Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

Table of Contents 

Goals and Materials 1 

Teacher Resource 2-6 

Photograph List 7 

Teacher Bibliography and Resource List 12 

Personal Writing Journal 13 

 

Worksheets 

Prairie Life Word Find 14 

Prairie Life Word Find Key 15 

Homesteading Word Scramble 16 

Homesteading Word Scramble key 17 

Homesteading Crossword Puzzle 18 

Homesteading Crossword Puzzle Key 19 

 

Activities 

Reading an Object 20-21 

 Object Identification Sheet 22-24 

Building a Soddy Sequence Activity 25-26 

 Building a Soddy Sequence Worksheet 27-28 

 Building a Soddy Sequence Answer Sheet 29-30 

Food on the Homestead: Churning butter 31-32 

Letters East 33 

Life on the Prairie: Create a Homesteading Poem 34 

 Prairie Life Word Bank 35 

Mapping South Dakota 36 

 Mapping South Dakota instructions 37 

 SD Map worksheet 38 

 Advance of Settlement map 39 

 Farming and Ranching area map 40 

 County Population Change chart 41 

 Mapping South Dakota Answer Sheet 42 

 SD Map Answer Sheet 43 

Newspaper Comparison 44-45 

 1880s Compare and Contrast worksheet 46 

 1920s Compare and Contrast worksheet 47 

Old Timer’s Games 48-49 

 Game instructions 50-52 

Pioneer Newspaper 53-54 

Prairie Poetry 55 

 “The Pioneers” poem 56 

 “Happiness” poem 57 

 

Photographs number 1 through 9 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

1 

Goals and Materials 

Goals

Kit users will: 

• explore the history and development of homesteading

• compare life on a prairie homestead with life today

• understand the process of filing a claim and the work needed to 

succeed as a homesteader 

• gain knowledge and experience in learning from objects 

Materials

This kit contains: 

Teacher Resource binder 

9 photographs 

1 washboard 

1 butter mold 

1 cigar box 

1 green mason jar w/glass lid and metal ring 

1 clear mason jar w/metal lid and metal ring 

1 sample of sod 

1 bag of marbles with 7 clay marbles 

1 bag of marbles with 33 glass marbles 

6 Soddy Sequence posters 

1 1880s newspaper 

1 1920s newspaper 

1 darning egg 

1 coffee grinder 

1 butter churn 

1 rag rug 

1 brass oil lamp 

2 encased samples of barbed wire 

1 wooden bowl with 6 stones 

3 corn cob darts 

1 packet of Prairie Life word cards 

2 pieces of string 

1 cheesecloth 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Teacher Resource 

The push for people to start moving west started as far back as 

1783 when Great Britain ceded The Northwest Territory to the United 

States. This Territory extended from the Ohio and Mississippi rivers 

north to the Great Lakes. The government wanted to sell the land for 

money to pay off some of its expenses and to settle the land in an 

orderly fashion with future admission to the Union in mind. Between 

1784 and 1787, Congress set up its policy for settlement and 

management of the Territory. 

The Homestead Acts

Nearly a century later, in 1862, Congress passed the Homestead 

Act. The Homestead Act gave 160 acres (a quarter mile square) of 

public land to the heads of families or individuals over twenty-one. Noncitizens could also acquire the land if they intended to become citizens. 

One out of ten homesteaders were single females. Homesteaders had 

to live on the land for five years and improve it to get the land for free; 

otherwise they paid $1.25 per acre. This process was called “proving 

up” because the settlers were supposed to show that they actually lived 

on the land for the time required. The Homestead Act took effect on 

midnight of January 1, 1863. The first claim in Dakota Territory filed 

under the Homestead Act was by Mahlon S. Gore who claimed a 

homestead in Union County.1

 In 1872, the Homestead Act was opened 

to Civil War veterans, both Union and Confederate. When they filed for 

a homestead the time they had spent in the service was deducted from 

the time they needed to live on the claim to prove up. 

Other acts that dealt with land ownership included the Pre-emption 

Act, the Timber Culture Act, and the Enlarged Homestead Act. The 

Timber Culture Act provided a 160-acre land grant with the provision 

that 10 of the 160 acres be planted with trees and maintained for ten 

years. The Pre-emption Act allotted an additional 160 acres of land that 

could be bought after six months if the land was improved upon. The 

Enlarged Homestead Act allowed homesteads to be increased from 160 

to 320 acres in dryer states. South Dakota did not adopt this act until 

1915, as it did not want to be known as a dry state. Homesteaders ___________________________________________ 

1

 South Dakota State Historical Society, “The South Dakota experience: Proving 

Up”, (gallery exhibit installed 1992). 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

3 

could file a claim under each act. 

To claim title to land under the Homestead Acts, settlers first filed 

their intentions with the nearest land office. The office checked for 

previous ownership claims and the availability of the land the settler 

wanted. A filing fee of $10 was paid for proof of temporary land 

ownership with a $2 commission paid to the land agent.2 The 

homesteader returned to the claim, built a residence, and began making 

improvements. At the end of the designated “proving up” time, two 

neighbors or friends went to the land office and signed a document 

stating that the homesteader had lived on and improved the property. 

After paying a $6 filing fee, the homesteader received the patent for the 

land. 

It was not until 1878 when the first Dakota boom hit that many 

people moved into the South Dakota area. Most headed for land 

between the Missouri and the James Rivers. People also flocked to the 

Black Hills. At the beginning of the boom the 1880 census shows 

135,000 people living in Dakota. Ten years later 540,000 people made 

South Dakota their home.3

 The population had quadrupled in just ten 

years. The 1890 census showed most of the people living in South 

Dakota were born in the state. Migrants came mostly from Wisconsin 

and Iowa and many were already United States citizens. Immigrants 

that settled in South Dakota at the time came primarily from Norway, 

Germany, and Russia.4

 Mennonites, Germans from Russia, and 

Hutterites also settled in the state.5

Many factors fueled the Dakota boom. The discovery of gold in 

the Black Hills brought in many prospectors even before the area was 

officially opened in 1877. Plenty of rain and the end of the grasshopper 

plagues made 1877 and 1878 good crop years. Most of the good land 

was already taken in surrounding states so settlers took more interest in 

Dakota. Transportation improved as more railroads expanded. The 

railroad companies published books and pamphlets urging people to 

come to Dakota with descriptions of great farming and booming 

businesses. They had a vested interest in bringing in settlers because 

they profited by selling railroad-owned land located along the lines. 

Exaggerated claims of opportunity and success fueled the dreams of 

_____________________ 

2

 Homestead Act [online] www.nps.gov/home/homestead_act.htm. 3

 David Miller and Nancy Veglahn, The South Dakota Story. (no publisher, no date), 

69. 

4

 James Smith, Geography of the Northern Plains and other essays. (Sioux Falls: 

Augustana College Press, 1990), 17. 

5

 Miller, 70 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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many easterners and compelled them to move west. Newly arrived 

immigrants also headed west lured by the opportunity for free land. 

The Dakota boom ended in the 1880s as drought spread, and 

grasshoppers once more became a problem. Most of the good land had 

been taken. Dropping wheat and livestock prices, along with the rising 

costs for machinery and transportation, contributed to the end of the 

boom. 

A second Dakota boom hit in 1902 and lasted until 1915. This 

boom was spurred by the expansion of railroads into western South 

Dakota. Boom towns would spring up wherever the railroad workers 

stopped construction for the season. One of the reasons for this boom 

was the Dawes Act or Indian Allotment Act of 1887. This act broke up 

reservation land into individual 160-acre farms with one family living on 

each farm. Following the allotment of the reservation land to tribal 

members, surplus land was opened to settlers and miners. Tribal 

members could not sell their allotted land for twenty years. They did not 

fare well under this arrangement. Forced changes in their traditional 

way of life caused illness and epidemics in the 1880s.6

 In 1904, the 

Rosebud, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock reservations were 

opened to settlers.7

 The land was dry but settlers figured that any land 

was better than no land. 

Other reasons for the second Dakota boom included better 

transportation with the expanded rail lines and improved farming 

methods. In 1905, the Orman Dam near Belle Fouche was finished and 

provided irrigation to nearby farms. In 1910, new farm equipment, 

including a gasoline-powered tractor, came on the market. Improved 

farming technology gave people confidence in their ability to tame the 

land and produce good crops. 

Sod Houses

The prairie provided little wood for building so settlers used sod for 

their houses and barns. Inexpensive and relatively quick to build these 

structures were called soddies. To meet the requirements of the 

Homestead Act, a house had to be at least eight by ten feet to qualify as 

a residence. Sod houses were built by turning over furrows on about 

half an acre of land where the sod was thickest and strongest.8

 These ________________________________ 

6

 Miller, 82 

7 Miller, 95 

8 J.L. Carr, The Old Timers. (Huron, SD: J.L. Carr, 1957), 12. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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furrows were then cut into bricks about three feet long and one foot 

wide.9 The bricks were carefully moved to the location of the house. 

Sod walls were built by laying the bricks in pairs, with mud in between, 

and placing every third layer cross-wise. Stacking the bricks grass side 

down helped bind them together. 

 The trickiest part of building a sod house was putting on the roof. 

Too steep, and it eroded away in the rain and snow run-off; too flat, and 

it developed leaks and deteriorated. If the eaves were too wide, the 

wind could blow the roof off. Roofs were often constructed using a 

wooden frame topped with tar paper and a thin layer of sod. Smearing 

on a clay mixture helped reinforce the structure and harden it in the sun. 

Sod houses were solid in the wind and provided relief from temperature 

extremes outdoors. They were usually temporary homes until a better 

wood house could be built. Dugouts, also temporary homes, were built 

by tunneling into the side of a hill and building out with sod or wood. 

Claim shanties were flimsy lumber buildings. Tar paper and old 

newspapers stuck on the walls kept out cold winds. They too were 

temporary until something more substantial could be built. 

Whatever type of building they constructed, homesteaders built 

near water whenever possible. If not, digging a well was a top priority. 

Sometimes it would take numerous digs at depths up to two hundred 

feet before water was found.10 Because water was vital, homesteaders’ 

houses were often arranged in a court where property lines met at a 

water source.11 Wise homesteaders also plowed a firebreak around 

their houses and barns as a protection against prairie fires. 

Daily Life

On a claim, everyone had a job to do, including children. Children 

were very economically valuable to the farm family. They were often 

given the task of caring for livestock. Other chores included husking 

corn, carrying fuel, milking cows, hunting eggs, and working in the 

garden and fields.12 

Growing, preserving and preparing food took a great deal of time 

and energy on a claim. With highly seasonal and localized food 

_____________________ 

9

 Josie Lee Yose, (Brookings, SD: J.L. Yost,1983),16.

10 Jon Tuska and Vicki Piekarski, The Frontier Experience. (Jefferson: 

North Carolina, 1984), 157. 

11 Smith, 39 

12 Tuska and Piekarski, 157 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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sources, poor nutrition was not uncommon. Canning, widespread by the 

late 1800’s, provided an inexpensive way to preserve foods of all 

kinds.13 Milk, butter and other foods needing a cool place could be 

lowered into the well shaft. 

Another difficult chore was washing clothes. Hauling and heating 

the water was only the first step. Clothes were soaked, then scrubbed 

on a washboard. Finally, they were rinsed and laid out in the sun to dry. 

The weather could make the hard work of homesteading even 

harder. Hail storms wiped out entire fields. Blizzards sometimes got so 

bad that people died losing their way between the barn and the house. 

Wire or rope stretched between all the buildings provided a thin safety 

net. 

While homesteaders were busy building up and working on their 

individual claims, they were also building communities. Work like 

harvesting and barn raising became social events as neighbors came 

together to work, socialize, and share in plenty of good food. Schools 

were quickly established after homes were built. The school became 

the social heart of the community. Dances, spelling bees and literary 

circles provided an opportunity for neighbors to get together. 

Homesteading was hard, and many hopeful settlers went back 

east where the weather was more predictable and the land was more 

fertile. In the one hundred twenty four years the Homestead Act was in 

effect, two million people started homesteads. Of those two million, only 

40% were successful in earning the title to the land.14 Those that stayed 

worked hard to create a good life for themselves, their children, and their 

communities. 

_____________________ 

13 Riney-Kehrberg, “Pamela. Child Labor on Nebraska Farms: 1870-

1920.” Nebraska History 82 (Spring 2001): 3. 

14 Homestead Legacies [online] www.nps.gov/home/legacies.htm
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South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Photograph List

All photographs are from the South Dakota State Archives 

1. Homestead with inscription “Leona’s Claim Shack” n.d. 

2. Wash day on the claim, 1911. 

3. Wash day with less help, 1911. 

4. A soddy with family out in front, n.d. 

5. Another building style found on the prairie used tree limbs covered 

with clay. Note the built-on addition with wood siding, n.d. 

6. This sod house was the first home of Thomas and Bridget Towey on 

their farm in Elkton, SD. They built this sod house in 1882. 

7. John O. Hanson’s sod house near Bucyrus, ND. Mr. Hanson is 

seated in front with Mr. Skogen standing behind him and Christ 

Amundson striking a pose in the background. 1909. 

8. Interior of a school in Manly, Iowa. The date on the chalkboard is 

June 26, 1897. 

9. Dieter School, Spink County, SD. The school is furnished to show 

how it would have looked in 1904. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Bibliography 

Note: Libraries holding the books are listed by their South Dakota Library Network PALS 

code. Book summaries are also from the SDLN PALS database. 

Biography

Crew, Keith. Prairie homestead: meet the Browns and their neighbors. Philip, SD: Prairie 

Homestead Creations, 1996. 42 p. 

Libraries: BHS SDB SDS LVE HPL

Gregory, Kristina. Across the wide and lonesome prairie: the Oregon Trail diary of Hattie 

Campbell. New York: Scholastic, c1997. In her diary, thirteen-year-old Hattie chronicles her 

family's arduous 1847 journey from Missouri to Oregon on the Oregon Trail. 168 p. 

Libraries: RCP SBR SDS SDW STG SDD AML LVE HPL RPL SPF WAT MMS MPL JFS 

YCL DWD MDM 

Harvey, Brett. My prairie year: based on the diary of Elenore Plaisted. New York: Holiday 

House, c1986. Nine-year old Elenore describes her experiences living with her family in the 

Dakota Territory in the late nineteenth century. 40 p. 

Libraries: DSU NSU RCP SBR SDF SDH SDS STG USD SDD AML MIT LVE 

FGH JHE SPF EMS PHM WAT MPL YCL CES MDE GDS HPL

O'Hara, Megan. Pioneer farm: living on a farm in the 1880s. Mankato, Minn.: Blue Earth 

Books, 1998. Uses the story of a young girl and her family to describe life on a small farm in 

Minnesota in the nineteenth century. 32 p. 

Libraries: SDD AML MIT HPL SPF WAT

Warren, Andrea. Pioneer girl: growing up on the prairie. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 

1998. Tells about the daily life and activities of a pioneer girl growing up on the prairies of 

Nebraska. 96 p. 

Libraries: RCP SBR SDS SDW STG USD SDD MIT JHE HPL RPL EMS WMS 

WAT 

 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. The first four years. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. 

During their first four years of marriage, Laura and Almanzo Wilder have a child and fight a 

losing battle in their attempts to succeed at farming on the South Dakota prairie. 134 p. 

Libraries: BHS DSU NSU PRN SBR SDA SDB SDF SDH SDS SDW USD SDD 

AML MIT YHS SGC LVE JHE RPL SPF APM EMS PHM WMS WAT MPL YCL 

MHS CMS CES MDE CCH GDS TCM BHS RCP SBR STG SDD 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little house on the prairie. New York: Harper, c1953. 

 A family travels from the big woods of Wisconsin to a new home on the prairie, where they 

build a house, meet neighboring Indians, build a well, and fight a prairie fire. 334 p. 

Libraries: DSU NSU PRN SBR SDA SDS SDW USD MMC AML MIT MKE FGH JHE 

HPL APM EMS WMS WAT YCL MHS MDM 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

9 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. A little prairie house: adapted from the Little house books by Laura 

Ingalls Wilder. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. A family travels to a new home on the 

prairie, where they build a house and meet a friendly neighbor. 32 p. 

Libraries: SDS STG SDD AML LVE JHE HPL RPL WAT MPL YCL 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Prairie day: adapted from the Little house books. New York: 

HarperCollins, 1997. A little girl and her pioneer family travel westward to find a new home 

on the prairie. unpaged. 

Libraries: SBR SDD AML LVE FGH HPL WAT YCL MDE 

Non-Fiction

Bannatyne-Cugnet, Jo. A prairie alphabet. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1992.unpaged. 

Libraries: SBR STG USD MIT LVE HPL WAT MPL 

Bannatyne-Cugnet, Jo. A prairie year. Montreal: Tundra, 1994. 32 p. 

Libraries: DSU STG SDD MIT SDO LVE HPL RPL WAT 

Geisert, Bonnie. Prairie town. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Describes a year in the life 

of a prairie town including the effect of seasons and of economics on the ebb and flow of this 

agricultural community. 32 p. 

Libraries: NSU RCP SBR SDS SDW SDD AML MIT RPL PHM ASE YCL 

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Homesteading: settling America’s heartland. New York: Walker, 

1998. Chronicles the activities of the homesteaders who settled the vast American prairies 

during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 32 p. 

Libraries: RCP SBR SDS SDD YCL 

Stein, R. Conrad. The story of the Homestead Act. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1978. Discusses 

the 1864 Homestead Act that offered United States citizens and immigrants large tracts of 

inexpensive land on the Great Plains. 31 p. 

Libraries: RCP AML MIT JHE YCL 

Stutson, Caroline. Prairie primer: A to Z. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 1996. 

Life on the prairie is depicted in this rhyming alphabet book. 32 p. 

Libraries: RCP SDS SDD LVE SPF YCL 

Fiction

Armstrong, Jennifer. Black-eyed Susan: a novel. New York: Crown Publishers, 1995. Tenyear-old Susie and her father love living on the South Dakota prairie with its vast, 

uninterrupted views of land and sky, but Susie's mother greatly misses their old life in Ohio. 

120 p. 

Libraries: MIT SBR AML BHS RCP SBR SDW STG USD SDD LVE MPL ASE 

MMS JHE EMS SDS YCL 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

10 

Brenner, Barbara. Wagon wheels. New York: Harper and Row, 1978. Shortly after the Civil 

War a black family travels to Kansas to take advantage of the free land offered through the 

Homestead Act. 64 p. 

Libraries: NSU RCP SBR SDA SDS SDD AML SDO JHE RPL YCL DWD CES 

GDS HPL 

Conrad, Pam. Prairie songs. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. Louisa's life in a loving 

pioneer family on the Nebraska prairie is altered by the arrival of a new doctor and his 

beautiful, tragically frail wife. 167 p. 

Libraries: BHS RCP SDA SDS STG USD SDD AML MIT SDO YHS LVE FGH RHS RPL 

SPF APM EMS PHM WMS WAT MPL YCL MHS MDM 

Howard, Ellen. The chickenhouse house. New York: Atheneum, 1991. 

When Alena and her family move onto new farmland out on the prairie, they must live at first 

in the chickenhouse because there is no time to build a house before winter; then with the 

warm weather comes the excitement of watching the big new house go up. 52 p. 

Libraries: DSU RCP SBR STG SDD MIT JHE 

Lawlor, Laurie. Addie across the prairie. Niles, Ill.: A. Whitman, 1986. 

Unhappy to leave her home and friends, Addie reluctantly accompanies her family to the 

Dakota Territory and slowly begins to adjust to life on the prairie. 128 p. 

Libraries: MPL NSU SBR SDF SDS USD SDD AML FGH JHE RPL SPF WAT 

MPL YCL CES MDE AML MPL MDM CES GDS HPL SDH TCM 

Morris, Neil. Home on the prairie. New York: M. Cavendish, 1989. Presents the adventures 

of one family of pioneer settlers on the prairie, after the Homestead Act of 1862 opened up 

the West. Information pages supply additional facts about life in the American West. 23 p. 

Libraries: MIT SDD WAT MDE 

Turner, Ann Warren. Dakota dugout. New York: Macmillan, 1985. A woman describes her 

experiences living with her husband in a sod house on the Dakota prairie. 32 p. 

Libraries: BHS NSU RCP SBR SDA SDB SDH SDS SDW STG USD SDD MMC AML 

MIT LVE FGH RPL SPF WMS WAT MPL YCL DWD LHS PHM ASE CES MDE DSU 

SDF EMS HPL 

Purdy, Carol. Iva Dunnit and the big wind. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1985.

A pioneer woman with six children uses her wits and strength to save her prairie home during 

a fearsome windstorm. 30 p. 

Libraries: STG SDD MIT LVE JHE RPL MPL YCL BHS MDL 

Reynolds, Marilynn. The prairie fire. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book Publishers, 1999. When 

Percy spots a prairie fire approaching his homestead, he must conquer his fear in order to 

save the house. 32 p. 

Libraries: AML JHE RPL YCL RCP SDS SDW USD SDD MPL 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Reynolds, Marilynn. The new land: a first year on the prairie. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book 

Publishers, 1997. Tells the story of the first year of a pioneer family, from their journey by 

boat, train, and wagon to their own plot of land, through the task of finding water, building 

the homestead, plowing the land, and surviving their first winter. 33 p. 

Libraries: SDD SDS RPL JHE 

Richardson, Arleta. Prairie homestead. Elgin, Ill.: Chariot Family Pub., 1994. Eight-year-old 

orphan Ethan and his three younger siblings are taken in by the Rush family and find 

themselves homesteading in South Dakota. 141 p. 

Libraries: SDH WAT 

Rice, Bebe Faas. The year the wolves came. New York: Dutton Children’s Boooks, 1994. 

Fourteen-year-old Therese recalls life on her family's farm on the Canadian prairie during the 

winter of 1906 when the arrival of both blizzards and wolves leads to a terrifying revelation 

about her beautiful, other-worldly mother. 148 p. 

Libraries: RCP SBR SDA SDW STG SDD AML MIT LVE HPL SPF PHM WAT 

MPL YCL DWD MDM MDE GDS APM EMS WMS JHE ASE 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Teacher Bibliography and Resource List 

Campbell, John Martin. The prairie schoolhouse. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico 

Press, 1996. 150 p. 

Libraries: BHS RCP SDA SDS STG USD SDD MIT 

Cather, Willa. O pioneers! Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1957, 1913. 

308 p. 

Libraries: DSU SBR SDA SDB SDW USD MIT RPL YCL 

Corey, Elizabeth. Bachelor Bess: the homesteading letters of Elizabeth Corey, 1909-1919.

Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1990. 462 p. 

Libraries: BHS NSU SBR SDA SDB SDH SDS SDW USD AML LVE RPL PHM 

DWD 

Hubalek, Linda K. Butter in the well: a Scandinavian woman's tale of life on the prairie.

Hillsboro, Kan.: Hearth Pub., 1992. This is a fictionalized account of Kajsa Svensson 

Runeberg's first 20 years on her Kansas farm. 128 p. 

Library: LVE 

Idso, Torval. Survival on the prairie: or Homesteading on the standing rock. Chatfield, MN: 

Idso Torval, 1971. 43 p. 

Libraries: SDS SDH 

Siberts, Bruce. Nothing but prairie and sky; life on the Dakota range in the early days.

Norman: University of Oklahoma Press [c1954]. 217 p. 

Libraries: BHS DSU NSU PRN RCP SBR SDA SDB SDH SDS SDW SMT USD SDD 

AML MIT YHS FGH RHS HPL RPL SPF WAT MPL YCL DWD 

Webpages

http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/06006.html 

-Information on the Homestead Act with a list of additional sources 

http://www.time-passages.com/homestead-act.html 

-North Dakota and South Dakota genealogy with a searchable census and the actual 

Homestead Act 

http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/homestead_act.html 

-Brief history of homesteading with one picture 

http://www.nps.gov/home/home.htm 

-Homestead National Monument of Nebraska homepage 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Personal Writing Journal 

 One of the top fourth grade writing standards is maintaining a personal writing 

journal or folder. This standard fits in well with the Homesteading Education Kit and the 

lesson plans provided by it. The benefits of having participants keep a personal writing 

journal or folder are numerous. Some advantages include the chance to consider varying 

perspectives, the opportunity to examine relationships with others and the world, time to 

reflect on ideas, experiences, and opinions, as well as document academic and personal 

growth by comparing earlier and later entries. Give participants specific ideas to reflect on 

when assigning them to write in their journal. Listed here are some ideas that the participants 

can reflect on. 

Reading an Object- Participants can write about the discussion. Participants can write 

about their favorite object and write from the perspective of the person who previously 

owned the object. 

Building a Soddy Sequence Activity- Participants can write about how most people 

acquire homes today and the way homesteaders on the prairie did so. Participants can write 

about an invention that would make building a soddy easier. 

Food on the Homestead: Churning Butter- Participants can reflect on the 

experience of making their own butter, how it was made, how it tasted, and how it was 

different than store bought butter. Participants can imagine the daily life on the prairie and 

the chores that needed to be done. 

Letters to the East- Participants can include their letters in their folder. 

Life on the Prairie: Create a Homesteading Poem- Participants can record their 

poem in their journal. 

Mapping South Dakota- Participants can include their SD Map Worksheet in their 

folder. Participants can write about what they learned about historic South Dakota and about 

what changes they predict for the future of South Dakota. 

Newspaper Comparison- Participants can include their Compare and Contrast 

Worksheet in their folder. Participants can write about what they found interesting when 

doing the comparison. 

Old Timer’s Games- Participants can write about the discussion questions provided with 

the activity. 

Pioneer Newspaper- Participants can include their group’s newspaper in their folder. 

Prairie Poetry- Participants can include their poem in their folder. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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 Name_____________________

 

Prairie Life Word Find

 

 

A S Y J U I O P L K E R W V C G H J K 

D W A S B S E I T H K N M P L E R P A 

F A C D V B Z D E O L P M N Y R Y V W

E S N U I O D U G O U T E D E F S C Y 

Y H R E G N Y U J S D E T W T S O V D 

L B P O C N Y T U N J C H U R N D C A 

C O C X D E E H U K A O P R E U H K K 

V A E S T T B V R D K I O U P I O O O

J R F C P O I U A M P V R E N E U I T 

O D R A S R I E P R A I R I E R S Y A 

L E R D S E T D G F I E R U J F E T B 

M D D G U S A S G P L U I M B D G H O

A B U F E A R O D R Y F A R M I N G O

R G H M L K P C K O H H M L G F P O M

I T O U H N D O Y V J L B P B R L K I 

V H R U R E L I H I K P V O E O K U A 

H Y S X V A I O G N T O E I R N U Y S 

R U E L F K O P E G R F W U U T J G F 

E H U F C S O D B U S T E R I I N F E 

Y G U U G H L H E P S A L H O E M D R 

T B U R T Y O P L K U H L S D R Q R T 

D H K I U M N E R B G W Y U K P L Z X 

H B T V S W E G D H F Y F S D R L K O

F V C R E A S F R H K L P O I U E R B 

 

 Proving Up Bonnet Homestead Act Sodbuster 

 Dry Farming Prairie Sod House Washboard 

 Churn Dugout Pail Dakota Boom 

 Well Buffalo Horse Frontier 

 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

15 

 Prairie Life Word Find Answer Sheet

 

A S Y J U I O P L K E R W V C G H J K 

D W A S B S E I T H K N M P L E R P A 

F A C D V B Z D E O L P M N Y R Y V W

E S N U I O D U G O U T E D E F S C Y 

Y H R E G N Y U J S D E T W T S O V D

L B P O C N Y T U N J C H U R N D C A 

C O C X D E E H U K A O P R E U H K K 

V A E S T T B V R D K I O U P I O O O

J R F C P O I U A M P V R E N E U I T 

O D R A S R I E P R A I R I E R S Y A 

L E R D S E T D G F I E R U J F E T B 

M D D G U S A S G P L U I M B D G H O

A B U F E A R O D R Y F A R M I N G O

R G H M L K P C K O H H M L G F P O M

I T O U H N D O Y V J L B P B R L K I 

V H R U R E L I H I K P V O E O K U A 

H Y S X V A I O G N T O E I R N U Y S 

R U E L F K O P E G R F W U U T J G F 

E H U F C S O D B U S T E R I I N F E 

Y G U U G H L H E P S A L H O E M D R 

T B U R T Y O P L K U H L S D R Q R T 

D H K I U M N E R B G W Y U K P L Z X 

H B T V S W E G D H F Y F S D R L K O

F V C R E A S F R H K L P O I U E R B 

 

 Proving Up Bonnet Homestead Act Sodbuster 

 Dry Farming Prairie Sod House Washboard 

 Churn Dugout Pail Dakota Boom 

 Well Buffalo Horse Frontier 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

16 

Name________________________ 

Homesteading Word Scramble 

1) Very bad weather on the prairie 

RILZDZAB ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 8 

2) A social time on the homestead 

RBAN GASRIIN ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 10 

3) Cattle, sheep, or pigs 

EITOCKSVL ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 7 

4) (4&5) What the Old West was called 

TERNEWS ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

 5 

5) ITRNFORE ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

 6 

6) Nickname for a type of house 

DOSDY ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 9 

7) First person living in an area 

NEPROIE ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 4 

8) A type of house 

OUGDTU ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 2 

9) What a settler files for 

ALMIC ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 11 3 

10) Type of crop grown on the prairie 

THWAE ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

1 12 

Name of the Act passed in 1862 

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Homesteading Word Scramble Answer Sheet 

1) Very bad weather on the prairie 

RILZDZAB BLIZZARD 

 

2) A social time on the homestead 

RBAN GASRIIN BARN RAISING 

3) Cattle, sheep, or pigs 

EITOCKSVL LIVESTOCK 

4) (4&5) What the Old West was called 

TERNEWS WESTERN 

 

5) ITRNFORE FRONTIER 

 

6) Nickname for a type of house 

DOSDY SODDY 

7) First person living in an area 

NEPROIE PIONEER 

8) A type of house 

OUGDTU DUGOUT 

9) What a settler files for 

ALMIC CLAIM 

10) Type of crop grown on the prairie 

THWAE WHEAT

Name of the Act passed in 1862 

 _H_ _O_ _M_ _E_ _S_ _T_ _E_ _A_ _D_ _A_ _C_ _T_ 

 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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 Name___________________

Homesteading Crossword Puzzle

 8

 

 1 

 

 9 10

 2 

 11

 3

 4 12

 13 5

 6 

 7

 

 

Across Down 

1. The type of insect that ate all the farmers crops. 

2. The term for living on a homestead for the full time 

necessary to get the title.

3. If too strong this can blow the roof off. 

4. This was put up between buildings to guide 

someone in a blizzard. 

5. A type of house built by tunneling into the side of a 

hill. 

6. Another name for grasslands. 

7. The nickname for a house built of sod. 

8. Famous South Dakota author that wrote 

about her life as a little girl on the prairie. 

9. The _____ Act gave 160 acres of land to 

those who met the requirements. 

10. This group came from Germany to settle in 

colonies in Dakota Territory. 

11. What clothes were washed on. 

12. What is made in a churn. 

13. _____ companies wanted people to move 

to Dakota Territory and buy the land along 

their tracks. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

19 

 

Homesteading Crossword Puzzle Answer Sheet

 8

 L 

 1 G R A S S H O P P E R 

 U 

 9 R 10

 H A H 

2 P R O V I N G U P 

 M N T 

 E G T 

 S A E 11

 T L R W 

 E L 3 WI ND A 

 A S T S 

 D 4 WI RE 12 H 

 I S B B 

 L 13 5 DUGOUT 

 D R T A 

 E A T R 

 6 P R A I R I E D 

 L R 

 R 

 7 SODDY 

 A 

 D 

Across Down 

1. The type of insect that ate all the farmers crops. 

2. The term for living on a homestead for the full time 

necessary to get the title.

3. If too strong this can blow the roof off. 

4. This was put up between buildings to guide 

 someone in a blizzard. 

5. A type of house built by tunneling into the side of a 

hill. 

6. Another name for grasslands. 

7. The nickname for a house built of sod. 

8. Famous South Dakota author that wrote 

about her life as a little girl on the prairie. 

9. The _____ Act gave 160 acres of land to 

those who met the requirements. 

10. This group came from Germany to settle in 

colonies in Dakota Territory. 

11. What clothes were washed on. 

12. What is made in a churn. 

13. _____ companies wanted people to move 

to Dakota Territory and buy the land along 

their tracks. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

20 

Reading an Object 

Objectives: 

• Participants will recognize the variety of information that can be learned by 

examining objects. 

• Participants will learn how to inspect objects and draw conclusions from their 

observations. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.E.1.2 1.E.1.1 2.US.1.2 

2.E.1.1 3.E.1.1 4.US.1.1 4.E.1.1 6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.LVS.1.2 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.LVS.1.2 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.LVS.1.2 

2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.5 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.2 

3.LVS.1.3 

3.LVS.1.4 

4.LVS.1.1 

4.LVS.1.3 

5.LVS.1.1 

5.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.3 

6.LVS.1.2 

6.LVS.1.3 

South Dakota Science Standards 

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.P.1.1 2.P.1.1 3.P.1.1 

3.E.1.2 

Timeframe: 30-60 minutes 

Materials: 

Included in kit

All objects (except word cards and posters) 

Object Identification Sheet 

Why Reading Objects Is a Good Skill to Have: 

Every culture has used objects. These objects reflect the beliefs of the people who 

constructed, acquired, or used them. They also reflect the unique identity of the 

culture. If we study and/or teach only what’s been written down about a culture, 

there are many things we miss. The same is true if we only look at cultural objects. 

When separated, written words and objects are both incomplete. When the two are 

studied together a more complete cultural picture emerges. One of the main goals of 

this kit is to increase the participant’s visual literacy skills and teach them how to 

learn from objects. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

21 

Activity Steps:

1. Arrange the participants so that it is easy to pass objects from one to another. 

Pass the objects around one at a time, allowing the participants to handle and 

examine them. 

2. While the participants are examining the objects, use the points below to start 

discussion about the materials, construction and history of the objects. 

Encourage the participants to share the visual and tactile information they get 

from the objects. You many ask each participant to consider a different aspect of 

the object-history, material, etc. Have the participants respond so the entire 

group can hear and enter into the discussion. 

3. After an object has been examined, share the information found on the Object 

Identification Sheet with the group. 

Materials & Construction:

• What materials is the object made out of? (wood, metal, fabric, earth) 

• Is the material sturdy or delicate? 

• Can you tell how the object was made? (carved, cast, molded) 

• How would you describe the texture of the surface of the object? 

• What does its size tell you about the object? 

• Is it a complete piece or a fragment of a larger work? 

History & Function:

• What might be the purpose of the object? 

• Who might have used the object and what actions would they perform with it? 

• Where might it have been used? 

• Is this object still used today for the same or other purposes? 

• What has changed about the object today? (washboard-washing machine) 

• Would you rather use the modern object or the object in the kit? Why? 

• Was the object used for a special task or occasion or was it an everyday item? 

• What questions do you have about the object? 

• Where could you find the answers to your questions? 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

22 

Object Identification Sheet (Kit 1)

T-2001-068 

Sod: Sod was readily available on the prairies so settlers used it to make 

their homes. Prairie grasses had long roots that held the soil tightly 

together. Note: Please do not remove sod from the container.

T-2001-090 and T-2001-091 

Barbed Wire: Around 1874, Joseph F. Glidden of Dekalb, Illinois was 

inspired to invent and patent a successful barbed wire after attending a 

county fair demonstration. Glidden’s success spurred over 570 barbed 

wire patents. When livestock encountered barbed wire for the first time, 

it was usually a painful experience. The injuries provided sufficient 

reason for the public to protest its use. Religious groups called it "the 

work of the devil," or "The Devil's Rope" and demanded removal. 

However, as areas became more settled, a method was needed to keep 

livestock out of fields and gardens. Barbed wire filled the bill. Two 

different barbed wire samples are included in the kit. 

T-2001-056 

Rag Rug: This rug was possibly made from worn out clothes, linens, 

dish towels, or other fabrics. Settlers were very inventive about recycling 

items to prolong their useful life. These rugs were used to cover the dirt 

floors of the soddy. 

T-2001-057 

Butter Mold: Homesteaders often made their own butter. When it came 

time for the butter to harden, a butter mold was used to imprint designs 

on the surface. 

 

T-2001-061 

Cigar Box: In the tradition of recycling, a cigar box was often used to 

store small items like buttons, a child’s paper doll collection, or marbles. 

T-2001-063 

Washboard: These scrub boards were most commonly used in late 

1800s until the mid 1900s. The garment is scrubbed up and down the 

grooves with a bar of soap, rinsed in a tub of warm water, and laid in the 

sun to dry. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

23 

T-2001-065 and T-2001-095 

Mason Jars: In 1809 N. Nicholas Appert discovered that heat applied to 

food sealed in a container kept it from spoiling. John Mason invented 

mason jars in the United States in 1858. They are made of thicker glass 

and are able to withstand repeated use. Canning provided an economical 

way to preserve foods of all kinds. The green-tinted jar with the glass lid 

is an older jar. The newer clear jar can be used in the butter churning 

activity. Note: Please wash the jar thoroughly after using it. 

T-2001-067 

Brass Oil Lamp: Coal oil (kerosene) was first distilled in quantity from 

coal in 1856. This fuel was cheap and burned brightly. Lanterns, lamps 

and candles provided vital light on a homestead. 

T-2001-073 

Darning Egg: When a pair of socks got a hole in them they weren’t 

thrown away. They were mended with the help of a darning egg. The egg 

was placed in the sock behind the hole and new threads were carefully 

woven over the worn part. 

T-2001-077 

Coffee Grinder: With no electricity on the homestead, coffee was 

ground by hand. Some women homesteaders along roadways turned 

their homes into resting areas where travelers could sit down to a cup of 

coffee or tea and relax for a spell. 

T-2001-081 

Butter Churn: There are many different types of butter churns, 

including the plunger style, the paddle style, and the box style. All churns 

work the same way- cream is agitated until the butterfat in it clumps 

together into butter. The churn in the kit is a plunger style. It was hard 

work to turn cream into butter, a chore often assigned to children in the 

household. 

T-2001-083 and T-2001-087 

Newspapers: Newspapers kept everyone informed of who was doing 

what and going where. It also provided a place for claim filings to be 

published. National and international events coverage by the papers kept 

settlers in touch with the wider world. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

24 

T-2001-075 

Wooden Bowl: This wooden bowl is used in the game Chance, which 

might have been played on a homestead. Children used whatever was 

available to entertain themselves. A bowl and some marked stones made 

for cheap amusement. 

T-2001-059 and T-2001-079

Marbles: These small balls can be made from clay, stone, wood, or 

glass. Homestead children used what they had so marbles could be 

smooth round stones, or made of clay. Glass marbles from the East were 

also available. Note: The clay marbles are for display only.

T-2001-232, T-2001-233, and T-2001-234 

Corn Cob Darts: Corn cobs and husks made fine darts, boats or dolls. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

25 

Building a Soddy Sequence Activity 

Objectives:

• Participants will understand the steps involved in building a sod house. 

• Participants will arrange pictures and words to sequence the steps in building a 

soddy. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.E.1.2 I.C.1.1 2.US.1.2 

2.E.1.1 

3.US.1.1 

3.E.1.1 

4.G.2.1 

4.E.1.1 

5.C.2.1 

5.E.1.1 6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.LVS.1.6 1.LVS.1.6 

2.LVS.1.3 

2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.2 

4.LVS.1.1 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.1 

5.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.3 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. 

Materials: 

Included in kit Provided by participants

Sequence worksheet masters Scissors & Glue 

Sequence posters Two sheets of paper 

Sod 

 

Background Information: 

 This activity can be done three different ways; as a class, individually, or in 

small groups. The background information you need to know about building 

soddies is included with the worksheet masters and is part of the activity. As a 

class the pictures can be displayed and arranged according to what the students 

believe is the correct order and the information can be given in the correct order 

along the way. Otherwise each individual can do his or her own sequence 

worksheet. Also, small groups can work with the large pictures and place them in 

the correct order with the information that is provided. You may want to set out the 

example of sod for students to get a closer look at. 

Activity Steps:

1. Make copies of both Soddy Sequence worksheets for all participants. They will 

need glue, scissors, and two sheets of paper to glue cut-outs on. 

2. Participants will cut out both worksheets, pair each picture with its corresponding 

written description and then decide what order the pictures go in. 

3. The participants will glue the pictures and written descriptions on their two sheets 

of paper in the order they think is correct. 

4. Once everyone is done, compare worksheets to see if everyone came up with 

the same sequence. Look at the answer sheet. 

5. Discuss the order participants came up with: 

Could some steps be done in a different order? 

Do some steps definitely need to be done first, or last? 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

26 

 Building a Soddy Sequence Worksheet 

 

Wooden door frames and 

Window frames were 

positioned when the walls 

reached proper height. Pegs 

held the frames in place. 

Depending upon the size 

of the house, one-half to 

one acre of ground was 

plowed into strips twelve

inches wide and four 

inches thick.

Strips were cut into three-foot 

lengths and laid in place with 

the grass side down. Every 

third layer was laid crosswise.

Roofs needed just the 

right angle so that the 

sod would stay put and 

the snow would not. A 

roof was made by laying 

down rafters, boards, 

brush, grass, and sod. 

With the walls and roof up, the 

sun continued to harden the 

sod to create a sturdy living 

quarters against the strong 

prairie winds. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar logs made good 

rafters because they 

were rot-resistant and 

strong. A forked post 

under each end of the 

ridge pole provided 

support for the ceiling. 

 

 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

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Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

30 

Food on the Homestead: Churning Butter 

Objectives: 

• Participants will understand the physical work involved in producing food. 

• Participants will make their own butter as an example of the routine work required 

to put food on a homestead table. 

• Participants will discuss the physical changes that make cream into butter. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.E.1.1 I.C.1.1 

1.E.1.2 

2.US.1.2 

2.E.1.1 3.E.1.1 4.E.1.1 5.E.1.1 6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.LVS.1.6 1.LVS.1.6 

2.LVS.1.3 

2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.2 

4.LVS.1.1 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.1 

5.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.3 

6.LVS.1.3 

South Dakota Science Standards 

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

K.P.1.2 1L.1.3 

2.P.1.2 

2.P.2.1 

1.L.1.3 

3.P.1.1 

3.P.1.2 

3.E.1.2 

4.P.1.1 

4.S.1.1 

5.P.1.1 

5.P.2.1 

6.N.2.1 

6.P.2.1 

Timeframe: 45-60 minutes 

Materials:

Included in kit Provided by instructor

Plunger-style churn 1 pint heavy cream, at room temperature 

 (for display only) 2 small bowls or plates 

1 clear jar with lid 2 spoons 

Cheesecloth Crackers 

 Salt 

Background Information: 

On a homestead, trips to town provided staples like flour, sugar, salt and 

coffee, but much of the food consumed had to be raised right on the homestead. 

Chickens provided meat and eggs, and cows provided meat, milk, and cream for 

butter. A garden provided vegetables. It required a lot of time and energy to raise 

and preserve the food needed. One of the routine tasks in food production on a 

homestead was churning butter. 

Butter is the fat found in cream. Churning, or violently agitating the cream 

brings its fat globules together and causes them to clump. As the churning process 

continues, all the fat globules in the cream combine into lumps of butter. The 

remaining liquid is buttermilk. Warm cream makes butter faster than cold cream. If 

the cream is at the right temperature, thirty to thirty-five minutes of churning should 

make butter. Once the butter has formed, it is removed from the buttermilk, washed 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

31 

in cold water, and gently kneaded to incorporate salt for flavor and to make the 

butter smooth. 

Well into the 19th century butter making was mostly done by hand using butter 

churns. Churns came in a variety of sizes and styles. The example in this kit is a 

plunger-type wooden churn where the action of the plunger up and down churns the 

butter. Another common type of churn was a paddle churn; a large glass jar with a 

rotating paddle attached to a turning handle on the churn’s cover. Other types of 

churns were spun or rocked back and forth for the churning action. 

Please note: The wooden churn and glass jar with glass lid in the kit are 

for display only. Use the clear jar with metal lid and ring for the actual butter 

making. 

Activity Steps: 

1. Gather the items needed for the butter making – the cream, clear lidded jar, 

cheesecloth, bowls, and spoons, salt and crackers. 

2. Share the background information on butter making with the participants and 

have them predict how the butter will be produced. 

3. Fill the one clear jar about half full with the room-temperature heavy cream and 

screw the lid on securely. 

4. Have participants take turns shaking the jar with a steady motion – about one 

shake per second. The time needed to bring the butter will vary, but 30-35 

minutes of shaking should be sufficient. Don’t shake the jar too fast, or the butter 

will not form. 

5. Once the butter has formed, pour the mixture through the cheesecloth into a 

bowl – this is buttermilk. The butter lumps will be caught in the cheesecloth – 

turn them into the other bowl. Rinse the butter under cold water until the water 

runs clear. 

6. In the bowl, press the butter with the back of the two spoons to squeeze out the 

excess water and make it smooth. Work about 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt into the butter 

at the same time. 

7. When the butter is smooth, spread it on the crackers and let participants taste it. 

8. During the butter making process, discuss the following questions: 

• Does the temperature of the cream affect the butter making? (yes, 

 cold cream takes longer to churn) Why do you think this is so? 

• What physical change took place in the cream to make the butter? 

 (churning action caused the fat globules to clump together) 

• Does the butter you made taste or look like butter you would buy? 

• How is it different? Could you do anything to your butter to make it 

 taste or look more like store-bought butter? 

• If you had lived on a homestead, would you enjoy making butter as 

 a routine chore? Why or why not? 

• What other kinds of chores related to growing or raising food might 

 you have on a homestead? (gathering eggs, weeding garden, picking 

 vegetables, helping can vegetables, milking cows, tending livestock) 

• On a homestead where could you keep foods that had to be kept 

 cool? (a cellar dug into a hillside, lowered into a well shaft). 

 

Note to Teachers: Please dispose of the cheesecloth after this activity and make 

sure to wash the jar before returning to the kit. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

32 

Letters to the East 

Objectives: 

• Participants will analyze photographs for insight about daily life in Dakota Territory. 

• Participants will compose a letter to a ‘friend’ in the East describing what it is like 

homesteading in Dakota Territory. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 2.US.1.2 

3.US.1.1 

3.US.2.2 

3.W.1.1 

3.W.2.1 

3.G.2.1 

3.C.1.1 

3.E.1.1 

4.G.1.1 

4.G.2.1 

4.E.1.1 

5.G.2.1 

5.E.1.1 6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.W.1.1 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.W.1.2 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.W.1.2 

2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.W.1.4 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.3 

3.LVS.1.4 

4.W.1.2 

4.LVS.1.1 

4.LVS.1.3 

5.W.1.1 

5.W.1.2 

5.LVS.1.1 

5.LVS.1.3 

5.LVS.1.4 

6.W.1.1 

6.LVS.1.2 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: 30-45 minutes 

Materials:

Included in kit Provided by participants

-Nine Photographs -Pen/Pencil 

 -Paper 

Activity Steps:

1. Share the photographs with the group. Summarize and share the Teacher 

Resource information as well. Have them imagine what life was like for the 

people in the photos. 

2. Participants will write a letter to a friend back East describing homestead life. 

Have them write as if they were on of the people-or one of the objects-in the 

photos. Questions they may consider to help get them started: 

• How did you get to Dakota Territory? 

• Was the trip easy or difficult? Were there dangers? 

• Did they build a house? What did they build it from? 

• What everyday chores do they do? 

• What’s the prairie weather like? 

• Do they want to stay in Dakota Territory or go back East? 

• What do they do for fun? 

3. Have the participants write the letter using descriptive language to describe 

events, landscape, feelings, and work on the homestead. 

4. Have participants share their letters with the group. 
Homesteading 

South Dakota State Historical Society Education Kit 

33 

Life on the Prairie: Create a Homesteading Poem 

Objectives: 

• Participants will view photographs for inspiration and ideas to use in creating their own 

poem. 

• Participants will compose their own poetry about homesteading using the given word list. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 

2.US.1.2 

2.US.2.1 

2.E.1.1 

3.US.1.1 

3.US.2.2 

3.W.1.1 

3.W.2.1 

3.G.2.1 

3.C.1.1 

3.C.2.1 

3.E.1.1 

4.US.1.2 

4.G.1.1 

4.G.2.1 

4.E.1.1 

5.US.2.1 

5.G.2.1 

5.E.1.1 

6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.W.1.1 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.W.1.1 

1.W.1.2 

1.LVS.1.3 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.W.1.1 

2.R.2.2 

2.LVS.1.3 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.R.2.2 

3.LVS.1.3 

3.LVS.1.4 

4.R.3.3 

4.LVS.1.3 

4.LVS.1.4 

5.W.1.1 

5.W.1.2 

5.LVS.1.3 

5.LVS.1.4 

6.LVS.1.2 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. The word cards can be set up as an activity 

center where participants can work individually or in small groups. 

Materials: 

Included in kit: Provided by participants:

Prairie Poetry Word Bank master Paper 

Photographs 4 & 5 Pencil/Pen 

Word cards Glue 

 Crayons (optional) 

 

Activity Steps: 

1. Make a copy of the word list for all the participants or make the Word Cards 

available in an activity center. Note: You may want to separate the Word Cards 

into nouns, verbs, and adjectives. 

2. Have participants view the two photographs and imagine themselves on a 

homestead. Have them consider what they are doing, seeing, and feeling. 

3. If participants are working individually, have them cut out the words on the word 

list and use them to create a poem four lines long about their imagined 

homestead experience and glue their poem onto a sheet of paper. If desired, 

they could decorate or illustrate their poem as well. 

4. Have participants share their poems with the group. 
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LONELY MENDING FAMILY CLOTHES 

 BUSY MAKING MAN HOMESTEAD 

 TIRED LIVING WOMAN PAPER DOLLS

 TO COOKING CHILD PRAIRIE 

 HAPPY SHE HOME WITHOUT 

 SLOW EATING HE MARBLES 

 AND LAND SODDY RAILROAD 

 BY USED FIELDS FARMING 

 FUN WHILE WATER PLAYING 

 IS FROM WINDY PLOWING 

 WAS THEY HAVING CLEANING 

 THE WEST HORSES BUILDING 

 THE EAST FOOD DAKOTA 

 WHEN MOVING CAME WASHING 
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Mapping South Dakota 

Objectives: 

• Participants will compare maps of South Dakota to increase their understanding of 

the history and changes of the state. 

• Participants will use latitude and longitude to locate cities within South Dakota. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 2.G.1.2 

2.E.1.1 

3.US.1.1 

3.W.1.1 

3.G.1.1 

3.G.2.1 

3.E.1.1 

3.E.1.2 

4.US.1.1 

4.US.1.2 

4.G.1.2 

4.G.2.1 

5.US.2.1 

5.G.1.1 

5.G.1.2 

5.G.2.1 

6.E.1.1 

6.E.1.3 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.LVS.1.6 1.LVS.1.6 2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.6 3.LVS.1.1 4.LVS.1.1 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.1 

5.LVS.1.2 

5.LVS.1.3 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: 30-60 minutes 

Materials:

Included in kit Provided by instructor/participants

Mapping South Dakota instruction sheet colored pencils or crayons 

Advance of Settlement map 

Farming and Ranching area map 

County Population Change chart 

SD Map Worksheet 

Instruction Sheet Answer Key 

Background Information: 

Part of this activity requires the participants to have knowledge of latitude and 

longitude. It also asks for the coordinates of the participants’ hometown. One 

resource for this is www.mapblast.com. Type the community name in the City, State, or 

Zip Code field and click “create map”. Latitude and longitude appears in the upper 

right corner just above the map. To convert the latitude and longitude to degrees 

and minutes simply click on it. 
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36 

Activity Steps: 

1. Make copies of the Mapping South Dakota Instruction Sheet, The SD Map 

Worksheet, the two maps and the chart for each participant. They will need 

colored pencils or crayons in brown, yellow, orange, red, purple and green to 

complete the worksheets. 

2. Have participants read the Mapping South Dakota instruction sheet and mark the 

cities, color the areas and outline the counties on the SD Map worksheet. 

3. When the worksheets are completed, discuss the following questions. 

• What farming and ranching area of the state is your community in? 

• Why do you think people settled some areas in SD before others? What did 

they have to consider when choosing an area? (transportation, availability 

of land, water sources, etc.) 
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Mapping South Dakota Instruction Sheet 

1. Use the following latitude and longitude coordinates find these six cities. 

Mark each city with a dot on the SD Map worksheet. 

Sioux Falls (label the dot SF) 43° 33′n 96° 42′w

Aberdeen (label the dot A) 45° 28′n 98° 29′w 

Huron (label the dot H) 44° 22′n 98° 13′w

Rapid City (label the dot RC) 44° 05′n 103° 14′w

Pierre (label the dot P) 44° 22′n 100° 21′w

Yankton (label the dot Y) 42° 52′n 97° 24′w

2. Mark the location of your city or town with the coordinates your teacher 

gives you. 

__________________ _______ _______ 

3. Which city is located in Beadle County? _________________________ 

4. Look at the Advance of Settlement map. Find the two regions of South 

Dakota which were settled first. Color these areas yellow on the SD Map 

Worksheet. 

5. Look at the Advance of Settlement map and figure out which marked city 

was settled the earliest. Outline that county in brown on the worksheet. 

6. Look at the County Population Change Chart. Which county had the 

biggest increase in population between 1880 and 1890? Outline this 

county in green. Which county had the biggest increase in population 

between 1890 and 1900? Outline this county in purple. 

 

 1880-1890_____________________ 1890-1900___________________ 

7. Look at the Farming and Ranching area map. Outline two counties in 

orange that have a marked city in the area where wheat is the main crop. 

8. Find the county with a marked city in the grazing area. Outline that county 

in red. 
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Homesteading 

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Homesteading 

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Farming and Ranching Areas 

 Map adapted from Herbert Schell, History of South Dakota, 1968, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, p. 358. 

Area 1- Grazing

Area 2- Wheat 

Area 3- Beef 

Area 4- Corn 

Area 5- General Farming (flax, barley, oats, 

soybeans, hogs, dairy, poultry) 
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Homesteading 

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Mapping South Dakota Instruction Sheet Answer Key 

1. Use the following latitude and longitude coordinates find these six cities. 

Mark each city with a dot on the SD Map worksheet. 

Sioux Falls (label the dot SF) 43° 33′n 96° 42′w

Aberdeen (label the dot A) 45° 28′n 98° 29′w 

Huron (label the dot H) 44° 22′n 98° 13′w

Rapid City (label the dot RC) 44° 05′n 103° 14′w

Pierre (label the dot P) 44° 22′n 100° 21′w

Yankton (label the dot Y) 42° 52′n 97° 24′w

2. Mark the location of your city or town with the coordinates your teacher 

gives you. 

 __________________ _______ _______ 

3. Which city is located in Beadle County? Huron 

4. Look at the Advance of Settlement map. Find the two regions of South 

Dakota which were settled first. Color these areas yellow on the SD Map 

Worksheet. 

5. Look at the Advance of Settlement map and figure out which marked city 

was settled the earliest. Outline that county in brown on the worksheet. 

6. Look at the County Population Change Chart. Which county had the 

biggest increase in population between 1880 and 1890? Outline this county 

in green. Which county had the only increase in population between 1890 

and 1900? Outline this county in purple. 

 

 1880-1890 Brown County 1890-1900 Minnehaha

7. Look at the Farming and Ranching area map. Outline two counties in 

orange that have a marked city in the area where wheat is the main crop. 

8. Find the county with a marked city in the grazing area. Outline that county 

in red. 
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Homesteading 

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Newspaper Comparison 

Objectives: 

• Participants will compare and contrast the features of an 1880s and a 1920s 

newspaper with each other and with a modern newspaper. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 2.E.1.2 

3.US.2.1 

3.US.2.2 

3.W.1.1 

3.G.1.1 

3.C.1.1 

3.E.1.2 

4.US.1.1 

4.US.1.2 

4.W.2.1 

4.G.2.1 

4.E.1.1 

5.G.2.1 

5.C.2.1 

5.E.1.1 

5.E.1.2 

6.C.1.1 

6.E.1.1 

6.E.1.3 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.R.2.1 

K.LVS.1.6 1.LVS.1.6 

2.W.1.3 

2.LVS.1.4 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.R.4.1 

3.R.5.3 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.2 

4.W.1.1 

4.W.1.2 

4.R.2.1 

4.R.4.1 

4.R.5.2 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.W.1.2 

5.R.4.1 

5.R.5.1 

5.LVS.1.3 

6.R.4.1 

6.R.5.3 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. This activity can be set up as a small-group 

activity center or as a class activity. The comparison newspaper on either 

worksheet can be either a modern newspaper or the other period newspaper in the 

kit. 

Materials:

Included in kit Provided by participants Provided by instructor

The Cavour Press, dated Pencil/Pen One modern newspaper 

 April 14, 1882 Worksheet transparencies (if 

The Sioux Falls Journal, needed to do activity with the 

 dated July 6, 1923 entire class) 

Newspaper Comparison Worksheets 

Background Information:

 Newspapers provided the best method for sharing information in the 19th

century. Three developments had a major effect on newspapers of that era. First, 

technological advances led to power printing presses, capable of running thousands 

of copies of a paper at very low cost. Second, railroads expanded across the 

country, providing a reliable wide distribution system for newspapers. A paper 

published in Chicago or Minneapolis could readily find readers out on the Dakota 

plains. Third, the public’s appetite for news grew, especially with the Civil War. 

 
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45 

 Large and small newspapers concentrated on different types of news. With 

their larger budgets, fast presses, and wide distribution networks, the large papers 

covered national, international and state news. Small papers, often printed on slow, 

portable presses and with limited distribution, concentrated on local events – often in 

minute detail. In a 

small paper it was not unusual to read about someone’s vacation trip, out-of-town 

visitors, or a child’s birthday party. 

In Dakota Territory the need to publish legal notices, like homestead claims, 

meant that most communities had a weekly paper. Larger towns often had a daily 

paper. Editors used their papers to boost their town. Often using dramatic 

language, editors expounded on the exceptional climate, outstanding business 

opportunities, and stellar, hard-working citizens in their community. L. Frank Baum, 

author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, edited the Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer in the 

early 1890s. Non-English readers in Dakota Territory had ten different foreignlanguage papers to choose from for their reading pleasure. 

Activity Steps:

1. If done as a class activity, show the group each paper and briefly discuss its 

main features. 

2. Pass the newspapers around so participants can get a closer look and read 

some of the articles. 

3. Elicit responses from the class for each question on the worksheet and write the 

answers on the board or overhead. 

4. Draw conclusions about the changes in the papers and discuss those changes 

after all the questions have been answered. 
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Newspaper Comparison Worksheet 

Questions 1880s Newspaper Comparison 

Newspaper 

What type of news takes up 

the most space on the front 

page of each newspaper? 

 

Give some examples of the 

local items found on the front 

page of The Cavour Press 

and local news in the 

comparison paper. 

 

What kinds of ads can be 

found on page seven of The 

Cavour Press? What type of 

ad is found the most? What 

kinds of ads are found in the 

comparison paper? 

 

What is in the 1880s paper 

that is not news or 

advertisements? (hint look at 

pages 2, 3, and 6) What is 

found in the comparison 

paper? 

 

How is the layout of each 

paper different? Consider 

columns, pictures, 

advertisements, size and 

other things. 

 

What types of jobs are 

advertised for on page two of 

The Cavour Press? What 

types of jobs are advertised in 

the comparison paper? 

 

What other similarities or 

differences do you notice 

between the two 

newspapers? 

 
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Newspaper Comparison Worksheet 

Questions 1920s Newspaper Comparison Newspaper 

What takes up the most 

space on the front page of 

The Sioux Falls Journal? 

What takes up the most 

space on the front page of 

the comparison newspaper? 

What does this tell you? 

 

Is there more local news or 

national news covered on 

the front page of the 1920s 

paper? What about the 

comparison paper? 

 

In the comics of The Sioux 

Falls Journal what is being 

joked about? What is being 

joked about in the 

comparison paper? 

 

What are the articles about 

that are directly related to 

local or regional news? 

 

What is the biggest national 

news article presented in 

each paper? 

 

What types of pictures are 

present in the newspaper 

and what is the story behind 

them? 

 

Describe the how-to articles 

in the 1920s paper. (hint: 

automobile service) 

Describe any articles in the 

comparison paper that 

explain how to do 

something. 

 
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48 

Old Timer’s Games 

Objectives: 

• Participants will learn about and play games that were played in the late 1800’s. 

• Participants will understand how common materials were used to make games 

and toys. 

• Participants will make up their own game using materials available in the late 

1800’s. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 

2.US.1.2 

2.US.2.1 

2.E.1.1 

3.US.2.2 

3.W.1.1 

5.US.2.1 

5.G.1.1 

5.G.1.2 

5.G.2.1 

6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.LVS.1.1 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.LVS.1.1 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.LVS.1.1 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.LVS.1.1 

3.LVS.1.4 4.LVS.1.1 5.LVS.1.1 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. Each game can be set up as a separate 

activity center where participants work in small groups. 

Materials: 

Included in kit: Provided by instructor:

Corn cob darts Tape 

Marbles/String 

Stones/Bowl 

Game Instruction Sheets 

Background Information: 

 Children who came to Dakota with their homesteading parents worked hard, 

but found time to play, too. Like children all over the world, pioneer kids made some 

of their best toys and games from the objects at hand: corn cobs, stones, feathers, 

scraps of cloth, fruit pits, or bones. A scrap of cloth could become a cherished rag 

doll. Corn cobs and feathers combined into homemade darts. Even simple marked 

stones become a game of chance. Store-bought marbles were readily available and 

relatively inexpensive and often made of clay. Smooth stones or fruit pits could be 

used the same way. 

 This activity provides materials and instructions for three simple games and 

encourages participants to use their imaginations to come up with games on their 

own using the same materials. 
Homesteading 

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49 

Activity Steps: 

1. Set up an activity center for corn cob darts, the marbles, and the stones and 

bowl. 

2. Explain the three different pioneer games to the participants. Divide the group in 

thirds and tell them which game they will play first, second, and third. 

3. Have participants play the game at each station for the a designated amount of 

time. 

4. Have the groups rotate until everyone has played all the games. 

5. Let the participants invent their own game using the darts, marbles and other 

materials. Have each group decide what materials they will use and the rules for 

their game. 

6. Give the participants a set amount of time to come up with their game. 

7. After the time is up, have each group demonstrate their game for the class and 

explain its rules. In conclusion, discuss some of the following questions. 

• Was it more fun to play a game that had established rules or to invent a new 

one? Why? 

• What kind of games have you invented or adapted before? 

• Why did pioneer children play the games they did? 

• What characteristics would give advantages or disadvantages to individuals 

over others in these games? 

• Compare games of the pioneer days to those you play today. Are there 

similarities? 
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Chance

The game is played with six stones and 

one bowl. Each stone is marked with a 

line on one side. 

Decide how long the game will go. 

Taking turns, players lightly toss the 

stones into the air and catch them in the 

bowl. 

Count the number of stones caught with 

the line up. This is the player’s score for 

that turn. Any stones not caught in the 

bowl don’t count. 

Keep track of the scores on a sheet of 

paper. Whoever has the most points when 

game time is up wins.
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Marbles 

(Up to 5 players at one time) 

The small marbles are called alleys, the larger 

marbles are called shooters. 

Make a circle on the floor with the string. Each 

player puts five marbles in the circle and keeps 

one shooter. 

Decide in what order players will take turns. 

Players take turns rolling their shooters in from 

outside the circle to knock the alleys out of the 

circle. 

If an alley is knocked out, that player gets another 

shot. Their turn continues until they miss and don’t 

knock an alley out of the circle. 

When their turn is over, players pick up the alleys 

they have knocked out and their shooter. The 

player keeps the alleys that are knocked out. 

The winner is the player with the most marbles 

after all alleys have been hit out of the circle.
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Corn Cob Darts 

Using tape or string, make a target on the 

floor. 

Decide how far away from the target 

players will stand and make a tape or 

string line on the floor. 

Standing behind the line, players take 

turns throwing all three corn cobs at the 

target. Mark the closest throw with tape. 

After all the players have had a turn, the 

one with the dart closest to the bull’s-eye 

wins.
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53 

Pioneer Newspaper 

Objectives: 

• Participants will create a newspaper or a section of a pioneer era newspaper to 

demonstrate their understanding of the homesteading life on the prairies. 

• Participants will evaluate each others work for accuracy. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 2.US.1.1 

3.US.2.1 

3.US.2.2 

3.W.1.1 

3.C.1.1 

3.E.1.1 

3.E.1.2 

4.US.1.1 

4.US.1.2 

4.W.2.1 

4.G.2.1 

4.E.1.1 

5.E.1.1 

5.E.1.2 

6.C.1.1 

6.C.1.2 

6.E.1.1 

6.E.1.3 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.W.1.1 

K.R.2.1 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.W.1.1 

1.W.1.2 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.W.1.1 

2.W.1.3 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.W.1.1 

3.R.2.2 

3.LVS.1.3 

3.LVS.1.4 

4.W.1.2 

4.W.1.3 

4.R.3.2 

4.R.4.1 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.W.1.1 

5.R.4.1 

5.LVS.1.3 

5.LVS.1.4 

6.W.1.1 

6.R.4.1 

6.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. 

Materials:

Included in kit: Provided by instructor/participants:

Information & artifacts about homesteading Paper, pencils 

Bibliography, example newspapers Computers to create & revise article (optional) 

 Books for groups to reference 

Activity Steps:

1. Make the objects and information in the Homesteading kit available to 

participants to examine for reference when writing their article. Review the 

laminated newspapers and discuss the different types of information - 

advertisements, legal notices, local social events, national and world news. Point 

out what the papers are advertising for (land agents, medicinal cures), the type of 

news covered, and the layout. 

2. Divide the participants into small groups and assign or have each group choose 

the section of the newspaper they wish to work on. (Each group may cover all the 

sections if you wish.) 

3. Inform the participants that they will create a newspaper like those published 

between 1880 and 1925. 

4. Have participants imagine what their community might have been like during this 

time period. What kind of businesses would be advertising? What area events 

might have taken place? What kind of social news might get in the newspaper? 
Homesteading 

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54 

5. Have each group create a rough draft of their newspaper or assigned section. 

6. Have groups exchange work for corrections and then discuss how each others 

work could be improved. 

7. After corrections and changes, have each group create their final newspaper. 

8. Each group can tell about their newspaper to the class. 

Optional: If the computer time and program is available, the groups could do their 

newspapers or sections on the computer, and then compile a completed newspaper 

to share. 
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Prairie Poetry 

Objectives: 

• Participants will analyze poetry written about homesteading on the prairies for its 

descriptive qualities. 

• Participants will compose their own poetry as if they were settlers on the prairie in 

the late 1800s. 

South Dakota Social Studies Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

 2.US.1.2 

3.US.1.1 

3.W.1.1 

3.C.1.1 

3.E.1.1 

4.US.1.1 

4.E.1.1 6.E.1.1 

South Dakota Communication Arts Standards

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 

K.W.1.1 

K.R.2.1 

K.LVS.1.6 

1.W.1.1 

1.W.1.2 

1.R.4.1 

1.LVS.1.6 

2.W.1.1 

2.R.2.1 

2.R.3.3 

2.LVS.1.6 

3.W.1.1 

3.R.2.2 

3.R.4.1 

4.W.1.1 

4.W.1.2 

4.R.2.3 

4.LVS.1.2 

5.W.1.1 

5.W.1.2 

5.R.4.1 

5.LVS.1.3 

Timeframe: Determined by instructor. 

Materials: 

Included in kit Provided by instructor/participants

“Happiness” and “The Pioneer” poems paper, pen/pencil 

Activity Steps: 

1. Make copies of the poems for the participants to read. Have them read the 

poems on their own, or read them aloud to the group. 

2. After reading the poems, have participants brainstorm ideas, thoughts, or 

feelings to write a poem about. 

3. Instruct the participants to write a poem four to eight lines long, about homestead 

life on the plains. Encourage participants to imagine themselves in different 

situation on a homestead - during a prairie fire or blizzard, for example. How 

does digging a well and finally striking fresh water make them feel? They could 

also write a poem from a different point of view - how does the sod feel as it is 

being cut for the house? What does the family dog think of the prairie? What 

does a jackrabbit see as it watches a sod house being built? 
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“The Pioneers” 

 J.W. Yocum

To all the old settlers 

Who are living in the state, 

South Dakota sends you Greetings 

For nineteen thirty-eight. 

We honor the old pioneer wife 

Who with her husband came out West, 

And started in upon a homestead 

There to do her very best. 

And when he would come in some evening 

Almost worn out from his toil, 

Although her home was but a dugout 

She would greet him with a smile. 

Trials and troubles were their portion 

And at time most overcome, 

When they go before their Maker 

He will say to them “Well Done.” 

Some have raised up a large family 

Who have scattered far and wide, 

Leaving none but the old couple 

Seated by the old fireside. 

Some have moved into the cities 

Others will, but don’t know when, 

So they linger on the homestead 

As it is Home Sweet Home to them. 

Now to all the old settlers 

Be they poor or well-to-do, 

“May God give you his greatest blessings.” 

Is South Dakota’s wish to you. 

Yocum, J.W. (1939). Cowboy and Pioneer Poems. Pollock, S.D.: J.W. Yocum 
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Happiness 

My lot is a strangely happy one, 

Though far from the busy mart; 

I live on my homestead all alone, 

With ever a song in my heart. 

And if perchance I tire of home 

Away and away I go— 

To gypsy by a stony brook, 

Or camp-fire in the snow. 

When wily wind blows fierce and strong, 

Or cloud and mist allure, 

I don my very oldest togs. 

A picnic then for sure. 

My thoughts are as free as the mountain air, 

And never a care have I; 

Where I live alone in a little hut 

And not even a road goes by. 

 --Ester Burnell 

Estes Park Area Historical Museum. (02 May 2001). Four Women Homesteaders in the Rockies [Online]. 

Available: www.estesnet.com/Museum/exhibit.html [16 Aug. 2000].