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Jazz's Beginnings
Students examine jazz's roots and their hybridization in New Orleans in the early 20th century. They listen to ragtime and jazz recordings, then complete worksheets imbedded in this plan.
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Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Pupils examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
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Explorers of the New World
Students research explorers and explore how exploration affected the Western Hemisphere; students demonstrate competency in using multimedia encyclopedia and information software, and present PowerPoint presentation to class with two...
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Legacy of Colonialism
Students explore the extent of colonialism from the early periods in the 1500's to the later years in the mid 1900's. They explain how colonization differed in regions around the world and examine the lasting effects on the colonized...
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The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War
Students discover how the United States became involved in the Vietnam War, the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the war, and how the Vietnam War is still a part of American life and culture.
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Images of the New World
Students examine how visual and literary images played an important role in the English colonization of Virginia. They analyze the importance of Thomas Harriot's Report on the subsequent development of English colonial plans for...
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Lives of Native Americans and Settlers
Students assess the effect of contact between the Native Americans and Europeans after 1492. They explore the lives of the early European colonists and the Native Americans living along the East Coast of North America. Lesson contains...
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Jackie Steals Home
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
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Meet the Underground Railroad
Students research and learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson plan, students take 2 weeks to research an individual, complete journal writings, read passages in small groups, list major events, and more.
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Pilgrims: The First Americans
Fifth graders become familar with the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving through essays about important people of the time. For this Thanksgiving lesson, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and write a two...
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Bison on the Plains
Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by reading assigned text about American Indians. In this migration lesson, 5th graders identify the differences between Native Americans and European settlers who traveled through middle America in...
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William Penn's Peaceable Kingdom
Students explain the methods Penn used to attract settlers to his colony. They compare and contrast Penn's account with Daniel Pastorius' account. Students evaluate the effectiveness of Penn's ability to attract settlers to the colony....
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Production and Trade
Students discuss production and trade. In this business lesson, students read the book Ox-Cart Man and identify the traits of entrepreneurs. Students discuss ways a person can improve their job performance.
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The Age of Exploration
Students apply computer skills to gain further insight into early exploration. They analyze the role of each explorer and evaluate their importance. Students comprehend the Chronology of Discovery and Trade of early explorers. They...
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American Indians
Students research early Indian adaptations in this instructional activity. They research the different American Indian tribes. They also research and compare the tribes' rituals, daily lives, and their impact on the Europeans who came...
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Mayflower Arrival Day 3
Seventh graders write a letter describing their arrival on the Mayflower. In this Mayflower arrival activity, 7th graders research the passengers, comparing and contrasting ocean travel then and now. Students take a passenger from the...
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Colonial Maps
Students discover the history of America by identifying the traditional colonies. In this U.S. history lesson, students examine a world map and identify where the voyagers left from Europe to arrive at the United States. Students...
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Presentation of Pilgrims
Pupils are given a category to research (clothes, life before the New World, the voyage, etc.) about Pilgrim life. s Students, in groups, create presentations using software program such as PowerPoint.
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A Brief History of Vietnam (1858-2004) and Its Evolving Communist System
Students examine the French colonization of Vietnam, the Vietnam War, and the current evolving Communist system. They develop political maps, outline the major events of the Vietnam War, write an essay, and compare/contrast democracy...
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Religious Freedom
Sixth graders examine the religious issues of the early settlers in the New World and the current issue of separation of church and state. They discuss a list of colonial laws from the 1600s, participate in a class discussion, and in...
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The House of Burgesses
Fifth graders role-play a session of the House of Burgesses, an early colonial judicial body. At the end of the role-play students discuss their perceptions of the House of Burgesses.
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Corn An A-Maizing Plant
Fifth graders consider the uses of corn. For this agricultural lesson, 5th graders examine corn as a natural resource and discuss the many ways to reuse the grain. A variety of activities, books, and web resources are included with the...
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The Roanoke Mystery
Fourth graders hypothesize about what happened on the island of Roanoke. In this South Carolina history instructional activity, 4th graders use primary documents to draw conclusions about what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke. This...
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The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War
Students comprehend how the United States became involved in what one historian called the quagmire. Students identify and analyze the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the Vietnam War. Students...