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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cotton Gin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to an early American inventor, Eli Whitney, and his experiences with the Patent Office. The economic importance of the cotton gin and its impact on slavery are also addressed.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers review the U.S. patent laws by researching Eli Whitney's petition for a renewal on his cotton gin patent. They examine documents to assess the impact of the cotton gin, role-play the patent hearing and discuss the effects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study Eli Whitney and the cotton gin. In this lesson on the cotton gin, 4th graders use primary and secondary sources to gather information about Eli Whitney, the cotton gin that he invented and how it changed the south.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thoreau

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders answer the question Why Westborough? Why did their town develop as it did, what types of industry were here and why. They are introduced to journal writing. Students free write about ideas that stand out from class. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cotton Production and Milling

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine cotton production and milling. They compete in a hand-ginning contest to realize how difficult it was to separate the seeds from the fibers of cotton. They discuss why Eli Whitney's cotton gin was an important invention.