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Farmer Boy, Chapter 29

Social Studies
Occupations (Wheelwright/Apprenticeship) 
Mr. Paddock asks Father about making Almanzo his wheelwright apprentice. An Apprentice is a person who is bound by legal agreement to work for another for a specific amount of time in return for instruction in a specific trade, business, or art. In Almanzo’s case, if he apprenticed with Mr. Thompson he would learn the trade of a wheelmaker.

When America was settled, craft workers coming to the New World brought with them the practice of master-apprentice relationships. Most of the apprentices were 14 years of age or younger. By comparison, today most apprentices begin training between the ages of 18 and 24. The modern apprenticeship agreement is signed by the employer; by a representative of a joint management-labor apprenticeship committee, or both; and by the apprentice. If the apprentice is a minor (under 18 years old), the parent or guardian also signs. In Almanzo’s day, his Father was going to allow him to decide, but Mr. Thompson asked Father for permission. Often the apprenticeship was passed down from father to son, and then to next generation, etc. Mr. Thompson had no sons and so was looking for a loyal boy to teach. An example in history of this is Paul Revere. His family comes from a long line of silver smiths.

Paul and his younger brother, Thomas, learned their craft from their father. In turn, two of Paul’s sons served apprenticeships in the family’s Boston shop. As many as 500 of his pieces are known to exist. A famous contemporary of Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, was indentured in 1718 at the age of 12 to his elder brother, James. Their father paid James 10 pounds to teach the printing art to Benjamin and to pay for Benjamin’s food, lodging, and other “necessaries.” The indenture provisions were especially generous for those days.

For Almanzo, there were pros and cons to being an apprentice for Mr. Thompson or learning his Father’s farming trade. What are some of the pros and cons (Pros are positive/advantages/for; Cons are negative/disadvantages/against)? The benefits worked both ways, the person teaching the trade had someone to eventually leave the business too (this is what Mr. Thompson planned to do for Almanzo) as well as provide them with a skill to earn a living and perhaps pass on to their future generations. To the person who was learning the trade they benefited for the same reasons. No matter what Almanzo chose, there would be social benefits to the community as a whole. A thriving farm helped its neighbors and sold any surplus (for example, Father selling extra grain) and farmers and community folk needed wheels for wagons and would need repairs too.

Here are some pros and cons-you decide which is a pro and which is a con:

He would always have enough provision and would not be dependent on bad weather like drought or hard winters.

He would make money.

He wouldn’t have to go to school (Almanzo thought this was a pro-is it?)

He would be dependent on others

He would have to respect all customers despite his opinion of them.

His life would be easier.

He would raise what he eats, wears.

He would be independent (work hard, but work as he pleased.)

Science
Trees 
This chapter mentions the oak and hickory trees. If you have not covered them in earlier chapters and made Tree Reports, please do so now.

Oak (Quercus)– There are over 60 species of oak trees, including white, chestnut, scarlet, black, and pin. They are found all over North America. Most varieties are deciduous with simple, alternate leaves. They all produce acorns, some of which are sweet to eat. The oaks are divided into two groups, white oaks and red oaks. The wood from the oak tree is used for flooring, furniture, railroad ties, barrels, and construction. They are also planted for shade trees.

Hickory (Carya) – The hickory trees found in New York include shagbark, shellbark, mockernut, pignut, and the bitternut. They are slow growing deciduous trees with compound alternate leaves. The nuts are nearly round and split into four sections when ripe. The wood from the hickory is most often used for tool handles, and farmers highly value it for fuel and for smoking meat.

Wheels 
Almanzo had the opportunity to be a wheelwright, a person that makes wheels. Wheels were very important to the early settlers, as they are today. Wheels reduce resistance, changing dragging to rolling. It is much easier to roll a load on wheels than it is to drag it. A wheel is a simple machine that was invented thousands of years ago. Wooden and stone wheels are said to have originated in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Greece, Egypt, and China in c.4000-3500 B.C. Wheels were used on the earliest carts and wheelbarrows, as well as for pulleys and potters wheels. By the medieval times, the wheel was expanded into use for spinning wheels, and water wheels. Wheel designs changed too, moving from solid, heavy wheels, to lighter spoked wheels.

If the weather is pleasant, do some experiments with wheels outdoors. If you have a wagon, demonstrate how it is easier to pull something on wheels than it is to push something on the ground. Do this experiment with your bicycle to see how much farther and faster you can travel with wheels: First, take two large steps on foot and measure the distance. Then, get on your bicycle, starting with one foot at the top, push your foot all the way down and then all the way up. Did you go farther taking two steps by foot, or two steps on your bicycle? This shows how much farther and faster we  can go with the use of wheels.

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