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Curated OER
Early Exploration of North America
Third graders "travel" from Europe to North America as Columbus did. They organize the information into chronoglogical order.
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America: The Land We Live In: Landmarks
Students explore the concept of landmarks. In this landmark lesson, students brainstorm different landmarks around their community and nationally. Students then identify the patterns in Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings or...
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The Age of Exploration
Learners apply computer skills to gain further insight into early exploration. They analyze the role of each explorer and evaluate their importance. Students comprehend the Chronology of Discovery and Trade of early explorers. They...
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European Exploration, Trade and Colonization
Students complete many activities including mapping, reading books, and Internet research to learn about European exploration. In this European lesson plan, students study geographical mapping, trade, and colonization.
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The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...
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Bartering, an Early Form of Interdependence
Students explore the the benefits and problems associated with a barter system in the Colonies and trace its relationship to the development of interdependence that this system creates. An experience of bartering is created in this lesson.
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Coming to America: A Look at Colonization in the 1600s
Students analyze the European colonization of America. In this colonial America lesson, students use provided Internet resources to research colonization and representative government. Students use their finding...
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Settlement Exploration: Then and Now
NASA has crafted an imaginative and memorable series of lessons, "NASA and Jamestown Education Module." This lesson plan is one of the five components. In it, middle schoolers connect history and science by comparing the settlement of...
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European Explorer IMovie
Film is a wonderful way to communicate any concept or idea. Fifth graders will use IMovie and GarageBand software to create a IMovie about one of eight European explorers. They will chose an explorer, research his travels and life, then...
San Francisco Symphony
Music and Early Man
Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...
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Jazz in America Lesson Plan 7
The student will explore free jazz, fusion, and contemporary jazz. They will listen to avant garde, fusion, and pop recordings. In addition, they participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...
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The Living Museum: George Washington, the Slave Owner
Eighth graders bring early America to life. In this George Washington instructional activity, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the first president, explore the relationships he had with his slaves, and research the backgrounds of...
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America Moves Out!
First graders analyze the events of early American exploration. This is a unit resource for teachers in which there are six lessons about the American Western exploration and expansion. Within each lesson there are objectives, materials,...
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Volunteering Requires Freedom of Choice
Students explore ways to volunteer. In this volunteerism and philanthropy lesson, students brainstorm how the early Americans benefited from philanthropy, then discuss how others benefit from our philanthropy and how we choose ways to...
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Early Settlements
Students embark on a journey through colonial times. In this early settlement lesson, students come to understand what life was like for the settlers in the early colonies. Students research and create projects illustrating their...
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Early Explorers
Students answer short answer questions and participate in a role play where they are explorers being interviewed. In this early explorers lesson plan, students discuss why it is beneficial to be the first one in a place.
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Conflict in the Frontier town of Deerfield
Students use primary sources to investigate, explore and represent varying perspectives on the 1704 Deerfield Raid. They consider the reasons Deerfield was at the center of English, French and Native American conflicts in the early 18th...
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Early Travel Routes
Students explore explorers in the Pacific Northwest by examining primary source documents. After the research is finished students write a journal as if they were one of the explorers. Visual aids are needed as well.
Smithsonian Institution
Stamp Stories of Westward Expansion
What a fantastic project idea for discussing not only the history of America's expansion into the West, but for reviewing any major unit of history in your class. Pupils build stamp collections to visually represent themes of the...
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A Miniscule Adversary: Combating Epidemics and Infectious Diseases in America
Tenth graders discover the spread of different diseases in US. In this health science lesson, 10th graders research the role of CDC and PHS in protecting the citizens. They explore documented cases of pandemics and their impact on...
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Settling Nroth America: Improvisation and Playwriting
Students map the classroom by marking the movement of the first Americans' migration from Alaska down into North America. To improve their skills in map-reading and sense of direction, students identify physical features of the map and...
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Early Explorers
Fifth graders give a presentation about one of the explorers. In this explorers lesson, 5th graders research an explorer and give a presentation to the class. While students are presenting the others are taking notes on a graphic organizer.
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Navigating With Explorers
Students retrace the steps of European explorers to the New World and recreate the early exploration through online research and multimedia presentations. In this world history and technology lesson plan, students research early...
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Early American Quilt Patterns
Students explore the history and purpose of quilts in early America. They create and name their own unique quilt blocks. Students combine their quilt blocks with other students in the class to create a class quilt.