An American Girl

 My Mom and I read two books about what it was like to live during Colonial Times.  My Mom gave me the assignment to write a book comparing what it was like to live then versus now.  Enjoy my masterpiece:

Page 1:  Hello my name is Hope, and I am truly happy to meet you.  I am a Colonial girl and I have been asked to tell you all about what my life is like.

Page 2:  Hey my name is Evalynn.  I was also asked to tell you about my life.  Well, what are we doing just standing around - on with the book.

Page 3: My education is very poor, the only school I ever went to was Dame School.  The only thing I had to do was learn how to read and write everything on the school book.  Our school book is called the New England Primer.

Page 4: My education is good; I will go all the way to college.  I am taught more than reading and writing, I am taught math and science too.  I have to go every day unless it's a holiday, the weekend, or summer.

Page 5: My dress is very plain; it is brown with a long, white apron in front.  I make most of my clothes, including the fabric.  I also cover my hair at all times.  I am either wearing a hat, hood, or kerchief.

Page 6: My dresses are fluffy, sparky, and if I do say so myself, they are out of this world.  I wear my hair down, but other girls wear their hair in ponytails.  I buy my clothes at many different stores in all sorts of colors and fabrics.

Page 7: We think it is a sin not to work, so we mostly work for the whole day.  Even though we work most of the time, we always find time to play.  Some of the games we play are Tag and Blindman's Buff.  We also sing Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush and London Bridge is Falling Down.

Page 8: I do not have many chores; all I have to do is clean up my room and bathroom, and that's only on the weekend.  I like to make up fun games that are like a chapter book.  When I am not outside, I am usually watching TV or playing a game on an electronic device.

Page 9:  I mostly eat corn, pumpkin, and squash.  My father and brother go fishing for clams, lobsters and many kinds of fish.  My mom and I always cook the food, and we always take some and smoke it to save for winter.

Page 10:  I do not live on a farm, so I buy my food at the supermarket.  Sometimes as a special treat I get artificial junk that tastes delicious to my taste buds . . . candy!  Most of the time we eat fresh fruit and vegetables, grain, dairy, and meat.  We store our fresh foods in a refrigerator.

Page 11: My house only has one room plus an attic.  We do everything in that one room:  cooking, sleeping, and working.  There is only one chair in the house and it belongs to my father; no one else is allowed to sit in it.

Page 12:  My home has many rooms for many things.  It's warm in the winter time and cool in the summer time.  My home has many pieces of furniture for everyone to share.  It is decorated with art and objects from around the world.


I am so glad I live now instead of during Colonial Times!  I do not want to have to work all day and wear ugly dresses.

Signing Off,
*Evalynn* and Mom

Sarah Bishop Timeline and Character Analysis

My Mom and I read this book together.  It is about a young girl, named Sarah Bishop, who lives in New England during the American Revolution.  It is a great book and I highly recommend it.  Sarah has a crazy life, filled with tragedy and adventure.  To capture this, my Mom gave me the assignment to create a timeline of the main events in the story.  Then I was suppose to identify three traits in Sarah that I admire and support them with details from the story.  Here is my assignment:

Sarah Bishop's Timeline

• Her brother Chad became a patriot soldier.
• Her father was killed by the Sons of Liberty because he was a loyalist.
• She was accused of starting a fire that she do not start.
• Her brother Chad died on a war ship.
• She escaped from the Redcoats and became a wanted woman.
• She escaped from Sam Goshen, a man who wanted to do her harm.
• She moved into a cave on Long Pond.
• She fought off an Indian that wanted her out of Long Pond.
• She was accused of witchcraft by witch hunters.
• She went to trial and was found not guilty of witchcraft.

I think Sarah Bishop is brave because... She was accused of starting a fire she did not start, then she away ran from the Redcoats to live in a cave by herself. She was bitten by a copperhead and survived the bite. She was accused of witchcraft and actually went to to defend herself at the trial.

I think Sarah Bishop is intelligent because... She made a cave into a decent home. She survived on her own in the wilderness. She made almost everything she had in her cave by herself.

I think Sarah Bishop is strong because... She is not afraid to use her musket if someone would cause her harm. She fought off an Indian from her home. She found a way to live in peace even knowing that everyone in her family is dead.  

Signing Off,

*Evalynn* and Mom

Boston Brown Bread and Butter

My Mom and I are reading about what is was like to live in Colonial Times.  In this book that we are reading we found a recipe for Boston Brown Bread and churned butter.  I was curious to know what bread might have tasted like back in the 1700s, so we decided to make it.  

 We had to go shopping for Rye flour, which was hard to find!  I did not like the way the molasses smelled - it smelled like a dead skunk!  I'm glad we have other ways to sweeten our food now.  I'm also glad we have an electric oven and dishwasher.


















I had an assistant.  He's kind of cute.

Here's the bread dough - stinky bread dough - ready to go in the oven.

 While the bread was cooking, I made butter.  I poured heavy cream into a lidded container and shook, shook, shook.

When my arms were tired of shaking, my assistant and I rolled the container back and forth.  Then, when we tired of that, we gave it to my Mom!  With her superhuman MOM powers, she finished it up.












We all sat down to try some Colonial delights.

I was hoping the bread didn't taste as bad as it smelled.  I didn't want to take a bite, but my Mom told me I had to in order for the time I spent making the bread to count as school time.

Here I go . . .

The bread was not my favorite, but my Mom, Dad, and neighbors loved it!

By doing this project I learned that I am glad I live in a world with electricity and many food choices.

Signing Off,
*Evalynn* and Mom