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People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
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Personal Stories of the National Parks
Students explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson, students view the diary...
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Photography and the National Park Service
During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking. Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They...
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Designing a Poster to Communicate Information: Yellowstone National Park
It's not hard to convince someone to visit the beauty of Yellowstone National Park. But there's more than meets the eye in this region! Learners watch a short historical video and conduct research before creating an advertisement for...
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Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks lesson, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a persuasive...
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The Ingredients Needed for a Musical National Park
Students identify musical sites that are worthy of being included as units of the National Parks System. They anthologize American music from primitive times to today.
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This is America
Students explore world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. In this national parks lesson, students view the Ken Burns documentary about the subject and identify the contributions of individuals in support of the parks...
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Lesson: Dongducheon: A Walk to Remember, A Walk to Envision: Interpreting History, Memory, and Identity
Cultural discourse can start through a variety of venues. Learners begin to think about how our minds, memories, and identities shape our attitudes toward culture and history. They analyze seven pieces from the Dongducheon art exhibit...
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Dramatizing Your Story
Students write a script, planning and recording improvisations based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature and history.
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A Visit to Manassas Battlefield Park and Museum
Fifth graders gain an appreciation of the battle. They see the perspectives of soldiers from both the North and the South. They choose a side and portray a soldier fighting in a battle or any other time, retelling his thoughts, his...
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Contributions
Students explore the history of Canada by analyzing the First Nations' citizens. In this Native Canadian contributions instructional activity, students research the geography of Canada and create a book about the First Nations'...
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Rosa Parks
Students complete a variety of written and discussion activities regarding Rosa Parks and the Alabama bus boycott and how they changed an accepted way of life in America.
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Sing Away Songs
Students research the history of Bryce Canyon National Park. They identify geological features of the Park while examining its recreational activities. They work together to write lyrics to a song about the Park.
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Designing Carousels
Students design a carousel for an amusement park. In collaborative groups they conduct research, develop a presentation, write a descriptive paragraph, evaluate design features, and draw an artistic rendering of their carousel.
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Learning Landscapes
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
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Painted Lodges
Students explore lodge construction as a representation of culture. In this cultural diversity and Native American history lesson plan, students listen to a narrative explaining the origin of Native American painted lodges. Students...
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Civil War: Generals at the Battle of Stones River
Learners explore U.S. history by creating a computer presentation in class. In this Civil War battle lesson, students read assigned text about the Battle of Stones River and research individual generals from the battles. Learners utilize...
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Gilbert Stuart and Presdidential Portraits
Learners read passages about the context of paintings for artist Gilbert Stuart. In this art history lesson, students study paintings by artist Gilbert Stuart and learn about the context of his art. Learners then complete a presidential...
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Earth Day: a Look Into the World Around Us
Young scholars develop an artwork made entirely out of recycled materials to exhibit during an Earth Day celebration. They participate in a lecture discussion on the history of Earth Day and environmental issues, do internet research on...
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Recruiting a Few Good Citizens
Learners write persuasive speeches to recruit soldiers for a Civil War company. For this Civil War U.S. history and writing lesson, students work in groups to create a recruiting poster and write a speech to persuade soldiers to join...
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Pachyderms on Planes! The Amazing Angolan Ambassadors
Students investigate international aid by researching the history of Angola. In this world crisis lesson, students investigate the history, civil wars and poor economy of Angola and discuss ways to turn the poor nation around....
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Cover the Music
Young scholars explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era instructional activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of...
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It Wasn't a Bullet
Students explore U.S. history by researching disease in class. In this Civil War injury lesson, students identify the different causes of death most soldiers faced while fighting in the war. Students role-play and write a diary entry as...
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Mount Auburn Cemetery
Learners use photos, maps and reading materials to examine the history and role of Mount Auburn Cemetery. They analyze the landscape of the cemetery, consider how it affects visitor's emotions and feelings and then design an original...