Curated OER
"Old 300"
Fourth graders combine art and history to assess the importance of the "Old 300." They explore a group of colonists that Stephen F. Austin brought to Texas as the first settlers and then create a time line of major events leading to the...
Middle Tennessee State University
Preparing for Revolution
Class members create a timeline of actions by both the British parliament and the colonists that led to the outbreak of the American Revolution. Groups use the provided Primary Source Analysis Tool to examine and evaluate materials to...
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution
Sit back, relax, and transport to 1787! This instructional activity on the Constitution begins with guided imagery of the Constitutional Convention. The class reads A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution in an interactive...
Curated OER
Leadership in Jamestown
Students formulate the criteria for leadership in the Jamestown colony in order to develop understanding of early U.S. government. In this history instructional activity, students read an article about leadership in this colony and rate...
Curated OER
The Causes and Course of the First World War
Use this twelve-day lesson plan to teach about the causes and courses of WWI. Each day scholars attend lectures, complete creative activities, and hold round table discussions on what they've learned. Web links and resources are...
Curated OER
Westward the Course of Empire Goes: American Imperialism in the Pacific Ocean during the Nineteenth Century
Eleventh graders research the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century. They present their findings to the class and propose which countries or territories the...
Curated OER
Leadership in Jamestown
Learners formulate criteria for leadership based on evaluation of Jamestown's leaders, and identify origins, compositions, and goals of the Virginia Company.
Curated OER
Colonial America
Students read the novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. In groups, they conduct research using the Internet, encyclopedias, and books to gather information on an assigned colony. The projects are presented to the rest of the class.
Curated OER
Creating a Colonial Newspaper
Learners identify people, events and issues of importance during the French and Indian War and compare them with issues that only affected New Hampshire. They discover how newspapers gave people a sense of identity.
Scholastic
Pilgrim and Wampanoag Daily Life for Grades 6–8
Two slide shows, viewed side-by-side, permit middle schoolers to compare and contrast the lives of the Pilgrims of the Plimoth colony and the Wampanoags. Four videos take learners on virtual field trips to the Plymouth plantation. And an...
Scholastic
The First Thanksgiving Feast for Grades 3-5
Scholars examine the first Thanksgiving through books and interviews while they complete a KWL chart. Pretending they are part of the feast, learners craft a scrapbook page that features images related to their experience. Pupils reflect...
Scholastic
Pilgrim and Wampanoag Daily Life for Grades 3-5
Thirteen steps make up a lesson that challenges pupils to compare and contrast the daily lives of Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. Learners revisit the Graffiti Wall then break into small groups for an investigative reading assignment...
Curated OER
Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
Curated OER
My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Curated OER
Comparing North American Colonies Vs. Britain
Fifth graders practice creative writing by describing events from the Colonial era. In this U.S. History lesson, 5th graders identify King George III and George Washington, the roles they played, and the differences between them. ...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
B. Franklin, Printer and the Public Eye
Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...
Curated OER
The English Settle America
Sixth graders compare immigration today with that of the colonial period. They locate colonies on a map and describe reasons their families immigrated to the United States.
Curated OER
Jamestown in Context: The Colonization of North America
Students analyze the significance of Jamestown in the broader picture of colonization and analyze a historical document to determine the effects of previous explorations on the expectations of the Jamestown colonizers
Curated OER
John Smith Leadership Exercise
Fifth graders examine how in times of need the qualities of leadership automatically surface in individuals to see that necessary tasks get accomplished.
Curated OER
Faces of the Revolution
Fifth graders investigate the important figures of the American Revolution. In this American Revolution activity, 5th graders outline the important events of the war and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Independence Masks
Students explore how art reflects the economic, political, social, religious and historical concerns of a culture. They research a former colony to determine if there is any history of a mask. Students create a mask representing the...
Curated OER
Being Me in the Face of Adversity - Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs
Young scholars identify important Americans from the colonial, revolutionary and slavery periods who are noted for standing up for their beliefs in the face of peer disapproval. They identify the importance of music in motivating and...
Curated OER
Gandhi's Non-violent Revolutions: Examining Tools to Make Non-violent
Students analyze Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent social change. In this nonviolence and social change lesson, students research a leader from the attached list who practiced nonviolent social change. Students write their own poem...
Curated OER
Gandhi Speaks Through Clothing
Middle schoolers analyze how Gandhi used the way he dressed to communicate with the Indian people. Students understand why Mahatma Gandhi was such an effective leader of the Indian struggle for independence from British colonial rule