Have you ever heard the story of Grady the cow getting stuck in a silo? You can read the true story by clicking here. In 1949, the cow was having trouble recovering from the birth of a stillborn. The farmer called the vet, and after being treated, the cow jumped toward the only light she saw. The light happened to be inside of the silo, and somehow the cow managed to jump through a tiny opening into the silo, where she was then stuck. People all over the world heard about Grady and offered advice on how to get her out of the silo. C, R, and I read the book that tells the story of how Grady got out of the silo.
We also read S is for Sooner, An Oklahoma Alphabet by Devin Scillian. We learned that Mistletoe is the state flower. It is the oldest of Oklahoma's symbols, adopted in 1893, before Oklahoma was even a state. We also learned that it grows in the tops of hardwood trees and is difficult to reach by hand, so it is often shot out of a treetop with a shotgun!
C and R colored mistletoe and cut it out.
They hung one in the kitchen doorway and one in the entry way so that everyone who enters has to kiss them when they are under the mistletoe!
We also read Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith. This is a story of a young Native American girl in Oklahoma who loves the tradition of jingle dancing and wants to join in at the next powow, but she has no jingles for her dress. She turns to her friends and family to help her dance find a voice.
Our final book is Kate Heads West by Pat Brisson. Kate is a girl from New Jersey who is going on vacation with her best friend. They visit four states - Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona - and Mexico. While on vacation, Kate writes letters to her family and friends back home. The letters include a little information about each of the states.
C and R also colored in the state on their blank state maps, and we watched theYouTube clip of the song Oklahoma! from the 1998 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma. I love musical theater and Hugh Jackman, so this was a double bonus for me!!!
Oklahoma was more fun than I expected!
9 comments:
That's so funny about the mistletoe - we used to see it growing high in the trees, when we lived in Oregon. I never thought about how folks got it down to sell at the Christmas fairs. I always assumed a bucket truck, or something - but a shotgun would probably work, too :)
I loved Jingle Dance when we did Oklahoma, it's such a cute book. I wonder if my library has that first book. It looks very intriguing.
I love that you have kept the states going...I have to get back on it..I'm slipping! The big deal is that LUKE loves maps..he loves countries..and states!
I have never heard of Grady the cow. I clicked over to read about it. Poor cow. I'm glad they got her out!
I didn't know that about mistletoe either. LOL that they shoot it out of the trees!
I didn't know that it has to be shot down! Thats pretty cool! You always find the greatest books!
I love the range of books you found for Oklahoma! That's pretty funny about shooting down mistletoe. I never heard of Grady the cow until today!
How interesting about mistletoe! The last book looks vaguely familiar, I think I got it in the library once, but Anna read it on her own. Perhaps I should bring it back to read together.
This is all so neat. I think it's great that you were able to tie this in with Christmas too.
Funny about the mistletoe being shot out of the trees.
Y'all have fun kissing under that mistletoe :-).
I love your state studies, always have.
Forgot to say...these books are so unique. You found some wonderful ones for OK.
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