American Girl Reading Club: Kirsten Larson!
In this eight-week course, students will be exploring pioneer life through the American Girl doll, Kirsten Larson. Our focus will be on immigration and farm life during 1854-1855.
Jackie Shaw
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(260)
What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. We will be reading one Kirsten book a week, and there will be a light amount of work to go along with that to reflect their comprehension (journaling, vocabulary, etc). There will also be a project to show the student's growing understanding of Kirsten and her time period that will be due at the last class.Class Experience
US Grade 1 - 4
Do you have a child with a pioneering spirit and a lot of heart? If so, this class may be for you! During our 8 weeks together, we will be doing a deep dive into the American Girl doll, Kirsten Larson, a pioneer who moved from Sweden to Minnesota in the mid-1800s. Every week, we will have a discussion about Kirsten's story and time period, as well as make crafts and cook dishes that reflect Kirsten's experiences. We will be covering all six of Kirsten's books during this class, so students can expect to read one book a week once the class begins (no reading is needed prior to the class). This is a multidisciplinary class that explores reading strategies, historical knowledge, vocabulary integration, read aloud, geography, journaling, crafts, cooking, and more! Here is a sample of what to expect during a class: WEEK 1: An Introduction to Kirsten's Pioneer Life -Introduce ourselves - Book Walk-- exploring the book we're about to read and why we're excited to read it. -Overview of Kirsten's story, exploring Ryd, Sweden. -- Theme to Explore: "Have Heart" -Vocabulary Words: immigrant, pioneer, frontier -Homework: Read "Meet Kirsten", work on vocabulary, and journal about "have heart". Make sure to have the materials to make the yarn doll next week! WEEK 2: Discussing "Meet Kirsten" -- Quick discussion about our opinions on the book -- Main focus of class discussion: "Have Heart". What were some of the hardships Kirsten endured in her trip to America? What do you think the hardest challenge was to endure? What did Papa mean when he reminded everyone to "have heart"? How can we "have heart" in our everyday lives? Share our journals. -- Activity: Making a yarn doll -- Theme to Explore for Book 2: Belonging -- Vocabulary Words: Scold, Stern -- Homework: Read "Kirsten Learns a Lesson", work on vocabulary, and journal about "belonging". WEEK 3: Discussing "Kirsten Learns a Lesson" -- Quick discussion about our opinions of the book. -- Main focus of class discussion: "Belonging". Did Kirsten feel like she belonged in America? Why or why not? What helped her to feel more at home? Share our journals. -- Activity: Making a secret present for a neighbor or friend -- Theme to Explore for Book 3: Persistence -- Vocabulary Words: Pester, Prowl, Scowl -- Homework: Read "Kirsten's Surprise", work on vocabulary, and journal about "persistence". Make sure to have ingredients for Swedish pancakes for next week's class! WEEK 4: Discussing "Kirsten's Surprise" -- Quick discussion about our opinions of the book -- Main focus of class discussion: "Persistence". Kirsten doesn't give up in this book. She persists! What were some ways she persisted? How did her persistence get her into trouble sometimes? How did her persistence help to save the day? How have you shown persistence? Share our journals. --Activity: Making Swedish pancakes while we discuss St. Lucia's Day. -- Theme to Explore for Book 4: Teamwork --Vocabulary: Shuddered, Galloped, Obediently --Homework: Reading "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!", working on vocabulary and journal, bringing construction paper and glue to the next class. WEEK 5: Discussing "Happy Birthday, Kirsten!" -- Quick discussion about our opinions of the book -- Main focus of class discussion: "Teamwork". This book focuses a lot on how family and friends work together to get things done. How does Kirsten's family work as a team? How about her friends? Why is teamwork so important? Can you think about a time in your life where teamwork helped you to accomplish a goal? --Activity: Paper Quilt Square -- Theme to Explore for Book 5: Bravery --Vocabulary: Resist, Veil, Honeycomb --Homework: Reading "Kirsten Saves the Day", working on vocabulary and journal. WEEK 6: Discussing "Kirsten Saves the Day" -- Quick discussion about our opinions of the book --Main focus of the class discussion: Bravery. Why was bravery an important trait for a pioneer to have? What is the difference between being brave and being reckless? Where was Kirsten brave? Where was she reckless? How did she learn to be both brave AND careful, like Papa told her to? Share our journals. -- Activity: Simile drawings -- Theme to Explore for Book 6: "Starting Over" -- Vocabulary: Munched, Leaped, Peered --Homework: Read "Kirsten Saves the Day", work on vocabulary and journal. Bring supplies to next class to make the chromatrope toy. WEEK 7: "Changes for Kirsten" --Quick discussion about our thoughts on the book --Discussion topic: "Starting Over". Why did the Larsons need to start over in the last chapter of the book? How about John and Mary's family? Why might starting over be scary? What are the benefits of starting over? Share journals. --Activity: Thaumatrope Toy --Homework: Final project presentation for next class! WEEK 8: Project Party! In this class, we will share out our final projects and discuss our lasting impressions of the book. I am excited to discuss the pioneering spirit with your child! They will learn all about grit, resilience, acceptance, and love through taking this class and exploring Kirsten's story.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The books do deal with death, as immigrating was a risky endeavor. We will be briefly discussing the health and perils immigrants faced when settling in America.
Some novels also use outdated terminology and present stereotypical images of Native Americans when the author discusses Kirsten's friend, Singing Bird. I do plan on teaching the students updated terminology, as well as discussing the misconceptions some characters have about Native American people and cultures.
Supply List
1) Copies of all six Kirsten books: Meet Kirsten, Kirsten Learns a Lesson, Kirsten's Surprise, Happy Birthday, Kirsten, Kirsten Saves the Day, and Changes for Kirsten (Audiobooks are fine as well-- Audible has a great version!) 2) We will be making a yarn doll in week 2. The learner will need 12 yards of yarn, 7 pieces of yarn (anywhere from 5-7 inches long. I find that younger students will probably need longer yarn that they will more easily tie, and then we can cut the excess off), a piece of cardboard (7 inches by 5 inches), a Styrofoam or rubber ball, 1 inch wide, fabric glue, buttons, and bits of ribbon or yarn for hair and mouth. 3) We will be making "secret presents" in week 3, similar to what Kirsten and Singing Bird do. For this activity, your learner will just need play doh or modeling clay. 4) We will be making Swedish pancakes in week 4. This will require butter, eggs, milk, flour, salt, cinnamon, oil, jam, and optional powdered sugar. 5) In week 5, we will be making a paper quilt. For that activity, they'll need the printout provided in class, two sheets of construction paper in contrasting colors, scissors, and glue. 6) In week 7, we will be making a thaumatrope toy similar to the one Kirsten received at the end of the book. For this activity, your child will need the printout that will be posted in class, glue, scissors, and a 1-foot long piece of string. 7) In week 8, students will be presenting a final project that reflects their knowledge of Kirsten and her time period. This can be whatever they'd like to do! If a handout is required, it will be posted prior to the class that it is needed.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2020
4.9
260reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
This is my 14th year as a secondary English teacher, and my favorite units of all are interdisciplinary ones where I can combine many of my passions into one rich learning experience! Personally, I have been an avid American Girl doll collector since I was a child, and have read through the series and have done the activities with my own six year-old. I would love to share this excitement for American Girls, reading, history, and culture with your children, too!Reviews
Live Group Class
$80
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Completed by 104 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 6-10
3-8 learners per class
