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Unit Plan
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National Geographic

Mapping the Americas

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Celebrate the geography of the Americas and develop map skills through a series of activities focused on the Western Hemisphere. Learners study everything from earthquakes and volcanoes of the Americas and the relationship between...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploration of North America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine some famous explorers who have helped to discover our country. They discuss explorers from three countries today. They are: Spain, Portugal, and England.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparison of Colonial Regions in British North America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare and contrast the colonies in British North America. As a class, they brainstorm a list of people, places and ideas associated with the Colonial Era. They discover the relationships and interactions between the...
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Worksheet
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K12 Reader

Conflict Over North American Lands

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Readers are introduced to some of the conflicts that arose over land and resources in the Americas in a two-part cross-curricular comprehension worksheet that asks kids to study the article and then to use information provided to respond...
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

European Explorers

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
To compare how the Spanish, French, and English approached the exploration of North America, class groups examine primary source documents and become experts on one of four explorers: Francisco Coronado, Robert LaSalle, Samuel de...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovery of America

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students examine the European conquest of North America. They participate in activities which allow them to discover the indigenous peoples of the region. They also place events in chrongological order.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trails of Understanding: The Earliest Immigrants

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars research Native American tribes. In this human migration lesson, students determine how tribes lived and established cultures. Young scholars create PowerPoint presentations that feature their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New World, Old Evils: Latin America and the Holocaust

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Pupils examine how Latin America was affected by the Holocaust in Europe. In groups, they research topics related to Latin America and World War II. They interview survivors if possible and discover how entire nations were effected by...
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Unit Plan
New York City Department of Education

Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Native Californians and the Portola Expedition

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What was California like before the Spanish came? Class members discover the answer to the question using images of Native Americans and diaries of the early Spanish explorers. Scaffolded activities allow instructors to adapt the...
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Worksheet
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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 activity that asks kids to answer a series of questions using information provided in the reading passage.
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Lesson Plan
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Channel Islands Film

Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Imagine being part of a team of scientists that discover the oldest human remains in North America. Imagine being part of the crew that documents this discovery. Class members get a change to be part of such an exciting adventure in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vikings in Vinland

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the role of archaeology in gaining information about past civilizations. After reading an article, they discover evidence of the Viking settlement of North America. They summarize the information in the article by...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Travel to Mesoamerica

For Teachers 1st
Students research books, watch movies, and look on the internet to find information on ancient America, Mexico, and Central America. In this Mesoamerica lesson plan, students participate in a social studies unit on North America of the...
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Website
American Museum of Natural History

Saving Species

For Students 6th - 12th
Some scientists dedicate their lives to researching and protecting endangered species. An online lesson teaches about three scientists around the world who do just that. They learn about spiders, mollusks, and reptiles from North...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial History: Fearless and faaithful

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss reasons why early europeans immigrated to North America. Working in groups, they complete Internet activities on the PBS Website. They take a simulated voyage to the new world and rercord their actions on worksheets. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Explorers of North and South America

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore the connection between the geography of America and the migration of the Native Americans to the American continents to the future conquering of the continents by the Europeans. They discuss the causes and effects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering the Journal of Augustus Pelletier

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore journals. In this Discovering the Journal of Augustus Pelletier lesson, students read the historical fiction book and conduct research activities to validate events in the plot that reflect the Lewis and Clark...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Colony is Born : Lesson 5 - Dear Mem

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On the Road Again

For Teachers K - 3rd
Learners trace the migration route of a gray whale. They color and label a map of North America, and using photocopy pictures of a gray whale, they move the whale along the migration route over a ten week period.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Species Become Extinct?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students examine reasons that animals become extinct. They participate in a simulation to discover that animals loss of home is the main factor that puts species near extinction in North America. Students examine over-hunting and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Heartland

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate imports and exports to discover its importance to America as a world power.  In this Imports and exports lesson plan, 5th graders discuss how climate and natural resources aid a country in becoming a world...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Stone Age Explorers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students watch a Nova program examining the earliest in habitants of the Americas. In groups. they take notes on various topics covered in the program. Among the topics covered are: the Clovis people, Solutrean culture, migration...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Underwater Treasures Viewing Guide

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students complete a worksheet while watching a video about how humans affect the ocean environment. They discover the need for a practice of balancing fisheries and their fishing practices. They examine how scientists use data to help...