We may have just finished the 2016-17 school year this week, but I’m already thinking about summer school! This year’s theme is westward expansion (focusing especially on the journey of Lewis and Clark), and pioneers. Now, we’ve learned about these topics before, but I wanted to go in-depth, especially since we live in the “Gateway to the West!” I have some fun (and new!) field trips planned for later in our vacation, but for now, here’s the reading list I have prepared…I may add on to it as we begin our studies, but this is a good start!
- Little House on the Prairie (as well as other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder)–This is many children’s first exposure to pioneer life…I know it was mine! We’ve read the Little House series countless times, but this will be the first time Chickadee is old enough to really listen.
- My Little House Crafts Book–Summer school wouldn’t be complete without crafts. I’m thinking Bunny and Ladybug will especially enjoy sewing pillows!
- The Little House Cookbook–Of course, I try to incorporate cooking and trying new recipes into summer school whenever possible, and it’s especially easy this year!
- Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography–As long as we’re learning about Laura Ingalls and her family, we may as well learn the real story!
- Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder
- A Pioneer Sampler–We won’t focus only on American Pioneers…we’ll also check in on Canadian pioneers! We’ve used the Thanksgiving and Christmas books in this series often, but we haven’t gone through the family’s entire year much.
- Bound for Oregon
- Caddie Woodlawn
- Ten Mile Day–You can’t really talk about the opening of the west without also discussing the construction of the transcontinental railroad!
- If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon–This was one of my favorite books when I was a child.
- Heading West: Life with the Pioneers–More crafts and hands-on activities.
- Meet Kirsten (and the remaining books in the Kirsten series)–This series not only covers pioneer life, but the lives of an immigrant family.
- You Wouldn’t Want to Explore with Lewis and Clark!–This series is always a favorite of the children’s, so I decided I had better include it!
- Who was Sacagawea?–You can’t learn about Lewis and Clark without learning about their guide!
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition
- The Journals of Lewis and Clark–I figured we should probably read about the journey of Lewis and Clark in their own words.
- Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
- American Pioneer Family Paper Dolls–We’ve used paper dolls often in the past, and even this particular set. The good news is that they’re already cut out and laminated, so they’re ready to go!
- Ken Burns Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery DVD–OK, this isn’t a book, but it still applies to summer school this year, so I included it.