Description
Farming in the New Hampshire 1800s
Students will learn about farming around Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the struggles and life of farmers who had to travel to sell their goods and produce during that time.
We don't want boring history lessons. That is why we focus on fascinating historical tidbits that help students understand and appreciate the story.
Donald Hall — A poet who knew it
Students will learn about the industrious life of Donald Hall. A Harvard graduate, college professor, author, and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Donald Hall, was also a farmer!
Barbara Cooney — An artist who loves the details
Meet Barbara Cooney, a writer and illustrator of over 100 books. A winner of the Caldecott Award, Barbara Cooney loved making sure that her art was as historically authentic as possible.
Words beyond the page — learn by doing, not memorizing
Words beyond the page — learn by doing, not memorizing
Vocabulary is woven into this guide with a selection of engaging activities designed to build real word retention. We don't use boring rote memorization methods. Students use and develop the kind of rich vocabulary that builds and evolves their reading comprehension and their own writing.
- Stretch your vocabulary with synonyms
- Compare and contrast your own understanding of words with their dictionary definition
- Complete a wordsearch and strengthen pattern recognition, spelling, and student engagement while reinforcing vocabulary growth
- Activities that build retention through engagement, not just memorization
Tools of a writer — How great stories are made
This guide goes beyond basic comprehension to teach students how memorable writing works. Through carefully designed activities, students explore the literary techniques in Ox-Cart Man, including:
- Synonyms — Students learn how authors can add nuance and variety to their writing with synonyms
We introduce language arts skills that build the literary appreciation children carry into more advanced study.
Faith-centered ELA study — lesson by lesson
Every page of the farmer's journey offers opportunity for character study and personal growth. This literature guide draws out the moral and spiritual dimensions of the story, exploring themes such as:
Each theme is tied directly to Scripture, so faith and literature grow together — not separately.
Learning that brings ELA to life
For more than three decades, families have loved how Progeny Press guides bring books to life — and Ox-Cart Man is full of fun learning opportunities. This guide includes a wide variety of hands-on, cross-curricular activities, including:
- Arts and Crafts — Craft a collage booklet, weave, and other tactile projects
- Cooking — Plan and prepare a delicious breakfast
- Creative Writing — Explain why farmers have markets in the autumn, and make a personal goals list and plan
- Geography — Mark locations from the story and measure distances
- Read Aloud — Practice oration and strengthen reading speed and skill by reading out loud
These aren't just filler activities. Each one is intentionally connected to the story, the historical setting, or the biblical themes — making learning feel like an adventure, not a checklist.
Keep the love of reading going
This guide includes a curated reading list to engage and keep students reading. Featuring works by additional authors that share themes, setting, and writing style of Ox-Cart Man, you can develop a complete, cohesive homeschool reading curriculum for your entire year.
Open-and-go — on your schedule, your way
- Download instantly — no shipping, no waiting
- Works on Mac, PC, and most tablets
- Fillable PDF fields for on-screen use or easy printing
- Print the full guide, individual lessons, or multiple classroom copies
- Compatibility focused for every device:
- Fully interactive copy with Javascript enabled with embedded Audio included
- Simple form enabled for most PDF viewers included
- Full, formatted Answer key included
