Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Heroes of History by YWAM Publishing is a series of twenty-six biographies. We received a paperback copy of the biography, Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life by Janet and Geoff Benge, and the accompanying unit study in digital form. Although listed for ages 10+, we found this biography was a good fit for all ages.
Ways You Can Use the Heroes of History Books
There are several ways you can use the Heroes of History books.
- U.S. History curriculum (An outline for a one-year or two-year track of study is provided. It lists the titles of biographies and months your child should read them).
- Spine for a unit study approach
- Read aloud
- Independent reading enjoyment
What’s Included in the Unit Study Curriculum Guide for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Biography
This 80 page pdf is a gem! It’s chock full of so many great ideas. It’s amazing how much you can do for just one book! You can read through the guide and decide what activities best suit your child’s ability and interest, making the biography adaptable for all ages. You aren’t expected to do everything.
Even if you are using the text as a read aloud, you can choose one fun activity to do as a family. Or you can go more in-depth with a complete unit study. That is to say, parents can create a unique study of the book for their kids.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s included in the unit study curriculum guide.
Key Quotes
The authors list eight quotes by various people that relate in some way to the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder. You can ask your kids to make the connections to Laura’s life, use the quotes for memorization, or have your kids copy the quotes to put on display.
Display Corner
Another idea is to put together a collection of items related to South Dakota or pioneer life. A list of ideas is provided to help you create a display corner in your home.
Chapter Questions
There are six questions per chapter that range from factual recall to interpretation. You can ask your kids to answer these verbally or in written form.
Student Explorations
There are essay questions, creative writing, hands on projects, audio/visual projects, and arts/crafts. And there are several ideas for each of these topics. As a result, kids can choose from several student explorations based on their interests.
For example, students can choose from eight different essay topics and four different audio/visual projects. Your child will easily find something they want to do.
Community Links
The community links section is about going on field trips or inviting someone from the community to share their expertise that relates to the unit. Suggestions for locations to visit and people to ask to meet with are provided for you.
Social Studies
The social studies section has six different categories: Places, Journeys, Mapping, Terms/Vocabulary, Geographical Characteristics, Timelines, and Conceptual Questions. Comparing Laura’s journeys, learning new vocabulary, and learning why the midwest is called the “heartland” of America are just a few of the ideas for social studies.
Related Themes to Explore
There are many topics that can be studied that relate to a hero. In this section a graphic organizer shows all the different topics of interest that could be pursued in the areas of science, literature, folk culture, geography, and history. For example, other famous pioneers, diseases of the 1800s, or storms unique to the Midwestern prairie.
Culminating Event
Make a culminating event as simple or elaborate as you want. But deciding on what you want your culminating event to look like before you start your unit study is helpful. Then your kids can share the work they do during the unit with others in the end.
Appendices
Books and Resources
Other books about the author, related books, related Heroes of History books, movies and documentaries, articles, and internet sites, with synopsis and comments about how they’re related, are provided.
Answers to Chapter Questions
The answers to the first four questions of each chapter are provided. But answers to the fifth and sixth open-ended questions of each chapter will vary.
Reproducibles
The reproducibles include a fact sheet, maps, and a timeline.
The Unit Study Curriculum Guide helps you make the most of Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life when using it with kids of multiple ages and learning styles. Ideas for how to adapt the different activities are provided as well.
How We Used the Biography, Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life
My daughter read Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life on her own for enjoyment. Then we did some of activities suggested in the study guide.
First, we found the sheet music to three songs that Laura’s pa played on his fiddle when she was growing up: Horse Marines, My Darling Nellie Gray, and The Arkansas Traveler. I played two of them on my flute, and my daughter played one on her clarinet.
We love to bake, so we made hardtack like the kind Ma made for Laura’s pa before he embarked on his journey west ahead of the family. He promised it would be the last time they moved.
Laura’s mother churned butter every Thursday, so we made butter by shaking some whipping cream in a jar. Then we served the butter with the hardtack. It was delicious!
I spent one afternoon reading Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life myself. Every time my son came in he wanted to know what I was reading, so I read aloud portions of the book. Here’s what he had to say about the time when Laura could have drowned.
They’re living in the ground and there’s a creek near it. A little girl kept going in and was in the creek. Luckily she got back on the bridge. I liked that part.
6 year old son
Although I didn’t read the entire book to my kindergartener, I will in time, after I read him the Little House books. For him, the music and baking experiences were pre-reading activities to get him interested in the topic of pioneer life and to build his prior knowledge so that he’ll have something to relate to when we do read together.
This Laura Ingalls Wilder biography book surprised me. I didn’t realize it was a biography that would work for all ages!
Description of Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life
The actual book is a 193-page paperback. There’s an illustrated cover that shows different objects across a backdrop of the U.S. map representing some of the significant events in Laura’s life. Also, there’s a map in the front that shows part of the United Sates with the towns where Laura lived. There are no illustrated pages in the biography.
If you are familiar with the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, then reading this Heroes of History book feels like a condensed version of her childhood stories with the addition of her adult years.
As I read the book I kept thinking, “I remember that part.” But one significant event in the story confused me. I couldn’t remember it from her books, and for good reason. As I read on, I learned that Laura did not include the event. It was a sad time that she didn’t want her readers to experience. For me, that made me appreciate Laura and the Ingalls family even more. How did these people survive such hardships, disappointments, and grief?
I really enjoyed learning about Laura’s adulthood. I had no idea that her daughter became a writer and was influential in Laura getting published in her sixties. From riding in a covered wagon to driving a Buick, it’s amazing how much change she experienced in her lifetime!
What We Liked About the Laura Ingalls Wilder Biography
My daughter commented on how this book was more intriguing than your typical biography, because it reads like a story. You’re not a spectator or reading a report. You’re in the hero’s life experiencing what she’s experiencing.
I liked how it combined all her books together into one story, but at a good length and very readable.
13 year old daughter
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we really enjoyed this Laura Ingalls Wilder biography from the Heroes of History collection. I thought my daughter would be the only one to get value from this book, but it turns out it was a biography for all ages.
The accompanying unit study curriculum guide is an invaluable tool for making the most of the book. You can go in depth and do a complete unit study or just choose a few activities.
Be sure to read more reviews on other books from the Heroes of History series by going to the Homeschool Review Crew website.
