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Progression of Political Movements
Students examine the various political parties throughout history. In groups, they are given documents identifying the platforms of the parties in the 1868 election. To end the lesson, they share their information with the class and...
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How Africans Became Slaves for the Colonists
Students complete a t-chart identifying the advantages and disadvantages of having indentured servants. In groups, they research the use of serfs and slaves in various cultures and share their responses. To end the lesson, they...
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The Presidents of Mount Rushmore
Students understand the importance of Mount Rushmore as a national symbol. In this Mount Rushmore lesson, students locate Mount Rushmore on the map and investigate each of the four Presidents on Mount Rushmore. Students understand how...
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A Question, Mr. Lincoln!
Students discuss Abraham Lincoln. In this social science lesson, students describe key events in Lincoln's life. Students practice using interviewing skills to gather information pretending to be Lincoln.
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The Greatest Educational Change America has Ever Seen
Students examine the history of the penny. In this Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent teachers guide, students connect the life of President Abraham Lincoln to the 1-cent coin in his honor through a variety of lessons and activities.
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Benjamin Franklin - Master of Electricity The Kite Experiment and the Invention of the Lightning Rod
Learners study Benjamin Franklin including who he was, what he invented and his experiment. In this inventive instructional activity students follow the steps of Ben Franklin and build a Leyden jar.
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Trading Off
Students explore how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has impacted the people and economies of North America and Mexico.
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A Delicate Balance
Students reflect on racial balance in their own schools, debate merits of policies that seek to create and maintain school racial diversity, and write essays on whether their school should promote racial balance.
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A Site to See
Students identify the risks and benefits of living next to a volcano. After reading an article, they discuss the behaviors of an active volcano. Using the Internet, they work together to research volcano-monitoring techniques and create...
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Stateside Slavery
Students read "Slavery's Past, Paved Over or Forgotten" from The New York Times and discuss as a class. This activity is the introduction for researching a topic on the history of slavery in the U.S. Student groups present their...
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Presidential Election One Year Away
Students identify political parties, then read a news article about the 2008 election. In this current events lesson (written prior to the 2008 election), the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then...
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Hero Within
Young scholars interview a hero. In this heroes lesson, students read Number the Stars to begin a discussion about heroes and then create mind maps on each character. Young scholars pick a local hero and interview them and then write a...
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The Crittenden Conway Duel
Students explore primary and secondary sources. For this primary and secondary source lesson, students investigate a crime scene. Students search for evidence around the classroom and evaluate their findings. Students write a crime...
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This Land Is Our Land
Learners explore land use. In this land activity, students examine the use of land and land records. They create a diagram of a specified piece of land and determine the area of the land. Learners discuss their findings.
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Human Sexuality Presentations
Students examine human health by researching the internet. In this human sexuality lesson, students utilize the web to locate a website which contains information about a certain sexual aspect. Students create a group presentation on one...
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Movement and Migration: the Gold Nugget that launched the Gold Rush
Young scholars learn what it was like to be a gold miner. In this California gold rush lesson, students watch a movie about the California gold rush and discuss what they learned. Young scholars use the Internet to examine the gold...
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Teaching with Objects The Gold Nugget
Fourth graders complete activities related to the California gold rush. In this gold rush lesson plan, 4th graders go to an Internet website video that discusses the gold rush. They complete discuss miner's experiences, sing a gold rush...
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The Gold Rush Experience: Create Your Own Exhibit
Students create a virtual exhibit. In this gold rush lesson, students watch a movie about the California gold rush, view a virtual image of the gold nugget that started the gold rush and examine the sources. Students research and...
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Cultural Capital
Students research the adaptation and acculturation of immigrant groups in the United States. They create culture capsules aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of new peoples in American society.
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The Fabric of America
Students examine the theme of independence in American history by participating in a class-wide paper quilt project. Each student creates three quilt squares representing the past, present and future of independence in the United States.
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A Nation in Mourning
Students reflect on what the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Lauren Bessette mean to them. They then work to compose and read aloud found poems from The Times' coverage of the burial and memorial services.
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Crisis in Kosovo
Students discuss the current crisis in Kosovo, Yugoslavia and express their views on whether the U.S. should get involved in this foreign conflict. They write a journal entry about whether
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Is the Internet Igniting Violence?
Young scholars explain how various issues regarding restrictions on the Internet are impacted by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, particularly in light of the recent school shooting and bombing in Littleton, Colorado.
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Dragon's Gate
Students read Dragon's Gate as a shared literature book. This lesson provides excellent extension activities students can engage in while they are reading, and after they have finished the book.