Minnesota Pioneer Life of the 1800’s

A Trip Through the Imagination

What would life be like if we traveled back in time?

Let’s imagine…

To begin, we have to imagine we are the first people to settle a new land.

Who are we?

Pioneers.

Some of us may wear cotton fabric that has a design on it. What’s that

called?

Calico.

We’re traveling across the huge fields of grass. Where

are we?

The prairie.

And on our travels, we arrive in an area of land that’s owned by the government.

Where are we?

Minnesota Territory.

After entering Minnesota Territory, we locate a thick patch of trees or bushes. What is it?

A thicket.

Look! Over in the distance is a small, rounded hill. What is it?

Right! A knoll.

Let’s make this our homestead. What’s a

homestead?

The land and buildings a person owns.

On our homestead, we will need to build a home.

Where might we live if our home is “dug out” of the

ground?

A dugout. If we also had to use the top layer of soil and grass, what would we

need?

Sod.

Could we build a small addition to our home?

Sure. That’s called a lean-to.

Sometimes, a lean-to might be a good place to keep a container used to make butter.

What is the name of this container?

A churn.

As pioneer children, we may need to write our school lessons on a handheld

chalkboard. What do we call this?

A slate.

Can you imagine we are pioneers?

One more question…

Do you think there are pioneers today?

Let’s imagine…