string through one hole and back again through the other one and tie the strings together.
  4. Center the button and hold each end of the loop, winding it up until it is tight. Be sure to wind it up tight enough or it will not work.
  5. Now pull and slacken the string, over and over, moving the button in and out. A buzzing sound will be made as it gets faster.

School Rules

Teacher Rules, 1872

  1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, and clean chimneys.
  2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day’s session.
  3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.
  4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.
  5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
  6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
  7. Every teacher should lay aside from each day pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
  8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty.
  9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

Student Rules, 1860

  1. Boys and girls shall file into classroom in separate lines and be seated quietly on opposite sides of the room.
  2. Boys shall remove their caps when entering.
  3. Children must sit up straight at all times.
  4. Children must not squirm, fidget or whine.
  5. Children must be clean and tidy in clothing.
  6. There will be a daily inspection of neck, ears and fingernails prior to class to ensure cleanliness of person.
  7. Young ladies must never show a bare ankle; girls’ and boys’ clothing should cover arms and legs completely.

Punishments

  1. Five minutes tardy in the morning = 1 hour after school.
  2. Double assignments if homework is not done.
  3. Nothing shall be dipped into ink wells except pens.
  4. Children who are caught writing with their left hand = 1 ruler rap on the knuckles.
  5. Do not speak unless spoken to by the teacher. Talking in class = 1 whack with a rod.
  6. Nothing shall be thrown in class. Such behavior = 5 whacks with a rod.
  7. Chewing of tobacco or spitting = 7 whacks with a rod.
  8. Speaking immoral language = Suspension.
  9. Carving on desks or defacing school property = Expulsion.
  10. Fighting, lying, or cheating = Expulsion.

ONLY WELL MANNERED CHILDREN MAY ATTEND SCHOOL.

REMEMBER: EDUCATION IS A PRIVILEGE.

Good places to find these groups are your local library, the phone book, and the Web. Once you know who to contact in your specific area, you may find that many people are happy to bring their groups (or themselves) to a school to share what they do with students.

Further Resources

Community Groups

The following types of organizations often have local chapters or guilds in your area:

  • Rug Hookers
  • Quilters
  • Spinners
  • Square Dancers
  • Fiddlers

Although space does not permit us to list all of the books, workbooks and websites that we would like to, the following titles may be useful to those who wish to delve deeper into early American life in the 1800s. Many of the websites also provide valuable links to other sites as well.

Books

A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood (1994, Houghton Mifflin Co.). If we were to recommend just one book to show elementary-aged kids how the American pioneers lived in the mid-1800s, it would be this one. It tells the story through the lives of the Robertson family, who live on a farm in the backwoods, as they go about their daily chores: making maple syrup, spinning wool, churning butter, shearing sheep, planting crops, etc. Readers follow the family through one calendar year, and directions are given so that the reader can participate in many of the activities.

The World of Little House, by Carolyn Strom Collins and Christina Wyss Ericksson (1996, Harper Collins Publishers). This book is a compendium of biographical and historical anecdotes, recipes, activities and crafts from the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her nine Little House books. There’s also a great timeline in the back of the book that puts Laura’s life and events into context with major events in American history. This book is a wonderful companion to anyone reading books in the original Little House series.

Pioneer Girl, The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by William Anderson (1998, Harper Collins Publishers). If your students are too young for the original Little House series, but too old for the picture books (below), then this may be the perfect way to introduce them to Laura’s pioneer experiences while growing up in Wisconsin. The book takes you all the way through her life to Rocky Ridge farm and is beautifully illustrated.

My First Little House Books, (Harper Collins Publishers). This enchanting series is appropriate for children ages 3-8. All books were adapted from stories in the original series, and are beautifully illustrated for young children. There are over 14 titles available.

American Folk Toys, by Dick Schnacke (1973, G. P. Putnam’s Sons). This is a wonderful book written by an amazing man. In addition to making several of the toys featured on our program, Dick has written a wonderfully detailed book that takes you through the steps of re-creating almost every well known folk toy you can think of. There are step-by-step instructions, templates and pictures to help. Dick is well known in the United States as being an authority on folk life. To order call (304) 455-3570 or visit www.folktoys.com

Workbooks

Frontier American Activity Book, (1990, Edupress). This book is part of their Hands-On Heritage series and is a wonderful resource for activity ideas including instructions for paper pioneer outfits, frontier food, games, map activities, songs and more. Several good templates are also included.

Westward Ho, (1992, Teacher Created Materials). This book is labeled "Intermediate" and is comprised of 4 main sections. Section one accompanies the reading of Little House in the Big Woods, section two accompanies Grasshopper Summer, section three focuses on cross-curricular activities, and the last section has ideas for bulletin boards with templates for awards and more.

American Frontier, Westward Expansion, (1995, Mark Twain Media, Inc.). This workbook is labeled for grades 5-8+. Each topic covered has background information with question sheets following. There are 40 topics covering virtually every important event in the history of westward expansion. The layout is simple, but extremely informative.

Websites

www.kidsource.com History studies at an early age should be full of purposeful activity. This site details "did-friendly" activities. This site also details history adventures that teachers and parents can use to readily engage their young learners in meaningful history explorations.

www.myhistory.org A project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, this site encourages Americans to discover history by following family and community stories. Topics include "Things You Can Do to Save America’s Past," and "Saving Your Family Treasures." It also offers a variety of links to other history-related venues.

www.loc.gov This Library of Congress site is a multimedia anthology of American history online galleries, recordings, and school/family activities, all of which make this a rich source for history ideas and materials.

www.historyplace.com Locate quotes, photos, points of view, famous speeches, and much more at this web site dedicated to students, educators, and all who enjoy history.

www.ibiscom.com Artifacts and personal accounts, from the ancient world to the present, provide vivid eyewitness descriptions of historic events and periods. The past is illuminated through personal narrative, primary sources, and historical recollections.

score.rims.k12.ca.us This site has links to student-friendly primary sources, chosen and rated by teachers, and classroom activities incorporating the Internet. All fields of World and U.S. History are covered.

www.ushistory.com Photos, diaries, quotes, biographies, and much more are available at this U.S. history site. Take a tour of the Betsy Ross house, or get the directions for making Ben Franklin’s kite, in his own words, no less!

www.historychannel.com Information to support local, national, and world history studies is available in abundance at this site. In addition to materials that extend the channel’s programming, offerings include primary sources, timelines, in-depth theme development, and teacher guides.

www.history.ctaponline.org/#child California History-Social Science Course Models Online Professional Resources: a project overseen by the California Department of Education and developed by CA History Project leaders and fellows. The Course Models are instructional materials designed and written by teachers. These lessons are geared to the California framework and standards, but there is much common ground with other states’ current curricula, making the lesson ideas useful in classrooms across the nation.

www.history.org/nche National Council for History Education; professional organization for history educators; information on professional development opportunities, news, notes, and ideas on history teaching.

www.williamanderson.com Recognized as an authority on Little House history, William Anderson has written many books including The Ingalls Family Album, A Little House Sampler, and Laura Ingalls Wilder Country. He also sits on the board of directors at the Laura Ingalls Wilder-Rose Wilder Lane Home Association in Mansfield, Missouri. His site has many links to further sources of information about Laura and her life growing up.

www.folktoys.com This site has color photos of the entire line of folk toys that are made by Dick Schnacke’s Mountain Craft Shop. This is an excellent company to buy reproduction folk toys from as well as a well written book by Dick Schnacke that takes you step-by-step through the creation of many folk toys that were popular in early America.

Other Media-Video

West to Oregon, Along the Oregon Trail, by EMA Video Productions. Once again, we have to mention this video. It’s beautiful, and after a full day of reviewing videos about the westward movement, our eyes and ears perked up as we watched this. Running time is 60 minutes, but it only seems like 30. We think this would be a wonderful addition to any pioneer unit. Copies can be ordered for $29.95 each, or with a teacher guide for $39.95. Contact Ed Mellnik at EMA Video Productions, (503) 241-8663, 3210 SW Dosch Road, Portland, OR 97201.

Other Media-Music

The Oregon Trail Band: This band was formed in 1991 at the request of the Oregon Trail Council to commemorate the Sesquicentennial and has since stayed together (thankfully for all who hear them) and gone on to play internationally, sometimes for crowds of thousands. Our favorite albums are the Voices From the Oregon Trail which features music such as Sweet Betsy From Pike, Buffalo Gals, Down In The Valley and more, and the brand new Lewis and Clark which has traditional French-Canadian folk music along with some Native American selections. When studying your pioneer unit these can add a wonderful background flavor that makes you feel as though you were in the 1800s. You can contact Marv or Rindy Ross at (503) 636-0740 or visit their website at www.trailband.com.

© 2002 Journey Back In Time