Curated OER
Nineteenth Century Family Portraits
Students compare two nineteenth century family portraits using historical data, statistics, and historical context. Students analyze their own family pictures adjusting the criteria to the current decade. Lastly students study the...
Curated OER
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Natural Dyes
Second graders explore the work of Americans when it came to coloring materials. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 2nd graders follow the provided steps to make natural goldenrod dye from scratch.
Curated OER
Fashion Fanfare of the 19th Century
Fourth graders compare and contrast the clothing during the 19th century to the fashion trends of the present day. They design something suitable for a future time period and explain why.
Curated OER
Clothing and Social Change in America
Students examine how clothing for men and women has changed over time with their changing roles in society. Students work individually and in groups to complete the tasks in this lesson.
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history lesson on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different patterns,...
Curated OER
Making Cloth: The Impact of Technology
Students analyze and discuss several primary source documents that address the changes in technology that affected New England agricultural communities in the early 19th century. They also identify and discuss historical contexts for...
Curated OER
Background to the Conflict: Pre-Civil War Days
The American Civil War was a complex test of a relatively young democracy in the mid-nineteenth century. Discuss the events and factors that led to the Civil War with a thorough slideshow presentation.
Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Examples of Cameroonian Clothing
Students examine aspects of culture in Cameroon. In this Cameroon lesson, students view a slide show featuring indigenous Cameroonian clothing and respond to discussion questions.
Curated OER
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
A thorough instructional activity introduces learners to Hans Christian Andersen, the nineteenth-century author who created wonderful tales. They read the original texts of several of his stories, including "The Ugly Duckling," "The...
Curated OER
New england (1780-1820): Dress, Dance and Games
Pupils examine and discuss nineteenth century clothing and compare it to contemporary styles. After writing paragraphs describing the clothing styles, they play games from the period. For homework, they create their own games to play the...
Curated OER
Historical Witness - social Messaging
High schoolers examine and develop artwork that shows women's roles during different eras. In this women's role lesson, students look at artwork that shows women at work during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century. They design a...
Curated OER
Becoming a Member of an 1830s Family
Students compare and constrast life in an 1830s family verses a modern family. They role play the position of a family member in 1830 while wearing traditional clothing for the time period. They write journal entries to show their daily...
Curated OER
Historical Witness Social Messaging Beginning Level Activity
Students explore women in history. In this lesson about nineteenth century women, students analyze paintings looking at women and their clothing, expressions, body language, and the setting and color. Students understand how paintings...
Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Students create a self portrait using symbols that represent them. In this self portrait lesson plan, students look at a nineteenth century painting and discuss the symbols that represent this era. They then recreate a dance in the...
Curated OER
Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Whole Cloth Quilt Design
Students examine how decorative motifs are adapted to other types of objects by craftsmen and artists. They examine photos on the Illinois State Museum website, discuss design elements, adapt a motif to a line drawing, and transfer a...
Curated OER
Heartfelt/Handmade Activities: Genre Painting
Students examine genre painting. They explore the Illinois State Museum website, identify how genre paintings were composed, analyze the activities of an Illinois farm in the 1850s, and create a genre painting of current everyday...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension 7: Level 12
A passage about the changing role of home economists provides the text for a reading comprehension strategies worksheet. Learners must summarize, draw inferences, identify the main idea, and use context clues to determine the meaning of...
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Narrative Prompt
Reading about history is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Encourage your eighth graders to do the next best thing with a historical narrative prompt, in which they describe the experience of a first-time traveler on the...
Curated OER
A Sample of What?
Students are introduced to the connection between women and the textile industry. Using primary source documents, they complete a handout on how gender roles have changed over the years. They examine a sampler which is connected to the...
Curated OER
Family Portraits
Students discuss, analyze, and interpret "Portrait of a Dutch Family" by Fans Hals and then create subject specific projects for assessment. This cross-curricular lesson is well-suited for Language Arts or Visual Arts classrooms and...
Curated OER
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions about Richter's The Light in the Forest. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
The Mission of Lewis and Clark
Students comprehend the various aspects of the Lewis and Clark expediton. They complete an idea web. Students work in small groups. They recall some important aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition by performing the Corps of...