Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area
Life as a Pioneer
Students examine historical documents and research why early pioneers settled on the Iowa prairie. They review maps, describe the impact of railroading, describe life in pioneer times, and identify the effects of drought, prairie fire,...
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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...
Smithsonian Institution
African American Pioneers in Aviation
Bessie Coleman. William Powell. Willa Brown. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While these names may not be familiar to many Americans, they are African American pioneers in aviation history. Class members have an opportunity to research the...
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Bears and Panthers Aplenty: Early Settlers Make a Home in Arkansas
Young historians research the Southwest Trail, which ran through Arkansas back in the 19th century. Pupils are divided into four groups. Each group researches a pioneer who blazed the Southwest Trail. Then, the group presents an oral or...
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Pioneer America: Journey West
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. In this pioneer instructional activity, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation,...
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Curiosity Drives Change: Early Pioneers' Sense of Disc
Fifth graders examine the journals of some of the earliest pioneers in Utah. They discover the attitudes of pioneer living and summarize what they have learned.
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Little House on the Prairie
Hop into a covered wagon and follow Laura Ingalls Wilder through the Midwest. A series of lessons based on Little House on the Prairie encourages young pioneers to see the world through Laura's eyes as they map her journey, discuss the...
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Fluency Passages, 3rd Grade
What would it be like to travel in a covered wagon? Learn about the life of a pioneer with a short informational reading passage. Kids read four paragraphs about traveling in a covered wagon and how it is different than traveling today,...
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Black Pioneer Clothing
Learners describe the dress of the Black Pioneers from the 1780's to the early 1800's. Explain how and why the Black Pioneers dressed according to their station in society and identify Black Pioneers whose dress was distinctive or unique.
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Pioneer Life: Food
Students investigate the types of food the pioneers ate, and how they prepared and preserved their meals. They explore websites, view video diaries from PBS Frontier Life, read recipes, and complete a crossword puzzle.
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Going West
Students examine the lives of early pioneers who traveled west for better opportunities. They listen to story "Josafina and the Story Quilt", and discuss hardships encountered by traveling families. Students then complete research and...
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Go, West, Pack Light!
Students investigate the hardships related to pioneer life and the Wagon Train. They listen to an excerpt from the book "Little House on the Prairie," and discuss the hardships faced by pioneers travelling west. In small groups...
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The Ladners: Researching Local Pioneers
Students research local Canadian explorers and write a report on them. In this research lesson plan, students look at local heritage and relationships that came out of those explorers.
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Life in a Sod House: Get a Sense of It
In this history of Nebraska worksheet, learners read information about pioneer life in a sod house. Students conduct 4 experiments where they use measurement skills and observational skills to imagine the size, light levels, smell of...
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Worksheet #79 - American Pioneer
In this American pioneer quiz worksheet, learners advance their understanding of the early American pioneer days by answering ten fill in the blank questions.
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Pioneers to Kansas
Students investigate items for basic survival, needed for survival, and luxury items. They compare what they need to what Indians and Pioneers needed in the 1700's and 1800's.
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Pioneer Homes
Students compare and contrast Native American dwellings with pioneer homes. They identify the progression of these homes and locate examples on a frontier map.
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A Picture is Worth...
Students use their photo analysis skills to gain an understanding of what pioneer life in Canada may have been like by examining historical photos. Students are then given an opportunity to present their findings to the class in a...
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Regulating the Harvest
Students study the effect of trapping in the Illinois Territory in 1805 and compare it to trapping today. They participate in a role playing activity in which they discover how practices in early Illinois Territory led to wildlife...
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Pioneers in California
Fourth graders examine the changes the pioneers brought to California in the 1800's. They develop a timeline that includes captions, symbols, and pictures, and write a paragraph describing the experiences of the early California pioneers.
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Life as An Early Orange Grower
Middle schoolers explore the early settlers of Florida. In this social studies lesson plan, students research the lives of early settlers and write a journal from the perspective of a young person whose family has an orange grove during...
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The Myth and the Reality: Pioneering in the Midwest
Students examine the myth and reality of settlement in the Upper Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Pioneer Currency in Utah: Have you got change for a 5?
Students explore the need for money in a society and the artificial value of coin and paper currencies. They design their own coin and paper currency.
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Pioneer Women of Florida's Frontier
Fourth graders read the passage, "Florida's Fabulous Frontier Females" and write two narrative essays, one expository, using examples of differences in life in Florida during frontier times and today. They then complete one descriptive...