Curated OER
"Families and Schools of the Past"
First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.
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Birth of a Nation
Fifth graders portray one of the actual framers of the Constitution. They summarize each class period with a journal entry and culminate the experience with the actual framing and signing (or not signing) of the Constitution.
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American Revolution Simulation
Students explore the grievances of the American colonists. They relate to that which is held most dearly i.e. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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Thanksgiving and Agriculture
Students listen to the book "The Pilgrim Story" and discuss the Pilgrims and why they came to America. Students role play the Thanksgiving story and write about how Pilgrims and Indians relate to them today.
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Gone to Texas
Fourth graders role play as empresarios attempting to bring colonists to Texas in the 1800's. They create an advertisement that encourages the immigrants to come to Texas.
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The Dairy Shoppe
Fifth graders research dairy farming and learn about dairy products as well as dairy processing. In this dairy instructional activity, 5th graders read background information about dairy farming and processing. Students discuss running a...
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Patriots v. Loyalists
Students consider how colonial citizens chose sides in the American Revolution. In this Revolutionary War lesson, students role play Loyalists, Patriots, and undecideds in a classroom simulation. Students research their positions so that...
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How Do We Balance Environmental Conservation with Human Needs?
Students role play a meeting between conservation biologists and local representatives who want to advance the livelihood of local population. In this history lesson, students research the necessities and conservation issues of given...
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Canada's Press: Making a Historical Newspaper
Learners examine several colonial-era editorial cartoons. They evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques the cartoonists used to display their messages and share one editorial cartoon with the class emphasising what message has been...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Early English Settlements History Detectives
Young historians play the role of history detectives as they investigate some primary source texts and images related to the early colonization of America, The Jamestown Settlement, and the Mayflower Compact.
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The Happy Progress of Our Affairs: George Washington and the U.S. Constitution
Students engage in a lesson which uses Washington's own words to illustrate the events leading to the establishment of our national government, and the crucial roles he played throughout that process.
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Africans and Women in Jamestown
Students examine the first settlement at Jamestown and its citizens. Using the internet, they discover the role of women and Africans in Jamestown. They role play what the settlement was like before and after women and Africans coming...
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The Haitian Crisis: Thinking Historically
Students analyze the 2010 earthquake's effects on Haiti. In this Economics lesson, students brainstorm the problems caused in Haiti by the earthquake. Students listen to interviews with scholars to identify additional answers to focus...
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Uncle Sam is Rich Enough to Give Us All a Farm:
Young scholars examine websites and video clips to become familiar with tenets of the Homestead Act, challenges faced by settlers and misconceptions about settlers. They role-play colonists on the Planet XR-38 and make choices similar to...
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Investigating Othello: Peeling Away Layers of Meaning
Students analyze piece of literature by looking at it from one perspective and then by re-evaluating what they have discovered when other layers of meaning are added.
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A Trip to Sully Plantation
Fourth graders have a better understanding of life in colonial Virginia. The students compare and contrast their life today with the life of colonial Students. Each child or small group of students design a project comparing the two time...
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Aquarium Bill of Rights
Pupils review the Bill of Rights on Aquademics and list the rights that are guaranteed to United States citizens. In groups, they role play the role of important leaders whose rules would make a difference for the lives of fish in...
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VS.3c
Students examine the settling of the Jamestown settlement and the importance of the Virginia Company of London. Students actively engage in various role-playing activities
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Chiapas, Where Is It and Why Should We Care? And What Is the EZLN?
Students research and discuss the Zapatista National Liberation Army of Chiapas, Mexico. They role play the involved parties in the conflict and attempt to debate a peaceful solution.
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Students read and analyze the novel, 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond.' They list choices they have in society today, conduct a debate on freedom, role-play interviews with characters from the novel, create a timeline of a character, and...
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Environment: River of Life
Students assess the impact of human activity on the environment. After reading the book, "A River Ran Wild," they role-play and discuss how people changed the river. Students write stories about living along a river from the point of...
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At Home on the French Frontier: 1700-1800
Learners role play bartering for goods and services as the French settlers did in colonial Illinois. They start with eight household items to acquire through bartering. They have to calculate values for each object and determine the...
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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...