A Lantern In Her Hand

A Novel Unit Designed for Teachers by Teachers
To Explore the Classic Story of a Pioneer Woman
by Nebraska Author Bess Streeter Aldrich

Development Team

Kim Zach, Team Leader; Gretchen Garrison; Sheri Harrington
Jeanne Hightower; Karen Schmidt; Marla Teegerstrom

This project was made possible through grants from:
Syracuse Library Foundation & Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation

 

Welcome

On behalf of the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation, we welcome you as a potential user of the Novel Unit of Study for A Lantern in Her Hand, the classic story of a Nebraska pioneer woman. With assistance of grant funding from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation and the Syracuse Library Foundation, we have brought together six professionals to develop this resource for teachers in public, private, and home schools.

First and foremost, the materials are free. If you'd like to use them, simply email the director about your interest. You'll receive a password that will enable you to access the student and teacher resources on our website (bessstreeteraldrich.org). Most materials can be downloaded in Word format, which will enable you to personalize them.

Designed for freshmen and sophomores, the unit of study can be easily modified for junior high or upper high school classes as well. The benefit of doing a novel study is having the means to touch on multiple standards in a connected way, and these unit objectives align with the appropriate Nebraska State ELA standards for grades 9-10.

 

Unit Overview

The unit lessons have been divided into six sections. Each section covers approximately 50 pages of texts and 5-7 chapters. Each section contains Student Pages which include vocabulary lists and reading guide questions for every 2-3 chapters. Teacher Pages include character lists, setting, chapter summaries, themes, literary devices, and discussion questions. Following each Student and Teacher Page is a quiz over the covered material, with vocabulary matching, multiple choice, and true/false questions. Answer Keys are provided for both Student and Teacher Pages and each quiz.

Supplemental resources include information about Bess Streeter Aldrich, enrichment activities, close reading paragraphs, writing prompts, home school resources, and a final exam. Teachers can personalize their unit of study by choosing those resources that work within their given time frame and student enrollment.

 

Unit Objectives for Students and Teachers

  • Recognize Bess Streeter Aldrich as a Nebraska Hall of Fame author

  • Learn about the history of the Homestead Movement and the Nebraska pioneer experience

  • Develop reading comprehension and thinking skills through high-quality literature

  • Build students' abilities to engage in classroom conversation with peers

  • Offer opportunities for writing and other enrichment activities

 

State Standards

  • Reading Prose and Poetry

    • LA.10.RP.1 Analyze the development of two or more implied or explicit themes over the course of a literary text or texts.

    • LA.10.RP.2 Analyze how the development of characters, settings, and important events contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.

    • LA.10.RP.6. Analyze the implied or stated theme(s) in a literary text to draw conclusions, deepen understanding of self and others, and generate questions for further inquiry.

    • LA.10.RP.8 Read and comprehend a wide range of literary texts of appropriate complexity at the high end of the 9-10 grade band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

  • Vocabulary

    • LA.10.V.1 Integrate grade-level academic vocabulary appropriately for a variety of tasks and purposes. 

  • Writing 

    • LA.10.W.1 Compose grammatically correct multi-paragraph compositions to convey meaning and add variety, interest, and fluency to written and spoken language.

  • Speaking and Listening

    • LA.10.SL.1 Initiate and participate in structured discussions and collaborations about grade-level topics and texts.

 

Aldrich Foundation Resources

The Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation is excited to help the next generation learn about Bess Streeter Aldrich, her exceptional literary contributions, the Homesteading Movement, and the development of our state by encouraging the reading A Lantern in Her Hand. 

            To assist teachers, copies of the book can be checked out from the Aldrich House for free. The Aldrich Foundation is also pleased to offer these other free resources to districts and home school teachers in 2022:

Resources for Introducing Lessons:

      Nebraska Humanities Video about Mrs. Aldrich (opening 18 minutes)

Resources for Enrichment Activities During Instruction:

  • Read Article “Why I Wrote A Lantern in Her Hand.”

  • Read Article “Writing Backwards.”

  • Request Letter Examples—Letters from the Elms.

  • Request Copies of an Aldrich Stories from an Early Magazine

  • Watch a Video Tour of the Aldrich House

  • Participate in a Grave Rubbing

  • Prepare an Aldrich Recipe

  • Participate in the Bess Streeter Aldrich Short Story Contest, Due April 15

Resources for Culminating Activities:

  • Take a Field Trip to Aldrich House/Museum or Participate in a Character Tour

  • Tour the Grand Army of the Republic Hall (one of two in Nebraska)

  • Participate in a Walking Tour of Elmwood                                 

  • Participate in a Botany/Garden Activity in the Aldrich Gardens

  • Request Elmwood Mural Postcards and Study the Significance of the Design