Curated OER
Pioneer America: Pioneer Living
Fourth graders research pioneer life. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders read the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and discuss what life was like for early pioneers. They research pioneers and show what they have...
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Early Colonial Labor Force: Indentured Servants and Slaves
Learners study the labor force used during Colonial America. In this Colonial America lesson, students discuss labor types used in the colonies. Learners read about indentured servants and the use of African slaves. Students use the...
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Pioneer America: Journey West
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation, and write about...
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Negotiating Treaties
Eleventh graders recognize the interaction between early settlers and indigenous people in the U.S. They recognize the impact of the Indian Removal Act on displaced Natives in the early West and the impact on Native attitudes today.
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Narrative History - Hypertext Dialogues
Students create scripts about California settlers. The document reflects the settlers' fears, expectations, and realizations.
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Corn Field Math
Students complete problems dealing with whole numbers, fractions and percents. After exploring the history of corn and related farming vocabulary, students work in pairs to solve multi-step problems. They incorporate the use of number...
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Patterns of Settlement in Early Alabama
Fourth graders study the settlement of Alabama. They collect data from the U.S. census website and answer questions regarding settlement patterns in the counties of Alabama in 1820. They write a paagraph describing where they would have...
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Low-country Rice Planting and Cooking
Eighth graders compare the use of rice in the 1700s to the modern use of rice. In this lesson examining the importance of rice in US history, 8th graders learn about the role of rice in the early 1700s and compare the use of rice in...
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The Story of How Deerfield Came to Be
Eleventh graders explore how the native peoples had lived in the Connecticut Valley for nearly 10,000 years, prior to the English settlement and how their culture and life ways were markedly different from that of the English settlers.
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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...
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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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English Perspectives
Students perform research in order to answer an essential question: How did the cultural characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and economic conditions of the French, English, and Indians contribute to the growth of inter-group...
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The Original Layout of the Town of Deerfield
Eleventh graders explain that elements of the early settlement of Deerfield can still be seen in the town layout and in some of the early 18th century houses which survive. They read and analyze historical maps and analyze a drawing of...
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Farming the Southern Colonies
Seventh graders investigate the basis for farming choices in the early colonies by using group research and discussion. Each group researches a topic that they write about and present to the rest of the class.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Homestead Act
To understand how the Homestead Act of 1862 changed the US and the lives of the people during that time, class members examine primary source materials including letters, broadsides, and images. They then assume the voice of a...
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The Road Map & the Middle East
Will walls help? Read to learn how Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proposes to build walls around Isreal in hopes of isolation from Palestine. Complete an online Webquest, analyze maps, listen to audio clips, answer discussion questions, and...
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The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands
Sixth graders read and discuss background information and brainstorm reasons for wildfires. They use a Venn Diagram to list the similarities and differences between wildfires and prescribed fires and then track the weather forecast for...
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Slave Auctions in South Carolina
Students examine primary sources in the form of auction records, create frequency charts, graphs and diagrams that they analyze to anwer questions followed by the writing of a paper that demonstrates their comprehension of the lesson plan.
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Catharine Blaine
Students research Catherine Blaine by navigating websites to investigate her ideas on reforms for women and the challenges of western settlement. In this Catherine Blaine lesson, students view grade appropriate materials and participate...
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Trappers Then and Now
Students study how trapping in the Illinois Territory in the 1800's effected the beaver population in the state. They compare methods, rules and regulations of the 1800s to those of today. In groups, they research a variety of...
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Whose Business?
Fourth graders compare and contrast the businesses in Fort Griffin with those in their own community. Using the internet, they discover the factors that have influenced the development of businesses in a town. They also create a map of...
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The Frontier
Students, given certain background information, list hardships that Laura Ingalls Wilder and other people that lived during the same time period went through. They interview someone who grew up in a different era than them.
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The Role of Fire in Healthy Prairie, Brush and Forest Lands
Students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast wildfires and prescribed fires. In this earth science lesson, students conduct a series of experiment to explore fire characteristics. They describe favorable conditions to start a...
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Black Hawk Island Hike
Students explore Wisconsin's natural and cultural history through hands-on exploration of Upham Woods. They are shown the basic paddling skills and they work in teams to paddle across the river on barge. Students describe cultural...