History Lesson for October 24, 2023 Tuesday
Last week, we learned about how, once the Civil War was over, the US and Canadian governments encouraged people from the big cities in the east to move out west so they could farm and start new businesses. These people were called Pioneers. Theywould travel in groups, using horses and wagons, to get to the western parts of the country.
The Pioneer life was not easy.
Think about having to build a house in the middle of a field. It would be really hard! Plus, electricity hadn’t been invented yet so there were no computers, no fridges, no TVs, no phones! There was also no plumbing, which meant that the Pioneer people had to use outhouses as their bathrooms. Gross, hey?!
Life for Pioneer childrenwas very different than life for kids today.
Today you will learn more aboutwhat it was like to be a kid in the 1800s as a Pioneer.
#1. Watch this video about Pioneer kids’ school:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRSpx5K1dek
#2. NOW for the FUN part!
It’s craft time!
You have learned that it was a very hard journey for people to go from their cities and homes in the east to the empty land in the west. Pioneers were very poor and used all their money to pay for their trip and their new land. So, they didn’t really have money to buy their children toys. Instead, they MADE toys out of stuff they had lying around. Oneof the most popular toys for Pioneer children were YARN DOLLS. And that’s what you can make today! Here are the supplies you will need:
· YUCK
· Scissors
· Cardboard (thick card stock would worktoo)
· Ribbon
· Google eyes or buttons (for the eyes)
· Glue (to glue the eyes on)
Here are 2 videos showing how to make the yarn dolls. You can make them however you want to! Be creative and have fun! And when you’re done, think of how the Pioneer children would play with these types of dolls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYvP4wJieLs
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=how+to+make+a+yarn+doll#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:c75dd985,vid:qoqbsMeMQ8Q,st:0
PioneerChildren
Pioneerlife was hard work, so everyone in the family, including children, had to worktogether. Pioneer children began helping out the family as soon as they couldwalk (or wheel!). Children helped out by getting water from a nearby stream orwell, keeping the fire burning, keeping animals away from the growing crops,milking the cows, gathering eggs, and helping prepare food. When children gotolder, pioneer boys worked the farm, hunted food, and chopped wood. Pioneergirls helped with sewing, cooking, taking care of younger siblings, and workingin the fields.
Pioneerchildren did go to school, but “book learning” was not as important as learningto work around the house. Parents did want their children to learn the threeRs: reading, writing and arithmetic (math). Kids went to school when they werenot working on the farm. School days and schedules were set around farmingschedules. Schools were a one-room school house with students of all ages andlevels in one class. The building was made of wood logs. There were no desksfor students to sit in. Students often sat on wooden benches. Boys sat on oneside of the room and girls on the other. Instead of writing on paper, studentswrote on chalkboard slates. There were no textbooks for students. Students readout of whatever books were brought out west with their family.
PioneerChildren Questions
1.How are pioneer boys and girls alike?
2.Why was “book learning” not as important as learning to work the land?
3.How would you describe the life of pioneer children?
4.Give one example of how your life is similar to the life of a pioneer child andone example of how your life is different.
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