Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lure of The West

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Here is a fabulous series of lesson plans on four of the most celebrated artists of the Old Western period in American history. Learners study the works of Charles King, George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, and Thomas Moran. The pack is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Colonization of the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy in historical context. In this Westward Movement lesson, students read Our Journey West and explain examples of settlers working together for the common good.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Walking the Trail of Tears

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners, through the use of examining video clips and Websites, become familiar with the reasons that the settlers wanted the land, broke treaties, and initiated the Indian Removal Act leading to the Trail of Tears.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dangers of the West

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders examine primary sources to investigate the dangers travelling to and settling in the American West. Students design brochures that would help those...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth

For Teachers K - 12th
There is a grain of truth in myths. Young historians investigate the truths surrounding the popular beliefs about the First Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After reading the information in a study guide, they use what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Factors Contributing To the U.S. Dominance of the Pacific Northwest

For Teachers 6th - 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jamestown's Economy

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students identify items made in Jamestown and draw conclusions about their economy. In this Jamestown economy lesson, students use the internet to complete a worksheet which required them to look at photographs of goods made in and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Intermediate Level Lesson Plan THEMATIC ESSAY

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify three reasons why conflict arose in the Western United States during the late 1800s. Using specific examples, discuss how the United States government attempted to resolve these conflicts. Evaluate whether these...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Famous Signature

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners study important historical figures.  In this United States history lesson, students trace the signature of John Hancock using cotton swabs, glitter, and various art supplies after discussing the historical significance of...
Lesson Plan
Teacher Vision

The Wampanoag Indians: A Thanksgiving Lesson

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Spark some lively conversation about American holiday traditions and debunk accepted notions about the first Thanksgiving at the same time. After reviewing the mainstream version of the Thanksgiving story with your class, offer some...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bay Area: Race and Land

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the role that racism played in the growth of the Bay Area. They discover how turn-of-the-century boosters promoted a vision of the Bay Area. They study the American Indian Movement's takeover of Alcatraz Island in 1969,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NATIVE AMERICANS

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study the importance of nature to Native Americans and discover the growth stages of Northern beans and mustard seeds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneering Principles: Why Character Matters

For Teachers 6th - 8th
What does it mean to "be of good character"? What are the qualities that define such a person? The 1825 Colonization Law of Coahuila y Texas required that all new immigrants into Mexican Texas present documentation that they were of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Overland Trails To The West

For Teachers 5th
After observing a map of trails that settlers took in the 1800s, your class will write a journal with the perspective of a settler. In their journals, they must describe the trail they traveled, geographical features they saw, states and...
Worksheet
Read Works

Plymouth Colony

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
Read about the tumultuous beginning to the United States with an informational text passage about Colonial America. As young researchers peruse an article about the arrival of the Mayflower, the settlers' relationship to the neighboring...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Encourage learners to think critically about common myths regarding the Wampanoag Indians in Colonial America. They discover that behind every myth are many possible explanations—and that learning more about American history helps them...
Lesson Plan
Berkshire Museum

The Three Life-Giving Sisters: Plant Cultivation and Mohican Innovation

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Children gain first-hand experience with Native American agriculture while investigating the life cycle of plants with this engaging experiment. Focusing on what the natives called the Three Sisters - corn, beans, and squash - young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Book: The Northern Colonies: Quest for Freedom

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Young scholars, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "The Northern Colonies: Quest for Freedom," assess the diseases that killed Native Americans as well as the causes for the spread of disease during this time period. They contemplate...
Worksheet
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1
K12 Reader

From Nomad to Farmer

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
The gradual evolution of the earliest settlers in North America from nomads to farmers is the subject of a reading comprehension worksheet that asks kids to answer a series of questions using information provided in the reading passage.
Lesson Plan
Briscoe Center for American History

Who Was Mary Maverick?

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
To begin a study of how to use primary source documents, class members read a brief biography of Mary Maverick, one of the first white women settlers in Texas, and answer comprehension questions based on the reading. The first is a...
PPT
Curated OER

The Settlement of New England

For Teachers 8th - 11th
A thorough exploration of the Puritan Migration and settlement of Plymouth, this presentation is sure to engage your young historians with its clear maps and historical documents. The presentation differentiates the philosophies of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons West!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Through learning about the Oregon Trail and Nebraska, learners evaluate the elements of historical fiction. Coming with a comprehensive bibliography, this instructional activity has your class learn about settlers traveling along the...

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