Unit-1-Little-House-in-the-Big-Woods

Unit1:LittleHouseintheBigWoodsI.Objectives:1.Skillobjectives:①Learnhowtopreviewabook②Learntoanalyzestoriesbasedonthegenericstructureofnarrative2.Languageobjectives:Mastertheimportantexpressionsandsentences3.Backgroundinformation①ReadaboutthelifeinthewildernessintheUnitedStatesintheearlydays②Readmoreabouttheauthor③ReadabouttheWestwardMovementII.TeachingMethods:1.Discussion2.Question-basedapproach:KWLIII.TimeArrangement1.Textanddiscussion:2hours2.Readingskillsandpractice:2hoursIV.RelatedInformation1.AbouttheauthorLauraIngallsWilder,well-knownauthoroftheLittleHouseseriesofbooks,wasborninthebigwoodsofWisconsin.Whenshewas7,sheandherfamilytraveledbycoveredwagonandmovedtotheprairielandofWalnutGrove,Minnesota.Herfamilywasoneofthepioneerfamilieswhosettledthere,followingtheHomesteadActof1862,whichencouragedAmericanstotravelwestandsettle.Today,thepeopleofWalnutGrovecelebrateWilder'sbookseveryJulywiththeLauraIngallsWilderPageant.ThePageantisafamily-orientedoutdoordramawithallofLauraIngallsWilder'sLittleHouseonthePrairiebookcharacters.Anactressplayinga70-year-oldLauranarratesthestory,reflectingonherlifeinWalnutGroveduringthe1870s.Ifyou'veneverreadanyoftheLittleHousebooks,youshould,becauseyoucanlearnalotaboutlifeinAmericaduringthe1870s.LauraIngallsWilderwasborninPepin,Wisconsin,inFebruary1867.ShewasthesecondoffourdaughtersborntoCaroline(Quiner)andCharlesPhilipIngalls.Wilder’searlylifewasspentconstantlymovingfromplacetoplace.Herfathercalledhimselfapioneermananddreamedofgoingwesttoexploreandsettleonunknownterritory.Theytraveledthroughthickwoods,overbarrenprairies,throughtheswollenMississippi,andovericywatersallintheircoveredwagon.TheymovedfromMissouri,toKansas,toWisconsin,toMinnesota,toIowaandfinallysettledinDeSmet,SouthDakota,whereherfatherclaimedahomestead.LauraandherthreesistersgrewupinDeSmet.Wilder,however,nevercouldquiteseethisplaceashome.ThemanymovesinherearlychildhoodmadeLauracometotheconclusionthattheonlywaytoknowthatshewastrulyhomewastohaveherfamilyaroundher.Followinginherfather’sdreams,Wildercalledherselfapioneergirlandmadeherhome1whereherfamilytookher.Wilderdidnotbeginwritingherfirstbook,LittleHouseintheBigWoods,until1931anditwasreleasedthefollowingyear.TheinstantsuccessofthebookledtotheLittleHouseseries,whichbecamepopularwithyoungreaders.Wildertookgreatcarewitheachbooktomakesurethatthepointofviewwasconsistentlyfromthatofachild.AllexceptFarmerBoywereNewberyhonorbooksandtheentireserieswasreprintedin1953.In1954theAmericanLibraryAssociationestablishedtheLauraIngallsWilderAwardinherhonorandWilderwasthefirstrecipient.Theawardisnowgiveneveryfiveyearstotheauthorwhohasmadeasubstantialcontributiontochildren'sliterature.MostrecentlyitwaspresentedtoVirginiaHamilton,whowasalsothefirstblackauthortowintheNewberyMedal.Aweeklytelevisionseries,LittleHouseonthePrairie,whichwasbasedlooselyonWilder’sbooks,beganin1974andranformanyseasons.WilderdiedinFebruary1957inMansfieldofastroke.Fortyyearsafterherdeath,childrencontinuetoreadandenjoyherbooks.2.AboutthestoryLaura'sdaughterRosegrewuplisteningtohermother'sstoriesofthosepioneerdays.Sheurgedhermothertowritethemdownsothatotherchildrencouldenjoythemaswell.Sointhe1930sand40s,Laurarecordedhermemoriesofthosedaysoflongagoinachildren’sseriesknownastheLittleHousebookswhichincludesLittleHouseintheBigWood(1932)FarmerBoy(1933)LittleHouseonthePrairie(1935)OntheBanksofPlumCreek(1937)BytheShoresofSilverLake(1939)TheLongWinter(1940)LittleTownonthePrairie(1941)ThoseHappyGoldenYears(1943)3.Culturalbackgroundnotes1.WestwardMovementinAmericaWestwardmovementinAmericacarriedsettlersacrossAmerica,fromtheAtlanticOceantothePacificOcean.Thewestwardmovementbeganintheearly1600’swithEuropeansettlementsalongtheAtlanticCoastofNorthAmerica.Itcontinueduntilthelate1800’s.Bythattime,thewesternfrontiersoftheUnitedStateshadbeenconquered.AnabundanceoflandandothernaturalresourcesluredAmerica’spioneerswestward.Furtraders,cattleranchers,farmers,andminersledthepushtothewest.Merchantsandotherbusinesspeoplefollowed.Thesehard-workingmenandwomenfacedgreatdangers,enduredseverehardships,andsufferedlonelinessandboredominthehopeofmakingabetterlifeforthemselvesandtheirchildren.Someofthemlookedtothewestforwealthoradventure.Otherssoughttoimprovetheirsocialpositionorincreasetheirpoliticalpower.Thepioneersstruggledwestwardacrosshills,mountains,andprairiesonfootandonhorseback.SomefloatedthroughtheErieCanalonbargesortraveleddownriversonflatboatsandsteamboats.Otherscrossedtheruggedwildernessincoveredwagons.Formanypioneers,theCumberlandGap,theOregonTrail,andotherroadswestbecamepathstoopportunity.TheAmericanfrontiershiftedwestwardinstages.ThefirstAmericanfrontierranalong2theAtlanticCoast.SettlersbegantocrosstheAppalachianMountainsafterterritorywestofthemountainscameunderBritishcontrolin1763.Duringtheearly1800’s,thenextpushwestwardtooksettlersintotheGreatLakesregion,theMississippiRiverValley,andtheplainsalongtheGulfofMexico.Bythemid-1840’s,adventurouspioneershadreachedwhatarenowCaliforniaandOregonintheFarWest.ThelastfrontierwastheGreatPlainsbet