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Ethnic Culture and Identity in the Columbia River Basin, 1850-1950
Students explore cultural history of immigrant groups that settled in the Columbia River Basin from 1850 to World War II, and examine various primary sources to explore role cultural and social customs played in keeping alive immigrant...
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Work in Post-World War II Wisconsin
Students explore the changing nature of work in postwar America by analyzing a variety of sources and conducting their own research. They answer the question, "How did work change in Wisconsin after World War II?"
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Immigration For Grades 3-5
Young scholars engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of immigration. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students create a KWL chart to organize the information. The lesson also includes a resource link...
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Fahrenheit 451
Pupils agree on a definition of censorship and then discuss incidents of censorship with which they are familiar. They might consider incidents in present-day America, elsewhere in the world, and in the past. Bradbury's novel serves as a...
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Analysis of Newspaper Articles
Learners investigate journalism by researching a list of articles. In this story analysis lesson, students read several current event articles and answer a list of study questions as a group. Learners summarize the article and share the...
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Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
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Immigration Accounts: Vincenzo Iovine, an Italian Immigrant, and Lino Paul, a Sudanese Immigrant
Students compare immigration experiences in America in historical and modern times. For this immigration lesson, students read and discuss the accounts of an Italian immigrant to the United States in the past and an account from a...
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Diversity Grade 12
Twelfth graders explore injustices that natives of Canada want rectified. In this diversity instructional activity, 12th graders discuss former Canadian policies that were morally objectionable. Students discuss how the past...
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Western-Genre Films
Students watch westerns and analyze them. They identify the plot, characters and the sounds in the film. They research icons of the American west and prepare a presentation. They share their presentation with the class.
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Exhibiting Tools of the Trade
Students design 'mini museums' that exhibit both historic and current artifacts and information associated with specific professions. They then display and defend their work in class gallery talks and exhibitions.
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Whose Buffalo?
Seventh graders examine how the Plains Indians vied with white commercial buffalo hunters for the millions of Great Plains buffalo. They create an illustrated broadside supporting the interests of either the Indians or the commercial...
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders use Internet to examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas, and write journal entries from point of view of 17th Century French settler, French or Spanish explorer, or Native American whose land was taken.
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Pipeline
Students read and discuss essays about Alaska Native cultures. They discuss changes that have occurred in Alaska over the last 50 years.
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What is an American?
Pupils investigate how the definition of being American has changed over the years using online primary source documents.
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Career Development (Career Exploration)
Eighth graders identify and describe career opportunities in a changing society
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Inventions of the 19th Century
Students explore inventions that have been created since the nineteenth century.
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Levi Coffin on Trial
Young scholars are introduced to Quaker beliefs about slavery and actual statements of conviction about slavery by Levi Coffin. They explore the federal laws about returning escaped slaves, specifically the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
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Ecoregions of Texas
Seventh graders discuss why hunter-gatherers might have favored certain areas in which to live. In pairs, they research specific regions to examine in depth. Students present their eco-region vegetation findings (in this case Central...
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Dawn by Elie Wiesel
Students have a better comprehension of the personal struggle of a survivor and the events which led to the establishment of the sovereign nation of Israel. They recognize the historical context for the events of the book. Students...
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War In Iraq Comparison
Fifth graders use the internet to research the Silver Star given to those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Using the information, they write a short report on one of the recipients of the Silver Star. In groups, they visit a...
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Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
Students explore the human experience. In this business ethics instructional activity, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the American natural disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries and the implications...
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Architecture: The Badge of Identity for Our Society
Students prepare a "camera's-eye" view of the local architecture and then analyze their findings from an historical perspective.
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Tracing Our Own Family Pilgrimages
Students observe a world map and are introduced to vocabulary like: cities, continents, rivers, lakes, and oceans. They discuss the names of the cities they live in and locate them on the map; then using a colored pushpin indicate: the...
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African Americans: 1800 - 1870
Students explore living and working environment of both slave and free African Americans from places throughout the United States.