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LACELLE FAMILY MINISTRIES
PRESENTS:
SWIFT ARROW
FREE UNIT STUDY
SWIFT ARROW
is the story
of a family who immigrated to America in the early 1700's. The family lives in
what is Penn's woods. As time goes on, Marcus Boylan with his family to move
on with other pioneers to settle land in the west. Disaster strikes when their
son, George, is stolen along with another boy by Indians. This is the true story
of the boy and his life among the Indians and his escape. The story could have
had a much different ending had George chose to act on his own personal thoughts
instead of advice his father had given him.
It is written by Josephine Cunnington Edwards, one the best
story tellers and writers I have personally met. She was pretty well known in
the 1950s and 60s. She wrote many many stories that have such deep literary
value as well as being inspirational. This is a must read and one of the best
stories we have read as a family. I have written a unit to go along with this
book. The book has just recently come back into print.
This unit study and book is geared for grades 1 - 8. This
unit study is one that could be done in about a week or take up to a month -
depending on what you add in and what you leave out. $8.95
Buy Swift Arrow
LITERATURE UNIT STUDY SWIFT
ARROW by Joan LaCelle
Choose from the following activities and discussion questions
to enhance your study and enjoyment of this book.
Geography/History:
Draw a map of Penn's Woods and read a short Biography about William Penn and his
involvement in peace with the Indians. A great biography is William Penn,
Friendly Boy by Miriam E. Mason (from the Childhood of Famous American Series).
You might also read about the Quakers & Pennsylvania Colony.
HISTORY: It may be
interesting to read a few interesting biographies on Revolutionary War figures
(like: Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, George Washington etc.). From the
Childhood of
Famous American Series can be found stories of each of these men and others who
lived during this time.
Geography: On a map
try and guess where you think George's captors took him and his escape route
home.
Home Ec/Science: Make
an Indian meal similar to what George would have eaten. Some ideas would be Corn
bread, squash, corn, beans, rice, etc. Could make "Rabbit Stew". We are
vegetarians and made vegetable soup with chunks of TVP (soy protein that looks
and acts like beef in dishes) - made very good "rabbit stew". Find native plants
in the yard or woods to eat i.e. lambs quarters, dandelion, etc.
ART: Build a log cabin
like the Boylan's out of wooden sticks or Lincoln logs. If you have the space
available build a teepee in the back yard.
HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES:
Read about Indian life, their homes, games, language, work and hunting. A good
set to start with are those written by Robert Hofsinde.
ART/HOME EC: Make an
Indian Outfit. Simplicity Pattern #9145 has a selection of Indian Outfits that
are easy to put together. Have the child make his/her own headdress with beads
and feathers. We made moccasins by taking heavy brown material and punching
holes all the way around the top and bottom and them lacing with a "leather"
type string.
SCIENCE/NATURE: From
the story you learned how the Indians were careful to use all their senses in
tracking animals and people. Take a walk and use your "senses" to see animal
tracks or other indications of animals that have been in the vicinity.
Experiment using your eyes, ears, nose or hands. Watch
Video: Poop, Paw & Hoof Prints. I found this at our local library through
interlibrary loan - if you can't find this one try to find a similar video, if
possibly to view.
RESEARCH SKILLS:
Research how to skin a deer & how it was tanned. Amos Fortune was an excellent
tanner and lived about the same time period. Read his story. Another book of
information is "How the settlers lived".
RESEARCH SKILLS: Find
out how the Indians lived in the land area of the states of Michigan, Ohio,
Pennsylvania ect. Draw pictures and make short notes to paste in Journal
(mentioned below).
ART/SOCIAL STUDIES:
Try your hand at making some of the items that would have been necessary to
Frontier Life, for instance, churn butter, make soap, make candles, make cheese,
dry fruit & vegetables, collect & dry herbs, make a piece of clothing or a small
quilt and plant a garden, build simple wood furniture (like a stool).
SOCIAL STUDIES: From
the book Indian Games & Crafts by: Robert Hofsinde (or another like book) choose
a few activities to help acquaint you with the Indian entertainment and
lifestyle.
BIBLE/HISTORY: Who
from the Bible was taken from their home and thrust into a different culture?
How did they choose to act? (Read about Daniel, Joseph & Little Maid to Naaman).
You might like to write a short story about one of the Bible Characters and
illustrate it with a picture. Add this to the Journal.
JOURNALING: We took a
spiral art pad (8 1/2 X 11) and used it to paste in the research, photos of
projects completed, pictures drawn, recipes used, lists of books read, book
reports, and maps made or copied, and any other pertinent info. You can spice it
up with artwork around pages, stickers or magazine pictures. This makes a nice
final product of your unit.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think Robert and George were separated?
2. What do you think happened to Robert? Why was it different for George?
3. What do you think it felt like to be taken from home? What do you think
kept George strong?
4. Why would Big Wolf want George for a son?
5. Why did they feel negative against the "pale face" people? Were they
justified in their feeling? Why or why not?
6. How did George use his time? How did it profit him?
7. How did George earn the name Swift Arrow?
8. Was George unloyal to Big Wolf's investment of time and training and
years? Why or why not?
9. Where did George draw the line in his loyalty to his new family and why?
Would you be able to do that?
VOCABULARY: (choose
words based on child's abilities)
Cabin, Frontier, Survival, Wilderness, Camouflage,
Track, Loyalty, Buckskin, Settlement, Wigwam, Paleface, Chant,
Pioneer, Papoose, Homestead, Wagon Train, Squaw, Ax, Hatchet,
Clearing, & Pow Pow.
Some good books, tapes &
videos to use in your unit study:
Calico Captive (story of a young
woman and her family stolen by Indians during the French and Indian War ).
By, Elizabeth George Speare. (we enjoyed this book).
Spotted Boy and the Commanches (story of a boy
stolen by Indians in the southwest). By Author, Mabel Earp Cason. (This was a
nice story that we enjoyed too).
The Your Story Hour Sets have several true
stories of Indians that are well worth listening to.
YOUR STORY HOUR TAPES FOR THIS STUDY:
Album 1: Joseph
Album 3: Captive Maid & Namaan, Esther
Album 4: Daniel
Album 6:
Benjamin Franklin
Album 9:
The Miller & the Indians
Album 10:
Queer Moccasins, Caracooche (story of nice treatment one white
family
showed an Indian Chief the blessed consequences).
Great New Stories 2:
George Washington, John Hancock, Good Neighbor (bio of
a lady frontier doctor).
Poop, Paw & Hoof Prints a video
on looking for and finding what wildlife has been "there" before you by
looking for the signs they leave behind.
Frontier Living by Edwin Tunis.
Back to Basics
by Reader's Digest - a wonderful resource to learn how to do all kinds of
things from gardening, to keeping animals, making soap, candles & all kinds
of other things. Very helpful!
Robert Hofsinde's books: Indians at Home, Indian
Costumes, The Indian and his horse, The Indian's secret world, Indian Sign
language, Indian picture writing, Indian and the buffalo, Indian beadwork,
Indian fishing and camping, Indian Hunting.
Crinkleroot's book of animal tracking by Jim
Arnosky.
How to be a nature detective by Millicent Selsam.
Indian Rawhide by Mable Morrow.
LaCelle Family
Ministries
9199 Howd Rd
Camden, NY 13316
For information on
ordering
Your Story Hour Tapes (or
click the link below to see the Your Story Hour Sets) write us at the
above address.
YOUR
STORY HOUR TAPES AND CDs
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