PIONEER DAYPIONEER DAYWithWith

Mrs. Person, Ms. Ciceri, and Mrs. Valentine’s First GradersMrs. Person, Ms. Ciceri, and Mrs. Valentine’s First Graders

In the first grade social studies curriculum, students learn about life long ago. To help the students develop a better understanding of what life was like long ago, Mrs. Person, Ms. Ciceri and Mrs. Valentine recreated a pioneer school at Spartan Village Elementary. The children participated in Pioneer Day and got to experience what school and life was like, long ago.

Students begin pioneer day by practicing writing some spelling words using chalk and chalkboards. Back in the pioneer days, children used chalk and chalk boards during school to practice their writing.

Mrs. Person talks to students about what school was like back in the pioneer days. Later in the morning, students had the chance to move to different stations to engage in a variety of pioneer-like activities. Mrs. Valentine’s 1st grade from Whitehill’s Elementary school, joined us for our Pioneer day.

Students had the chance to make butter at one of the stations. Then they were able to taste it on some crackers.

Students had the chance to practice sewing yarn through a piece of burlap.

Students helped Ms. Ciceri make old fashioned ice cream. Students added ice and salt into the coffee can to help freeze the ice cream. Students rolled the ice cream mixture in a coffee can.

Students engaged in some pioneer games: Playing pick-up sticks, jacks, and rolling hoops down the hall using sticks.

Students make a pioneer game called, Button in a Cup, at one of the centers. The object of the game is to swing the button into the cup. The button is hanging from the bottom of the cup dangling from a piece of yarn.

Students build log homes using the lincoln logs. Pioneer homes were made from wooden logs they built themselves.

When students wanted a drink of water, they ladled water from a bucket into their cup. Children from the pioneer days got their water from a well and carried it in buckets into their school.

Mrs. Valentine reads a Little House On The Prairie book to the class to end our Pioneer day. One student enjoys pretending to be naughty while Mrs. Valentine reads to the class.

Students enjoy their pioneer style lunches from home. Students dressed in pioneer clothing and packed their lunches in baskets and pails.

We end our pioneer day by taking a picture of the students dressed up in their pioneer clothing.