I designed this lapbook as a review for the On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House)
The Trade: What did Pa trade to buy the land? What did Pa trade for the crops and the oxen?
- Pa traded Pet and Patty (their horses) for the land.
- He traded Bunny, the mule-colt, and the wagon for the crops and the oxen.
The Sod House: Describe the Ingalls new house.
Chores: What chores did Mary and Laura have to do before they could play?
They had to do the dishes, make their beds, and sweep the floor.
Water Safety: Where were Mary and Laura not allowed to go? Write about water safety.
- They were not allowed to go into the hole full of deep, dark water.
- Water safety resources
Disobedience: How did Laura disobey Ma? What did Pa do when she disobeyed? What must Laura never do again?
- Laura went out deeper into the water when Ma told her to stay close to the shore.
- Pa surprised her by dunking her under the water.
- Laura must never go near the swimming hole unless Pa was with her.
Strange Animal: Describe the animal that Laura came across.
The animal had a body nearly as long Jack. It had very short legs and gray fur. It had a flat head and small ears. It had fierce white teeth.
Trust: How had Laura broken Pa’s trust? What was her punishment?
- Laura had started to go to the swimming hole. She got side-tracked by the animal and didn’t end up going. She was feeling very guilty, so she told Pa what she had done.
- Pa said that she had broken her trust, so now she was going to need to be watched by Ma.
The Cow: What did Laura do after they put the new cow in the stable? How did she know how to do it? What did she do wrong? What did they name the cow?
- Laura milked the cow.
- She had learned by watching Pa.
- Ma said that she should always milk a cow from the right side, because the cow would kick her if she milked from the left side.
- They named the cow Spot.
The Incident: What happened when Pete ran over the roof? How did they repair the roof?
- Pete hoof when down through the roof.
- At first, Ma did a quick patch on the roof, but that didn’t hold. Pa wedged fresh willow boughs into the roof, covered them with a thick layer of fresh grass, placed soil on top of the grass, and laid sod over the soil.
The Straw Stack: What did Mary and Laura do to the straw stack the first time? What did Pa tell them not to do? What did Mary and Laura do to the straw stack the second time? What was Pa’s reaction? What did he say to them that time?
- Mary and Laura had a grand time sliding down the straw stack.
- Pa told them not to slide down the straw stack any more.
- Mary and Laura rolled down the straw stack.
- Pa had to turn his back as he started laughing when they answered that they didn’t disobey because they didn’t slide down the straw stack, they rolled down it.
- He told them that they needed to stay away from the straw stacks from that point on.
Plums: Did Laura enjoy picking plums? Why did Mary scold Laura?
- Laura loved picking plums and eating plums.
- Mary said Laura was eating more plums than she was picking. Laura thought Mary was just cross because she would rather be reading a book than picking plums.
Grasshopper Weather: Describe the weather that the old timers called grasshopper weather.
Warm weather with no rain, frosts, or snows in mid to late November.
Trouble: What happened while Ma and Pa were away?
The herd of cattle got into the Ingalls hay stacks while Johnny was sleeping (instead of watching the herd). Laura, Mary, and Jack had to scare them away before they ate all of the hay.
Runaway: What happened to Ma and Carrie? How did Pa stop the oxen?
- Pete and Bright were running away with Ma and Carrie in the wagon.
- Pa wacked Bright on the head.
Christmas Wishes: What was Laura worried about? What did they all want for their Christmas wish?
- Laura was concerned because they didn’t have a chimney and Santa Claus needed to come down the chimney.
- They decided that they would all wish for horses since that was what Pa really wanted.
Christmas: What did Laura and Mary make for Carrie for Christmas? What did the family receive as their surprise Christmas gift?
- Mary and Laura made Carrie a button necklace for Christmas.
- They received two beautiful horses for Christmas.
The Creek: What happened to the creek?
The rain caused the creek to rise until it covered the steps that went down to the footbridge. It was wild and loud as it rushed by the house.
The Footbridge: Describe what happened to Laura when she went down to the footbridge.
The New House: What boughten items did they have for the new house? How did Pa pay for all of these items? Explain why this may or may not have been a good idea. Where would Laura and Mary sleep? Where would Ma, Pa, and Carrie sleep?
- They had sawed lumber, glass windows, shingles, floorboards, doors, hinges, locks & keys, and a cook stove.
- Pa bought all the items on credit based upon the wheat crop coming in.
- If the wheat crop failed, Pa would be unable to pay off his debt.
- Mary and Laura would get to sleep in the attic.
- Ma, Pa, and Carrie would sleep in the bedroom downstairs.
The Attic: What was in Mary’s box? What was in Laura’s box? What was the only thing that Laura didn’t like about the attic?
- Mary kept her quilt blocks and scrap bag in her box.
- Laura kept Charlotte and her paper dolls in her box.
- Laura didn’t like that Jack couldn’t climb up the ladder.
The Creek Creatures: What type of strange creature did Mary and Laura find in the creek? What was on Laura’s legs when she came out of the muddy part of the creek?
- Laura and Mary found a crab in the creek.
- Laura had leeches on her legs when she came out of the muddy water.
Fish: How did Pa and Laura catch the fish? What did Pa do with any fish they would not eat?
- Pa built a fish trap. They placed the trap under a waterfall. The fish fell into the trap. The big fish were stuck while the little fish swam away.
- Pa only kept as many fish as they could eat; he let the extra fish go.
School: Describe Mary and Laura’s first day of school.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Slate and Pencil: Where did Ma put the money for the new slate? What happened when they got to the store? What did they decide to do about the pencil?
- Ma tied the money in a handkerchief and pinned it inside Mary’s pocket.
- When they got to the store, they realized that they also needed a slate pencil. They would not buy it on credit. They decided that they couldn’t ask Pa for any more money, so they used Mary’s Christmas penny to buy the slate pencil.
Chapter Twenty-Two and Twenty-Three
Nellie’s Party, Laura and Mary’s Party: Compare and contrast the two parties.
Chapter Twenty-Four (here & here)
Ribbons: What did Ma wear to church? What happened to Laura and Mary’s ribbons? How did the girls feel about this?
- Ma was in so excited about finally going to church again that she put Laura’s blue ribbons in Mary’s hair and Mary’s pink ribbons in Laura’s hair.
- The girls were happy to be wearing a different color of ribbon.
Sunday School: What did they do in Sunday School?
They listened to a story, learned a verse, and sang a song.
Boots: Why did Pa need new boots? What happened to the money for his new boots?
- Pa’s boots were worn and had holes in them.
- When he went to town, he ended up giving his money to the church to help pay for a bell for the belfry.
The Grasshoppers: What happened when the grasshoppers came? What did this mean for the Ingalls?
- The grasshoppers ate everything. The wheat was gone.
- They would not be able to pay off their debts.
Grasshopper Eggs: Why did Pa stop plowing the field? What was he going to do to take care of his family?
- The grasshoppers were laying eggs in the ground, so there would be no harvest next year.
- Pa was going to head east to look for work to support his family.
Chapter Twenty-Seven (here & here)
Scripture: Ma read the girls the scripture about the plague of locusts and the promises of a better land. The girls could really relate to this scripture due to what they had just been through as a family. Copy down Exodus 10:14-15 and Exodus 3:8
Letter from Pa: What did Pa’s letter say? What was enclosed in the letter?
- Pa was doing well. He had to walk 300 miles to find a job. He was working in a wheat field and earning $1 a day. He would stay there as long as there was work. He kept some money so he could buy boots.
- He enclosed $5.
Charlotte: What happened to Charlotte? How did Ma take care of the problem?
- Anna took Charlotte home much to Laura’s dismay. One day, when Laura went to Anna’s house, she says that Anna has tossed Charlotte to the ground. She was torn, dirty, and tattered.
- Ma cleaned Charlotte up and repaired her to make her good as new.
Trip to Town: What did Mary get in town? Why didn’t Laura and Carrie get new shoes? What did Laura get?
- Mary got brand new shoes.
- Laura would use Mary’s old shoes, and Carrie’s would use Laura’s old shoes.
- Mary and Laura both got fabric for new dresses.
The Christmas Tree: Describe the Christmas tree. What did the children receive? What did Mary receive? What did Laura receive? What did Carrie receive? What did Ma receive? What did Pa receive?
- The children receive candy and a popcorn ball.
- Mary received blue mittens, a booklet with Bible pictures in it, and a coat.
- Laura received red mittens, a jewel-box, and a fur cape and muff.
- Ma received a shawl.
- Pa received a muffler.
- Carrie received a ragdoll with a china head and a china dog.
Grasshopper Parade: Describe the grasshopper parade.
Wheels of Fire: What were the wheels of fire? Who helped Ma and the girls with the wheels of fire?
- They were tumbleweeds that had caught fire.
- Their neighbor, Mr. Nelson, rode over to help put out the fires started by the wheels of fire.
Countdown: How did the girls count down the days until Pa came home? How many marks did they make? How did Pa surprise them? Why was Ma’s timeline off?
- They made marks on the slate.
- They made marks for 2 weeks, but Ma said they needed to add 1 more week for Pa’s walk home.
- Pa arrived home a week earlier than expected.
- Ma forgot to take into consideration how long it allowed the letter to arrive.
The Storm: Where did Ma and Pa go? What did the Laura and Mary do when they realized a storm was coming? What lead them to do this?
- Pa and Ma decided to take a walk into town.
- When Mary and Laura realized a storm was coming, they brought in all of the wood from the wood pile.
- They remembered the story about the children freezing to death and didn’t want it to happen to them.
Winter Storm: What did Laura and Mary do during the stormy, winter days?
Laura and Mary did their school lessons, did chores, read books, drew pictures on their slate, and worked on their quilts. On Sunday, they repeated their Bible verses to Ma.
The Blizzard: How did Ma help cheer up the girls and drown out the sounds of the storm? What happened while they were playing? Why do you think Ma left the lantern lit in the window?
- They played bean-porridge hot.
- Balls of fire came rolling down the stovepipe.
- She put it in the window in case Pa was trying to find his way home.
The Story: Rewrite the story that Ma told with pictures (page 318).
Waiting: How did the girls spend the third day of waiting for Pa?
Laura and Mary studied their lessons and ate. They didn’t feel like doing anything fun. They just went to bed.
Pa’s Story: Retell Pa’s story of being lost in the blizzard.
Christmas Eve: Why was Laura happy even though there would be no candy or presents?
Pa was home. The grasshoppers were gone. They could have a wheat crop next year. They’d have oyster stew for Christmas dinner. She couldn’t think of anything else she wanted as Pa was safely home.
Additional Booklets:
Vocabulary: define any words with which you are unfamiliar.
My Blizzard Story: write a story about being in a blizzard.
Cover Image
Thank you for sharing! We actually will be visiting the site of the soddy at Plum Creek in about two weeks. This will be a fun project for our two dds to work on. ~woodmom
The links for chapters 24 and 27 seem to be missing. I'd love to have them to complete our set! Again, thank you! ~woodmom
The links were there (1 & 2 after the chapter header), but I updated to say here & here to make it more visible.