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Prairie Primer – Beads
We’re near completion of book two in our Little House on the Prairie series. Our history study through this book has focused on the Osage Indians. The curriculum is full of great suggestions and good ideas for extra activities to enhance this unit of study. Five years ago I would have felt the pressure to cram all of the suggestions into our days. Currently that tug is no longer strong against me. When I saw the suggestion of creating beads for Native American-esque necklaces and belts I almost skipped right over it. But then I thought of my ones. And how each one of them love to do bead work.…
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Field Trip: The Carolina Honey Bee Company
Our Prairie Primer curriculum this year lends itself well to field trips. For various reasons I have not chosen to pursue every suggested field trip option. However, there are several field trip ideas that are just so handy, so nearby and so convenient, that it would be crazy to pass up the opportunity. Like the maple syrup store the week before. And last week – the honey store. For us – it was our friendly store The Carolina Honey Bee Company – located right here in Travelers Rest. All it took was a quick call and a simple question, “Can I bring my kids in for you to teach them a bit…
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Prairie Primer: Maple Syrup Field Trip
The lesson guide suggested – visit a farm where maple syrup is being tapped. Well. It’s almost ninety degrees outside. In South Carolina. Must try to think of another avenue. I remembered a little store on Main Street in Hendersonville. Vermontage. I’d stopped in before, lured in off the street by a sign that read “maple cotton candy”. Spun sugar. Oh, how I love you. I had no idea spun sugar could be improved upon. Maple syrup. Oh, how I love you. A completely perfect marriage of melt-in-your-mouth gooey-ness and maple syrup sweetness. And so I called the number and asked this question, “Could I bring my children to your…
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Prairie Primer: Owl Pellets
Here’s what I like so far about The Prairie Primer.. The author’s extensive research and well thought out specific plans make my life easier. In three days of school I’ve been more productive and on track than a week or two of last year’s schedule I think. (Some of that may be because it’s the first week and because I love Laura Ingalls and because I have “bigger” kids this year.) Whatever. I like it. Today my guide said to dissect owl pellets. And so we dissected owl pellets. I ordered mine from Acorn Naturalists. They were surprisingly more disgusting than I remembered from the last go round. We all…
