Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Prairie Truths: History Versus Fiction”

In this activity, students will work in groups to conduct research into what life was like for pioneers moving west in the 19th century, including the Native American populations that were already living there, and create a presentation comparing their research to the Ingalls family’s experiences in the book.

Life was very different for the Ingalls family in 1870s Kansas than it is for us today. They built a house from scratch, grew all of their vegetables in their own garden, and dealt with the constant threat of wolves. In this activity, you will step back in time and learn more about what life was really like in the American West during this period.

• You and your group will research a topic about life in the American West during the late 19th century. Topics may include:

o The everyday life and work of pioneers

o The role and impact of westward expansion, including the Homestead Act of 1862

o Education, entertainment, and community life on the prairie

o The experiences of Native American tribes during this period

• After your research, compare what you’ve learned with the experiences of the Ingalls family. Find specific examples in the text that are the same and areas where they differ. Think about how accurately the novel portrays life during this time.
• Each group will create a presentation to share with the class. In your presentation, you should include visuals, historical facts about your topic, and similarities and differences between reality and the novel.
• As you view other presentations, take notes on similarities and differences in other aspects of life displayed in the text.

After all the presentations are complete and presented, write a response to the following questions:

• Why might Laura Ingalls Wilder have chosen to change or omit certain historical facts?
• How might writing the novel 50 years after her experiences have affected the author’s portrayal of her family’s life on the prairie?

Teaching Suggestion: One option here is to divide your class into four groups, with each set of students assigned one of the four different research topics—this will help reduce duplication and ensure that there are presentations on all research categories. 

Depending on the size and abilities of your class, you may want to have students work individually. Working in groups allows students to share research with each other and divide up the workload, but working individually has the benefit of keeping all students accountable.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with anxiety about public speaking may benefit from other options to present their findings, such as a pre-recorded video or a poster, or presenting with a small group and contributing in ways that are not public speaking.