Twelfth graders explore the settlement of the Canadian Northwest. For this Canadian history lesson, 12th graders research the Metis, the Canadian, Euro-Canadians, Ontario Society, and Quebec Society. Students present their research...

In this Arizona history worksheet, students read a 2-page article about prehistoric, Spanish, Mexican, and American Arizona prior to responding to 2 short answer questions.

In this World War II instructional activity, learners read excerpts of 2 American diplomatic memos written in the 1930's to Germany and Japan. Then students respond to 2 short answer questions. 

Students examine the painting Columbia by John Gast. They discuss the concept of Manifest Destiny and the role of different groups (miners, missionaries, fur trappers, farmers, etc.) in the Americanization of the West. In groups, they...

Fifth graders create a brochure outlining what he or she has studied throughout the unit. The brochure contains evidence that Students have understood and mastered the answers to the essential questions.

Students evaluate how the impact of building of towns affected slavery.  In this United States History lesson, students work in small groups to construct a map, then they participate in a role-playing activity.

Students review census data to correlate to emigration in Kansas. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students analyze a painting and create definitions for emigration and discuss why people emigrate. Students read and...

Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...

In this social studies worksheet, 4th graders answer multiple choice questions about colonies, the Revolutionary War, geography, and more. Students complete 25 questions.

Students complete a Web quest about Biddy Mason's journey Westward to California as a slave and her ultimate rise to one of the wealthiest and generous woman of the Westward Movement. They present an exhibit of their research.

Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.

A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...

Young scholars examine the motives for French expansion into the New World, they evaluate primary source documents to determine who, what, when, where and why.

Students participation in a simulation of laying the track of Transcontinental Railroad starting from three different locations. They use toothpicks and coffee stirrers to build the rails. They evaluate which group laid the most track...

Students explore and examine the increases and/or decreases for water user groups: irrigation, municipal, manufacturing, steam electric power generation cooling, livestock, and mining. They utilize percentage changes during their...

Students role play positions in the Walla Walla treaty negotiations. They identify the significance of the Sacred Circle and other beliefs of the Native Americans. They discover the complications the tribes faced after the treaties...

Students research and discuss the reasons why early settlers emigrated to Kansas. They, in groups, analyze census district reports from the 1850's and then identify the advantages and disadvantages of using this information as research.

Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...

Students examine a portrait of Maconaquah and compose a list of things they observe about her. They look at her age, clothing, jewelry, and her emotions based on her facial expression. Conclusions are drawn as they "read" the pictures...

Students explore life in the 1800s and become aware of events and inventions that shaped the era as they compare and contrast real life families to fictional characters. They perform webquests based on life in the frontier in the 1880's.

Fourth graders investigate the impact of Brigham Young and Jim Bridger on westward expansion. They conduct research, develop a class information chart, and create a cartoon strip depicting what happened when Jim Bridger and Brigham Young...

Fourth graders explore the various trails that settlers took West from Missouri. They examine the reasons that people took these trails as well as the kind of people who made the journeys. They examine the Oregon, the Mormon, the Santa...

Sixth graders study the westward expansion and the role of railroad construction to the expansion. In this railroad history instructional activity, 6th graders complete KWL activity for the topic. Students view a PowerPoint about the...

Students identify the implications of Manifest Destiny. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation on the topic and then respond to questions based on the details of the presentation.