Curated OER
Boom Town/Gold Rush
Students discover the history of California by researching the Gold Rush. In this economics history instructional activity, students participate in a class discussion about the book Boom Town, and the value of gold in California. ...
Curated OER
The Roaring Twenties
Let's take a look back at America during the 1920s and 1930s. Information regarding the economics in the 1920s that led to some of the issues during the 1930s are covered using text and images. Learners will consider economic booms,...
Curated OER
The Railroad Booms!
Students discover how the railroads contributed to the interdependence between farms and towns. Using the railroads, they describe the effect of them on western settlement and the relationship between their location and the availability...
Curated OER
Boom and Bust Exploring Bannack, Montana's Colorful Past
Students study what life was like for the early settlers of Bannack, Montana after gold was discovered. They explain the important buildings and then, why Bannack became a ghost town. They participate in a gold mining simulation.
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Railroads and Settlement
Have you ever wondered how your town was placed where it is? Scholars research the impact the advancement of the railroad due to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act had on the formation of civilization in the Great Plains. Map...
Curated OER
"Texas T"
Students examine how the discovery of oil replaced cotton and changed the Texas economy from agricultural to industrial. They read primary source documents, define key vocabulary terms, and create a bookmark.
Curated OER
Going, Going, Ghost
Third graders research ghost towns. In this geography instructional activity, 3rd graders locate ghost towns on a map and choose one location to research. Students construct a research paper and present it to the class.
Curated OER
The 1950s:
Teens will get a kick out of this presentation, which provides a glimpse of the consumerism and rising pop culture of 1950's America. They will especially appreciate the discussion of "Teen culture" including the music of Elvis, the...
Curated OER
Use of the Forest in the Economic Evolution of Oakville, Pennsylvania
Learners explore forest usage and the ways which it affected the development of Oakville. They identify the technological advances that shaped forest based industries, and the current challenges facing the community of Oakville.
Curated OER
A Golden Opportunity for Science
Students participate in a varity of activities surrounding "gold." They explore the science, myths, and legends about gold and conduct a debate over the environmental problems created by gold mining in a small small mining town.
Curated OER
Advising China
Students express their opinions about how growth and modernization affect nations. Reading an article on China, they discuss the causes and effects of exponential growth in a single town. They research how China has changed by writing...
Curated OER
Legacies of El Dorado
Students explore the development of urban California as it was driven by the Gold Rush boom. They study historical documents and participate in a variety of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the concept of the lesson plan.
Curated OER
A Divided Community
Pupils work in teams to research the history of African migration and immigration in the U.S. They present their research in a town hall discussion format and then write a paragraph about their experiences.
Curated OER
Living on a Cotton Farm: Mexican Americans Life In Texas
Seventh graders are introduced to the processes of cotton farming in the early 20th century. In groups, they examine the role of Mexican Americans on the farms and the impact of a boom and bust economy on cotton. They identify the...
Curated OER
Effects of Urban Growth
Learners explore population growth in the United States and the impact it has had on society. First, they brainstorm the reasons for population growth and the results of these increases. Then, they design surveys, record results, and...
Curated OER
From Umayyad to Abbasid Empires
You can't truly understand the present until you understand the past. Bring a historical context to you next social studies class with an exceptional presentation on the ancient Arab and Islamic empires of Umayyad and Abbasid. Slides...
Curated OER
Key Ingredients: America by Food
Students participate in a series of activities to explore the types of food Americans eat, how food choices differ in various parts of the country, and how the availability of various foods has changed over time.
Curated OER
Key Ingredients: America By Food
In this set of five lessons, students analyze the important of food traditions, identity, and history. Students analyze how food traditions contribute to family identity, investigate family food traditions through interviews, and compare...
National Park Service
A Tale of Two Men
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
Curated OER
Tom Sawyer Chapters 14-31
Is your class reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Are you looking to give them reading comprehension questions to guide their reading? This online resource divides chapters 14-31 into four sections, providing questions for each. Assign...
Curated OER
Tequila's New Sunrise
In this editing/proofreading worksheet, 5th graders read and proofread the text "Tequila's New Sunrise" for spelling mistakes. Students correct each spelling mistake they find.
Curated OER
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon Lesson Plan
Learners listen to Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon in order to determine the main idea and essential message of bullying from the text. In this anti-bullying lesson, students first listen to the story, then each student re-reads the sayings...
Curated OER
Dancing Rainbows: A Pueblo Boy's Story
Students read the book "Dancing Rainbows," and complete a variety of activities across the curriculum. In this Native Americans lesson plan, students create pottery, discuss Pueblo traditions, discuss the importance of rain, and learn...
Curated OER
Comstock Calamity
Young scholars study the life of miners and complete activities showing what they have learned. In this miners lesson plan, students read about the life of miners and complete writings, posters, quotes, and other activities about the times.