Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Homestead Act

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders analyze the Native American's viewpoint of the Homestead Act. Using one Native American group who lived in Nebraska, they write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper discussing the Homestead Act and how it affected...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adventures with Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this Lewis and Clark lesson, students conduct research about the expedition and present their findings to their classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing Files for Women's History

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research a woman from their local community. They use primary source documents and old newspapers to gather information. They present the information to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Online Collaborative Social Studies Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners create newspapers and post them online for others to see.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Irish-Americans: Work and Song

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the experience of Irish immigrants who helped build the railroad systems of the United States. They analyze primary source documents, take notes, and create an artistic piece.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow Spring's Journey North Recording Highlights of the Season

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students scan headlines on the Journey North News Updates each day to track the changes that spring brings as it comes to different areas of the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electoral College

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders discover how the Electoral College works. In this presidential elections lesson, 11th graders compare and contrast the Electoral College and popular vote as they participate in a classroom simulation. Students also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sea Changes: A New England Industry

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students conduct research in order to use primary and secondary sources. They interpret and analyze information from textbooks and nonfiction books for young adults, as well as reference materials, audio and media presentations, oral...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transcontinental Railroad Web Quest

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine aspects of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students conduct a web-quest in order to gather information about the Transcontinental Railroad. Learners will use their information to analyze...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Will I Go From Here?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students research the various cultures in Colonial America. In this American history lesson, students analyze and complie the research they find presenting what they have found into a short presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather Watchers

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students watch the weather. In this science observation lesson, students collect data regarding the local weather and create their own weather forecasting video.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing a Citizen

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze messages and values associated with civic engagement present in the media. They analyze the local community's promotion of values associated with civic engagement by conducting investigative research. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Railroads in Antebellum Augusta and Franklin Counties

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders are divided up into groups and work on separate worksheets. They reassemble as a class and discuss the different articles and how the railroads affected people's lives.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydraulic Mining

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore reasons for supporting and opposing hydraulic mining. It was the most efficient and used mining method until 1884. A simulated court hearing is held where a decision is made whether to allow the continued use of this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Myth and the Reality: Pioneering in the Midwest

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students examine the myth and reality of settlement in the Upper Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boilermaker Geography

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the geography of central Indiana with an emphasis upon finding the location of Purdue. They make a connection to literature with the reading of a newspaper article to create the context for the instructional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lynching of Emmett Till

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students will be introduced to the historiography of the Emmett Till murder to discover more about the case and to evaluate how history is reliant on interpretation. They will also refine analytical and critical thinking skills as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hydraulic Mining Offline Lesson

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars utilize a variety of source materials to explore reasons for supporting or opposing hydraulic mining. A mock court hearing is held where a decision to allow the continued use of hydraulic mining is made.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Educating the Community

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the effects of invasive and exotic plants. They create posters, webpages and books to educate the community. They present their material in different forums.
Lesson Plan
Other

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Herbert Hoover: Gram's Trunk

For Teachers K - 1st
A activity in how to conduct historical research using family photos and doing interviews, and newspaper stories from the past. The second part of the activity is a photo analysis exercise using a photo of children and a cow.
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Teachers: The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources From Twenties

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Primary source documents, including photos and text, help students understand the time setting of "The Great Gatsby" and, in turn, create their own piece of historical fiction. in the form of a newspaper project.