Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thomas Hart Benton: The Sources of Country Music

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine artwork by Thomas Hart Benton. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students analyze the painting The Sources of Country Music, listen to folk music, and examine how recording technology and the movies shaped the images of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expansion and Reform: Applying the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct inquiries and research-acquiring, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, and communicating facts, themes, and general principles operating in American history. They use the Declaration of Independence to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mission Accomplished

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders describe the impact of certain figures in United States history, including Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They describe experiences of early American explorers and compose narratives from the perspectives of others.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Powerful Potato

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders make food. In this agriculture instructional activity, 3rd graders learn about the history of the potato. Students then plant potatoes, harvest them, and make french fries, potato salad or potato soup.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gran Quivira: A Blending of Cultures in a Pueblo Indian Village

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine the changing life ways of the inhabitants of a Pueblo Indian village from the 7th century to the arrival of the Spanish in the early 17th century. They explain the influence of Spanish missionaries on the lives the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pumpkins . . . Not Just Part of Halloween

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study the pumpkin. In this pumpkin lesson, students participate in different activities that explain the history of pumpkins and how pumpkins develop and grow, read "The Great Pumpkin Story" and answer comprehensive questions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Piece by Piece

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study quilts. In this history/geometry quilt lesson, students discover the history behind quilt making and get a chance to make quilt blocks of their own. They work independently to make a quilt block out of construction paper...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Civil War Conflict Begins

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders get a feel for the people behind the American Civil War and the beginning of the conflict. discuss some of the reasons the Confederate and Union soldier fought and explain the motives behind moves made by both the Union and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Photography Lesson Plan

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore photographs from the Civil War Era. In this Civil War lesson, students consider how photography impacted public opinion of the war as they analyze the provided photographs and discuss the evolution of early photography.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Land is my Land-Westward Expansion During Reconstruction

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze policies regarding Native American territories during Westward Expansion. In this Reconstruction lesson, students research primary and secondary sources pertaining to the transfer of Native American land. Students take...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Rock and Roll: Part 8 - The 70's Have a Nice Day - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify the characteristics and elements of large scale rock productions. They examine the similarities between the American Vaudeville shows and the large-scale rock theater productions of the 1970's.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

John Smith Map Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders answer questions about John Smith, and also they figure out what was necessary are needed for surviival. Students are given a replica of Smith's 1612 map, they then answer questions using the map as their resource. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lowell and the Factory System

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students examine the efforts of early American manufacturers to implement the factory system on a large-scale in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts. They examine the idealistic goals of the industrialists who financed and built the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Growth of U.S.-Japanese Hostility, 1915-1932

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the relationship between Japan and the United States between 1915 and 1932. In this diplomacy instructional activity, students examine the Open Door Policy, 21 Demands, and the invasion of Manchuria by Japan. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Walk Through History

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders construct a multi-media CD-ROM using cross-platform Hyper Studio software. They identify a person in history to research for their report. In order to broaden their horizons, 5th graders are encouraged to investigate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Fall and Rise of the White-tailed Deer Population: Conservation Success Story?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students analyze the problems that have come along with the conservation movement and the fall and rise of the white tailed deer population. In this conservation lesson plan, students see how important the deer were to the Native...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Barter Day

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research bartering. In this bartering instructional activity, 5th graders investigate bartering as a way to trade for goods and services. Students experience bartering first hand while playing a game.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bartering Through the Seasons

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore bartering. In this bartering lesson, 5th graders investigate bartering between the American colonies. Students study the climate and geography of neighboring colonies and investigate crops native to each area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the History of the I&M Canal

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine the building of the I & M canal in Chicago. Using the internet, they research the lives of the individuals who worked on the construction and develop a timeline of events. They explore the impact of the canal on...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

The Effect of the Great Depression on Children

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
How did the Great Depression affect children? Sometimes studying the Great Depression means only studying about how it affected adults, however, relating the experiences of children and peers their age to themselves may make the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The People of Kansas: Where Did They Come From and Why Did They Come?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils research and discuss the reasons why early settlers emigrated to Kansas. They, in groups, analyze census district reports from the 1850's and then identify the advantages and disadvantages of using this information as research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Persistent Paths: Trails, Tracks and Turnpikes Across the Alleghenies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study maps to determine barriers associated with the Pennsylvania mountains and the Native Americans.  In this investigative lesson learners study the routes used by Native Americans, explain physical features of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ute Indians: Past and Present

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the history of the Ute Indians. For this Ute Indians lesson, 4th graders complete a KWL chart about Ute Indians and read the online Ute Indian Fact Sheet. Students study examples of Ute culture, where the Ute Indians...