Liberty Girls - Kirsten

Here's the girl's book club this year:
Announcing - Liberty Girls Book Club
Kirsten: A Minnesota Liberty Girl
Assorted Fridays from 1:30 – 4:00
September – December


Mission: Liberty Girls Book Club is a club offering young girls in grades 4-6, an exciting opportunity to learn about American History through historical fiction, narration, hands on creative and explorative experiences, mentors and social interaction with other homeschoolers.

Vision: Little girls want to grow up to be great women. To do this, they need models and inspiration. As young girls, they also want to try out the things they read about, to be able to understand how it was for other American Girls and how it was for girls living long ago. They want to get messy, dress up, go places, have adventures and form friendships that last. Liberty Girls offers an avenue to meet these needs through stories, activities, cooking, games, discussions, special guests and producing a play in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

Registration: Club membership is for 4 months: $12. This will cover all of the expenses associated with the meeting activities. The cost of the books is not included. However, there are MANY copies available at the County Library.

Reading: We’ll use the American Girls Series: Kirsten, reading the six books in 3 months (2 books a month), with the last month meeting used for the play. Books are approximately 60 pages in length each. Kirsten is a fictitious girl living in 1854 in Minnesota. Each meeting has been designed to correspond to the books for that month allowing each girl to experience for themselves some of the things Kirsten did during that time. All members are required to read the book before the meeting.

What does Mom have to do? Just help your daughter finish the book each month, bring your daughter on time, pick her up at the end, help her prepare for a one time narration, and help with one meeting or the play. Costume for the play is white shirt, mid calf to ankle length skirt, nice shoes and optional shawl. If your daughter has a long dress she would like to wear instead, that would be fine.

Narrations: We remember a story better when we tell it to our friends. Each girl will get to give one narration to the book club members during the opening ceremony of each meeting. This should be a retelling of a part of the book featured that meeting that20she decides to share. She can dress up, act out, draw pictures, have props, rewrite it in her own words, put it into verse, sing a song, whatever she is excited about doing to express this part to her friends. A narration should take 5 minutes. We’ll have a sign up sheet at the first meeting.

Program Outline

September – Book: Meet Kirsten & Kirsten Learns a Lesson

Program overview for the girls
Narration sign up
Lesson and Discussion: We will trace Kirsten's route on a map and talk about health issues of Kirsten’s time. We will learn a few Swedish words. We will learn more about Singing Bird, her tribe and what her life was like.
Craft – Make a rag doll.
Snack – Swedish Coffee bread.
Play and Talent DESIGNATIONS (Play parts will be assigned by picking names out of a hat)
7 female roles

October – Book: Kirsten’s Surprise & Happy Birthday, Kirsten

4 Narrations
Lesson and Discussion: We will learn more about St. Lucia's Day and tornadoes.
Craft – small quilted potholder.
Snack – St. Lucia Buns.
Read through play. Have you memorized Act 1&2?

November – Book: Kirsten Saves the Day & Changes for Kirsten

3 Narrations
Lesson and Discussion: We will play games like they played on the Fourth of July. We will also learn about the black be ars in Minnesota, fur trading and bee keeping.
Craft – bees wax candle
Snack – Pepparkakor (Swedish Cookies)
Play practice. Do you have Act 3&4 memorized?

December – Play

Practice Play
Play Home is Where the Heart
Snack – Swedish cookies