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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

African American Pioneers in Aviation

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Bessie Coleman. William Powell. Willa Brown. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While these names may not be familiar to many Americans, they are African American pioneers in aviation history. Class members have an opportunity to research the...
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Activity
Joy Uzarraga

Famous American Research Project

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
Designed specifically for lower elementary pupils, this is a great biographical research project in which students research a famous American, and then design creative poster boards to help them "become" the famous American they have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
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Activity
Smarter Balanced

American West in the 1800s

For Teachers 8th - 12th
To establish a context for an assessment or a study of pioneers and the American frontier in the 1800s, groups examine photos and record observations about clothing, housing, and travel.
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Worksheet
K12 Reader

Analyzing O! Pioneers

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Readers of O! Pioneers are asked to cite evidence from a paragraph of Willa Cather's novel to support an analysis of Alexandra Bergson, the personal qualities she possesses, and how these qualities will help the Bergson family after her...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Firsts from Aboriginal Peoples to Pioneers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine Aboriginal people of the Americas. In this history instructional activity, students make connections between their own lives and those of Aboriginal people. Students engage in a 'talking circle' and use storytelling as a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer Values in Willa Cather's My Antonia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Included in this resource are a variety of activities to do while reading Willa Cather's My Antonia. The activities, which range from mapping out Nebraska to writing activities about pioneer living, are all designed with one guiding...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-Americans in California's Heartland

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers read and view video about the pioneers moving west.  For this African American pioneer lesson, students become familiar with the problems faced by the pioneers and African-American pioneers. Middle schoolers complete...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wild, Wild West, or Was It?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 5th graders examine the opportunities that the West offered American pioneers. Students watch a montage video and analyze primary documents regarding the topic.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Worksheet #79 - American Pioneer

For Students 7th - 8th
In this American pioneer quiz worksheet, students advance their understanding of the early American pioneer days by answering ten fill in the blank questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mountain Vista

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students participate in a role play activity in which they play an American pioneer moving west. During the role play, they select an occupation and a town to live in. In groups, they use a map to determine the best route to arrive to...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

Meet Four Pioneering African American Astronauts

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
An out-of-this-world resource introduces young scientists to four African American astronauts: Michael P. Anderson, Ronald E. McNair, Guion S. Bluford Jr., and Jeanette J. Epps. Groups read biographies of these individuals and prepare...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Frontiers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the settlement of the American frontier through literature. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss works by James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, and Hamlin Garland. Students compare...
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Lesson Plan
Maryland Department of Education

Our Children Can Soar

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Amazing efforts of African American leaders are celebrated in a lesson on civil participation. The engaging resource focuses on primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of African American leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taming the Frontier

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine paintings by Thomas Cole and Jasper Francis Cropsey as windows into American frontier life. They consider the pioneer's relationship with nature and the role of Native Americans in the pioneer's lives and settlements.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Pioneer Living

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research pioneer life. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders read the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and discuss what life was like for early pioneers. They research pioneers and show what they have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impact of Westward Expansion on Indigenous Populations

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners study the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. They create a diorama of a Native American scene, write imaginary letters as a pioneer child reflecting on his/her experiences, and create story sticks that...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Little House on the Prairie

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Hop into a covered wagon and follow Laura Ingalls Wilder through the Midwest. A series of lessons based on Little House on the Prairie encourages young pioneers to see the world through Laura's eyes as they map her journey, discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Life as a Pioneer

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine historical documents and research why early pioneers settled on the Iowa prairie. They review maps, describe the impact of railroading, describe life in pioneer times, and identify the effects of drought, prairie fire,...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

African-Americans in the American West

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Secondary learners explore the westward movement of African Americans. Segmented into four time periods, the lesson provides an overview of how African Americans experienced westward expansion. Learners view PBS specials on the westward...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Pioneer America

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research pioneers who had a strong influence on westward expansion. In this westward expansion lesson, 4th graders write an essay about four pioneers and an interview script about one. Students work in pairs to present...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons West!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The first pioneers faced many obstacles on their journey west. Middle schoolers read different historical fiction texts (ideas are provided), make connections, and complete a detailed packet (included). Reading guides, journal ideas, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sodbusters!

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study American settlers, how and where they lived by observing images. They investigate how the settlers used sod to build houses that were adaptable to the plains environment. They compare living in a sod homes with their home.

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