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You can learn more about what it was
like to live in a sod house by exploring these books. Or visit our
complete bibliography. |
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An American Safari: Adventures on the North American Prairie
, Jim Brandenberg |
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Children of the Wild West
, Russell Freedman |
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Dandelions
, Eve Bunting |
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Dakota Dugout
, Ann Turner |
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I Have Heard of a Land
, Joyce Carol Thomas |
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Prairie Willow
, Maxine Trottier |
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Wagon Wheels
, Barbara Brenne |
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Before the 1860s, most of the people living on the
Great Plains were Native Americans. In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead
Act, allowing men or women who were 21 years old or older to "stake
a claim" to 160 acres of land. Homesteaders agreed to build a home
within six months and then live there for the next five years.
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The Cram family by their sod house. |
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People who dreamed of owning a farm of their
own or a bigger farm came from all around the country and the world
to try to build a better future for themselves and their families.
The land the settlers found was flat and treeless. Many people said
that it looked like an ocean of grass. Without trees or rocks to
build houses with, settlers used sod, a tough combination of dirt
and the roots of grass.
You can learn more about life on the prairie by Building
a Sod House online, reading Dakota Dugout, or trying
the other activities below.
Read more about sod houses
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Darkroom Detective
Investigate photographs of people who lived in sod houses and see what you can
figure out about their lives!
download
PDF activity [865k] |
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Get a "Sense" of It!
Use your senses to explore how sod houses felt, looked, and even how they smelled!
download
PDF activity [341k] |
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Read Dakota Dugout
Meet Matt and his bride, who cried when she saw his "cave in the earth." Use clues
to discover a function of a mystery object.
download
PDF activity [352k] |
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