Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) [Paperback]

Rachel Dickinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Build It Yourself series

Build-it activities connect readers to the people who built their homes and communities on the frontier, enhancing this firsthand look at the history of the American West and pioneers. Readers will discover their own mapmaking skills while learning how and why people traveled west and will replicate the tough chore of building a house when creating a log cabin out of edible materials. Other projects that help kids better understand the hardships of life on the frontier include typesetting newspapers with alphabet pasta, making models of covered wagons and prairie bonnets, and making the quilts and candles that would have turned a house in the wilderness into a home.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Dickinson offers a brief overview of U.S. history from the Louisiana Purchase to the Census Bureau's 1890 declaration that the frontier was "closed," giving readers an idea of the people and the times, including mapping, the wagon trains, the hardships, the railroad, and home life. Each chapter comprises a general discussion, numerous illustrations, sidebars documenting important people and topics, a glossary of specialized terms, and one or two activities related to the chapter's theme. Projects range from a salt-dough relief map marking the routes of various trails to a recipe for pemmican. A supply list, succinct yet clear directions, and safety cautions are noted. Several activities, such as the cross-stitch sampler, are very time consuming, but others, such as the recipe for Johnnycakes, can be completed in less than an hour. Suggest this to middle-schoolers in need of a history project and to teachers, scout leaders, and camp counselors wanting new ideas. Weisman, Kay

Review

"Packs in interesting historical information and colorful facts about daily life in pioneer days along with interesting tidbits."  —The Buffalo News

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Nomad Press (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978503767
• ISBN-13: 978-0978503765
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,057,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a project book!, June 27, 2008

By 

Splendor Road (RR, NC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Pioneer Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series) (Paperback)

I was looking through past books I bought and didn't review and saw that this book had no reviews at all. Boy am I shocked!!! So here is my humble attempt at why I think you SHOULD get this book.

1. It has fun, easy to make, non trash projects that you and your kids will love.

2. It is a history book on pioneer times that is simple, concise and fun to understand.

3. If you like to lap book, no need to buy a kit; You will find this book a wealth of info to use for this purpose.

4. This book is great for any grade. It can be used as a topic study, unit study, semester study and in addition to your own curriculum.

I hope you buy and enjoy this as much as we have. Check out the other books in the Build it Yourself series. Colonial Projects is another favorite.