Curated OER
Moving West
Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. For this Westward Expansion lesson, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...
Curated OER
Myths of the Wild West
Students examine the Wild West as it was depicted in films and books. In groups, they compare this information to what it was really like as they find out in books. They also discover the role of the Native Americans in the Wild West...
Curated OER
Who is Who in the Old West?
Students consider the backgrounds of those who settled the Old West. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students participate in a simulation that requires them to role play miners, ranchers, Native Americans, Chinese,...
Curated OER
The Wild, Wild West, or Was It?
Fifth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 5th graders examine the opportunities that the West offered American pioneers. Students watch a montage video and analyze primary documents regarding the topic.
Curated OER
America Moves Out!
First graders analyze the events of early American exploration. This is a unit resource for teachers in which there are six lessons about the American Western exploration and expansion. Within each lesson there are objectives, materials,...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
Curated OER
Bible Lesson: Wagons West
Students debate whether manifest destiny is right or wrong. In this manifest destiny lesson plan, students discuss the westward movement and the role of manifest destiny as they focus on the Native Americans. Students view the idea of...
Curated OER
Protecting Against the West Nile Virus
Students anaylyze how the west nile virus is passed from mosquitoes to humans. They answer questions based on an article from the CDC. They finally examine their state map and track where cases have been reported.
Curated OER
Wagons West
Students prepare to travel west. In this Westward Movement lesson, students participate in classroom activities that require them to prepare for a trip west as pioneers.
Curated OER
Oregon Trail Diary
Students write a diary. In this writing and creativity lesson plan, students pretend they are moving west and keep a diary about their adventures. Students study real-life scenarios about families who made the trip out west before...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
“Tell Me a Story”: Moving from Reading to Writing
Narrative essay writing is the focus of a series of exercises that model for learners how to not only read a narrative, but how to also examine the techniques fiction writers use to create a setting, develop their characters, represent...
Curated OER
VS.7a
Seventh graders explore, analyze and identify the events and differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war and the creation on West Virginia. They discuss the conflicts that developed...
Curated OER
North, South, East, or West
Students participate in a game to learn cardinal directions. In this map skills lesson, students move around the room using cardinal directions.
Curated OER
Moving to the Frontier
Young scholars explore the Frontier House website, examining the challenges of frontier settlement in the American West in the late 1800's. They develop budgets, and create displays based on their own research.
Curated OER
The West: US History
In this U.S. history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages that tell the story of Westward Expansion and respond to 35 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Is the Moon out tonight?
Learners talk or read about the way the moon travels across the sky. They then look at the picture of where the moon is and draw where it will be in the picture, later in the evening. Note: The worksheet is intended for third or fourth...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Funding Your College Education
Most of the kids in your senior class really want to go to college, but some of them have no idea of how they're going to pay for it. Cover the basics regarding college funding. Information includes types of college options, types of...
Curated OER
Wagons West: Native Americans
Students examine interactions between Native Americans and settlers. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students analyze select passages from Plains Indians by Dana Newmann and The World of Native Americans by Marion Wood. Students...
Big History Project
Human Migration Patterns II
While humans have always been on the move, the period between 1400 and 1800 saw vast migrations of people between the East and the West. These migrations—whether through slavery or a desire to colonize new lands—shaped the modern world....
Curated OER
The Early Cold War: 1947-1970
With a combination of images, maps, and valuable information, this presentation is a strong resource for a history class that is coming out of a WWII unit and into a Cold War unit. Some points are outlined for students, while others are...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas
You can keep this printable idea sheet and use when you're in a tight spot. It contains cross-curricular ideas that span every subject while relating to the African tale, "Anasazi the Spider." Learners will act, write, move, count, and...
Center for Civic Education
To Amend or Not to Amend, That's Been the Question...Many Times
Looking for some ideas for how to celebrate September 17, Constitution Day? Check out a packet that focuses on the factors that are considered in the amendment process. Class members examine the amendment process and the types of...
Eastconn
Women of the California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush was not just an opportunity for the male gold miners sifting for shiny nuggets. Small groups read accounts of the ways women took advantage of the influx of workers to run hotels, bake pies, and wading out into...
Curated OER
Delightful Directions
First graders identify and demonstrate how symbols and models are used to represent features of the environment. They identify the directions on a map as east, west, north, and south. Finally, 1st graders play a direction game, move to...