Curated OER
National Park Service: Adeline Hornbeck and the Homestead Act
This Teaching with Historic Places lesson effectively depicts the life of a pioneer woman and ways in which the Homestead Act impacted her life. The site includes lesson plans, inquiry questions, and photos that may be used in covering...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Life on the Great Plains
A detailed lesson plan that explores "the concept of region and how culture and experience influence the perception of regions." Site provides many excellent websites for students and teachers to explore during their study of the Great...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Amelia Earhart
This documentary film traces the life of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, the first woman to attempt to fly solo across the Atlantic. A preview and other information about the film project are available here.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Bring Hispanic Heritage Month to Life: A Collection of Resources
Celebrate diversity with this collection of ideas to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, including lesson plans, authors, pioneers, and more.
Read Works
Read Works: Heading West
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about every-day life for American pioneers. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in comparing and contrasting.
Cengage Learning
An Introduction to the Life and Writings of Willa Cather
This website is an attempt to give a comprehensive introduction to Cather's (1873-1947 CE) life and work. Aside from an introduction to the body of work, it includes a short biography, an extensive bibliography, an overview of the...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Texas Ranch House
What was it like to be a cowboy in 1867? Visit the Cooke Ranch and explore a cowboy's working and dwelling quarters. Play the interactive games to learn about the many aspects of daily life in the American West. (Click "Interactive...
Other
American Foundation for the Blind: Anne Sullivan Macy
A biographical overview of the life of Anne Sullivan Macy, devoted teacher of Heller Keller and a pioneer in the education of the visually impaired which earned her the nickname "miracle worker". Learn about her through her own letters,...
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Our Story: Life in a Sod House
Imagine moving into a house made out of sod that you and your family had to build in the middle of a prairie! Find great information and activities that will help you understand how it felt to live on the prairie.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Westward Expansion and Reform
Part of a longer time line describing the history of the American West, this section covers the period 1829 to 1859 with hyperlinks to stories and people of this time period.
Yale University
Yale: Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Journey of Discovery
This site features three novels and uses them to show middle schoolers that reading can be fun and useful. Students and teachers will benefit from this informative resource.
Nebraska Studies
Nebraska Studies: Building a Sod House
Here's great information on building sod houses. You can even watch a video of a famous two-story sod house that stood until 1967.
Other
Historic Trails: Oregon/california Trails
Find a map of the Oregon Trail and California Trail and click Historical Trails tab to discover the hardships and daily grind of traveling on the Oregon Trail.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Political Activism in the Progressive Era: Becoming Helen Keller
Learn about the life and political activism of Helen Keller, one of the 20th century's human rights pioneers, in the AMERICAN MASTERS documentary Becoming Helen Keller. Utilizing video, discussion questions, teaching tips, and a...