(background for Addie in Charge)
Mrs. Treshman's 4th Grade Reading Class
Name(s)______________________________ Class________________
The Sod House
Internet Scavenger Hunt
(background for Addie in Charge)
Mrs. Treshman's 4th Grade Reading Class
"At home in
our house and a sod at that!...It is not quite so convenient as a nice frame but
I would as soon live in it as the cabins I have lived in...It looks real well."
Mattie Oblinger, May 19, 1873 from American Memory
American pioneers felt pride in their simple sod houses which became a symbol of their pioneering spirit, a pride that was shared by Addie and her family in Addie in Charge. In this scavenger hunt you will gather information from several websites to give you a better understanding of life in these sod houses.
Begin by
printing out a copy of the project worksheet to use for recording your answers for the
scavenger hunt.
Print the document as a 2-sided document.
Sometimes you will be just looking at photographs. Sometimes you will be asked
to record answers to questions about sod houses. You may work by yourself or
with a partner.
1. Why
didn't the settlers just
cut down trees
to build their
houses?
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. How were
the
sod houses built? Write your description
in complete sentences.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. Click on photo "cutting sod for a house" and enlarge it to see how sod was cut for the houses.
4. Why was it difficult to keep a sod house clean?
5.
What was used to cover the
interior walls of a soddie house?
_________________________________________________________________________________
6.
Find and record 2 animals
that shared the sod houses with
pioneer families.
______________________________________
_______________________________________
7.
What were some of the
obstacles in living in a sod house? Find at
least 3 and record them here.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
8.
What were some of the
advantages of living in a sod house? Find at least 3 and record them
here.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
9.
Find and enlarge several photographs of sod houses from the website below.
Print out your favorite
photograph and add it to your scavenger hunt
worksheet.
There Are No Renters Here (Women of the West Museum)
10.
Now that you've completed your research for the story, let's play!
Click here and follow the directions to create
an online sod house.
Hand in your
completed scavenger hunt worksheet to your Language Arts teacher. As you read
the story Addie in Charge, you will be able to picture Addie living in
one of these wonderful sod houses on the American frontier. Enjoy the
story!