Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Get a "Sense" of It"

Life in a Sod House Homepage

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:20:07 GMT

Students will learn about life on the prairie and in sod houses in this OurStory module, entitled Life in a Sod House. The module includes the interactive activity Building a Sod House, hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings related. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

Darkroom Detectives

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:50:19 GMT

What can we learn about life in a sod house by looking at photographs? In this activity, students will analyze two photographs of families who lived in homes made of sod in order to answer questions about these families' lives. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

Reading Dakota Dugout

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:53:31 GMT

In this activity, students will read Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner and answer questions about the book. They will then look at the image of an object that would have been important to women living in a house made of sod and try to determine what the object is. This resource is included in an OurStory module entitled Life in a Sod House.

OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

Building a Sod House

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 16:22:07 GMT

In this interactive activity, students will attempt to build a sod house by making choices regarding the construction of their house. Too many wrong answers and the house will collapse! This engaging and lighthearted activity will help students understand the challenges settlers faced while trying to survive on the open prairie. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources will allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.