Background

Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of the most famous authors in America. She was born in 1867 in the woods of Wisconsin. With her family she traveled through the frontier area of Kansas, Minnesota, and the Dakota Territory. Wilder wrote a series of books that includes Little House on the Prairie. The books tell the story of the author’s life. The stories describe holiday celebrations, hardships, fun, and romance. A popular television series, Little House on the Prairie, was based on Wilder’s work. Children for decades have enjoyed reading about American pioneers in these books. By the Shores of Silver Lake is an autobiography and tells of the Ingalls family as they travel west to work in De Smet, a railroad town in the Dakota Territory. In De Smet, Pa Ingalls hopes to homestead and earn money working in the store until the railroad is built.

Before you begin reading the book, complete these activities:

Research the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Look into her life as a child and as an adult. Make a timeline of the main events in her life. Draw the timeline to scale and include the scale on your timeline. Add a title. Or, write an imaginary interview with the famous author. What would you ask her? How would she answer? Share your work with your teacher and classmates.

Write a letter. Imagine you are moving to a new home where you encounter many new adventures and challenges. Write a letter to a family member describing how you feel about the move.

Write the first chapter of your autobiography. Focus on one event and describe how things looked, how you felt, and the people involved. Give the chapter a title. Type and publish this work to share with your classmates.

Draw a map of the United States. Apply your knowledge about Wilder’s life to locate the places where Wilder lived. Label the map carefully and add lines to show her travels. Add dates to show when she lived in each place.

Research building the railroad. How were railroads built? What was life like for the workers in the railroad towns? How long did it take to build the railroad lines? What tools and machinery helped build the lines? Share your findings with your classmates.

Describe how you enjoy time at home. In the novel, the Ingalls family spends many hours at night enjoying Pa’s music. How do you and your family enjoy long evenings at home? How is your family entertainment different from or similar to that of the Ingalls family?

Read the lyrics of a song from the 1870s or 1880s. What does this song tell you about life at the time? What were people’s values and beliefs? What was important to them? Now read the lyrics of a popular song from today. Compare and contrast the two songs.

The Novel

The Journey Begins
The book begins with the Ingalls family living at Plum Creek. Pa is offered a great job opportunity in the Dakota Territory. There he will work in a railroad town as a store clerk. Pa is excited because he can claim his homestead in the new territory. Ma is anxious about moving even further west, but she agrees to go. The family rides a train for the first time and moves to the unsettled area on the shores of Silver Lake.

Here are some questions to guide your reading:

• How has Mary lost her sight?
• What does Pa ask Laura to do for Mary? How does she respond to this request?
• How does the family feel about the train ride? What amazing things did Laura discover on the train?
• What does Laura discover about how the train turns around?
• Which family members do the Ingalls meet as they travel west? Why are all of these family members moving to the new territory?
• How do Laura and Lena enjoy an afternoon together?
• What is the Ingalls new house like? How do Ma and the girls try to make it more “homey”?
• What does Silver Lake look like? How does Laura respond to what she saw there?
• What kind of work does Laura help her family do? How is each day different? What chores does she perform every day?

As a class discuss

• How are Laura and Pa different from Mary and Ma? How does Laura enjoy the new land when other family members are not excited about it? Select text to support your inferences. How do you think you would feel about these new challenges?
• Why do you think Pa tells the girls to keep away from the camp? Who do you think this advice really comes from? Explain why.
• Aunt Docia says that “ Lena hasn’t had an afternoon to do as she liked since we came out here, and she won’t have another till the summer’s over.” What does this quote tell us about life as a homesteading family? Would you want to be a homesteader? Why or why not.
• Why does Jack’s death affect Laura so much? Why do you think Jack died when he did? Find evidence to support your answer.

Charting the Course

As the story continues, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, Grace, and Pa settle into life in Silver Lake. Laura is amazed by the many sights and sounds she experiences and has a huge sense of curiosity about everything related to the railroad and the men who work building it. New dangers face the family as Pa encounters an angry mob, winter approaches, and wolves appear on the prairie.

Here are some questions to guide your reading:

• Why do the railroad men flatten their tracks?
• What happens on payday?
• Why does the family stay at Silver Lake during winter?
• Describe the house the Ingalls family inhabits during winter?
• How does Pa figure the pay?
• How does Pa help a man get his money back?
• Why does Woodworth come to De Smet?
• What kind of wildlife is found around Silver Lake?
• What is a typical day like for the children?
• What does the family do to entertain itself?

As a class discuss

• Why chapter 10 is entitled, “The Wonderful Afternoon.” Can you think of a time you could give this title to?
• What does Laura mean when she says they are “full of music”?
• What seems to impress the family most about the new house? Why? What would especially impress different members of a family about a house today?
• Why do you think the executives allow the family to live in the house?
• Why do you think Big Jerry leads the men away? What evidence supports your opinion?
• Why does Pa say “Checkers is a selfish game”? Do you agree?
• Why does Laura try to get Carrie to race back after they followed the moonlight path onto Silver Lake?
• Why do you think Laura is glad the wolves got away? Do you think Ma agrees? Pa? Carrie? Why? What evidence supports your opinion?

Journey’s End

The family settles in its new home for the long winter. As spring approaches, the family must try to beat the other homesteaders who are rushing west to claim land. The family meets many new friends, and they find new ways to make money in the growing town of De Smet.

Here are some questions to guide your reading:

• What gifts does the family make for one another for Christmas?
• What is on the menu at Christmas?
• What news about people coming to the area does Mr. Boast bring?
• How does the family celebrate New Year’s?
• How does the family make extra money? What dangers does this bring? How much do they make? How does this new income bring new responsibilities for the children?
• What happens when Pa goes to get the new homestead?
• What old friends does the family meet during the last chapters of the novel?
• What is the family’s dream for Mary?
• What things does the family have to do when they reach the claim? What job do you think was most important? Why?
• How does Pa combat the mosquitoes?

As a class discuss

• Why is Grace’s gift especially meaningful? Can you think of a gift that you felt was meaningful? What made that gift so special?
• What do we learn about the family’s traits by its willingness to take in visitors? Would you be willing to do this? Why or why not?
• How does Christmas for Ingalls family compare with Christmas for your family?
• How do you know that Ma is nervous about the new visitors to the house? Select text to support your answer.
• Pa says, “Everything’s more or less a gamble.” Do you agree? Why or why not?
• Why do you think settlers in the West are so eager to meet old friends, make new ones, and help strangers? Find proof and examples in the text.
• How did Laura feel about becoming a schoolteacher? Why?
• What do you think will happen to Mary and her dreams in the future? Why?
• What is ironic about where Grace was found?

Activities

Literature. Read another novel by Wilder. Compare and contrast the story. How does the character of Laura grow and change during the series? What remains the same? How are her experiences similar and different at times? Write a review for a magazine applying your knowledge about at least two novels in this series.

Writing. Imagine you are one of the characters in the novel. Write a letter for a specific time frame during the narrative. Describe your thoughts and feelings and your hopes and dreams for the future. Apply your knowledge of the characters to create your journal. Share this writing with your classmates.

Writing. Research the area of Silver Lake as it is today. Make a Venn diagram that compares and contrasts the area as it is now with how it was during the time frame of the novel. Which time period would you want to live in? Why? Write an essay for your class explaining what you discovered and your opinions.

Science. Research one of the animals, such as the buffalo wolf, found near Silver Lake. Create an informational poster about the animal—its habitat, diet, and life.

Social Studies. Learn more about the Homestead Act or about the process of building a railroad. Design an informational brochure about the topic you choose.

Art. Choose one image that the author describes in the book. Illustrate this image. Choose the moonlight on the lake, the train ride, the house in De Smet, or any other scene the author describes. Choose the best medium in which to present your work: pencil or chalk drawing, watercolor painting, or collage.

Math. Reread how Pa figured the men’s pay. Research what a man was paid and what he had to pay for during that time period. Give an example of the pay and costs possible for one man. Present an imaginary pay stub. Develop an informational flier to tell other workers about how pay is calculated in De Smet.