Dutch and Swede Settlers of Early America Lesson Plan

1. Stretch. Pray.

2. Discuss Proverbs 6:10-11

3. Sing Psalm 23B (in preparation for Thanksgiving Presentation).

4. Start making butter: Pour ½ pint of whipping cream (at room temperature) & a pinch of salt in a pint-size or larger glass jar with tight fitting lid. Each child shakes the jar until a page is turned in the book and then the child passes the jar to the person on their right who shakes it. Keep shaking back and forth until the cream thickens, and then turns into butter. This will take 10-15 minutes. *Shake jar while we review the history of the Dutch in America.*
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: ½ pint of whipping cream (at room temperature), pinch of salt, a pint-size or larger glass jar with tight fitting lid

5. Review Dutch history while passing around the butter jar to shake:

a. Show Holland on a map.

b. Talk about Dutch settling North America, reminding them of Henry Hudson. Show pictures of Half Moon and Hudson from The Golden Book History of the United States: Volume 1 by Earl Miers. Show the Hudson River on a map.

c. Ask from where the Pilgrims came. Read Tulip Time in Holland from A Child's Book of Children of the World by E. Joseph Dreany. Mention how some of the girls who came over on the Mayflower may have carried tulip bulbs and flower seeds with them. Point out the importance of cleanliness to the Dutch.

d. (Optional) Let the children pass around a tulip and/or tulip bulb.
MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: a tulip and/or tulip bulb

e. Talk about the arrival of the Cow, Sheep, and Horse ships. The Dutch were the first to bring cows to America. What do we use cows for? Let kids try a piece of Gouda cheese on a cracker. (Children did not like Gouda so keep the pieces small.) Discuss how they used to church butter. Show a picture of a butter church. This is why we're making butter.

MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: tiny bit of Gouda cheese and 1 box of crackers (We'll use more crackers for tasting butter.)

f. Mention the purchase Manhattan Island by Peter Minuit for $24 (worth about $800,000 in today's money). Show the sketch of New Amsterdam from History of the World: The Americas in the Colonial Era by Monica Dambrosio and the picture from The Golden Book History of the United States: Volume 1 by Earl Miers.

g. Show the picture of Peter Stuyvesant from The Golden Book History of the United States: Volume 1 and ask the kids to describe what kind of man he might have been from that picture.

h. Read about Peter Stuyvesant: Old Silver Leg Takes Over! A Story of Peter Stuyvesant by Robert Quackenbush.

i. Show the picture from History of the World: The Americas in the Colonial Era by Monica Dambrosio of what New Amsterdam looked like after Stuyvesant ruled. Compare it to the picture of New Amsterdam in The Golden Book History of the United States: Volume 1 showing what it looked like before he arrived.

j. Read Sinterklass - The Netherlands from UNICEF's Festival Book by Judith Spiegelman.

k. Have children compare the Dutch celebration of Christmas with how we celebrate. The Dutch were the ones to introduce Saint Nicholas to America. He gives out cookies called Pepernoten on December 5.

6. Divide into 3 groups to make Pepernoten. Each group will make the recipe below. (Everyone loved these cookies, so you wouldn't be sorry if you have each group double the below recipe so they have extras to take home.)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed or allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
5 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, & spices. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the milk and flour mixture and make very very small marble sized balls. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 325 F until golden.
MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: 3 cups flour, 1 ½ c. brown sugar, Spices, 2 mixing bowls, a mixing spoon, 1 cup measure, 1 teaspoon, 1 baking sheet
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: 1 ½ Tbsp. baking powder, 1 ½ tsp. salt, 1 ½ c. sugar, 2 mixing bowls, a mixing spoon, 1 cup measure, 1 teaspoon, 1 baking sheet
MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: 2 sticks butter, 3 Tbsp. milk, 12 Ziplock bags (for taking home extra cookies), 2 mixing bowls, a mixing spoon, 1 cup measure, 1 teaspoon, 1 baking sheet

7. Butter should be ready. Try it with crackers.

8. Discuss beavers & fur trading. Show pictures from The North American Beaver by John Becker and p. 70 of The Wild Shores: America's Beginnings by Tee Loftin Snell. (These weren't great books. Use better books if you can find them.)

9. Trade for beaver felt: (Ahead of time in the living room hide 20 kitchen or hand towels that have been rolled up.) Quickly discuss beaver trapping and trading. Ask what types of items Native Americans would like to receive. Divide group into older and younger children.

a. Younger children get to be the Native Americans. They will hunt around the room to find all the "beavers" (rolled up kitchen towels). After finding all the "beavers," they will unroll their towels to make them into "pelts" and then bring them to the Dutch trading post to trade with the Dutch.

b. While the younger group is hunting for beavers, the older group, representing the Dutch traders, will each select 10 trinkets (silverware, toy tools, toy weapons, beads/necklaces, & blankets). Each child will get to select 1 item and then the second item, and so forth.

c. After all the "beavers" have been found, the "Native Americans" will bring their "pelts" to trade with the "Dutch." Remind the children that trading does not need to be a 1:1. See which "Dutch" person gets the most pelts and which Native American appears to come out the best.

MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: 20 rolled up kitchen towels, 50 "trinkets" (silverware, toy tools, toy weapons, beads/necklaces, & blankets) -- mostly craft beads

10. Briefly discuss Peter Minuet & Swedish settlers including their log cabins. Show pictures from The Golden Book History of the United States: Volume 1 and Delaware by Deborah Kent. ("Delaware" by Deborah Kent wasn't a great book. Use any book you can find on Delaware.)

11. The Swedish made the first log cabins in America. Compare these to the houses the British made. Make log cabins out of craft/popsicle sticks.
MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: large box of craft/popsicle sticks, glue, 12 sheets of paper (for protecting the table)

12. Serve Pepernoten cookies and water as children finish making their log cabins.
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: 12 napkins, 12 cups for water, 4 baggies for extra cookies

13. Sing Psalm 23B

14. 5 Minute Review of what we learned.

Konos Curriculum
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