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Themes Frame: A Historian's Tool
High schoolers research the scientific, economic, and cultural themes that connect Paleolithic and Neolithic inhabitants. They complete Paleolithic and Neolithic Theme Frames, comparing/contrasting the two cultures in an essay or Venn...
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The Last Great Canal
Students read about a cholera outbreak in the 1840's. They read maps, predict how cholera moved throughout the country and participate in a lab activity that demonstrates how disease is spread. They compare cholera through time.
Bette Brooks
"No Irish Need Apply..."
Young scholars describe conditions that led to massive immigration from Ireland in the 1840s, and compare response of native-born Americans to Irish immigration with responses to Mexican immigration today.
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Historical Success Stories: Banneker, Blackwell, Drew, and Faraday
Fourth graders investigate how all races and religions have contributed to US history by looking at the scientists Elizabeth Blackwell, Benjamin Banneker, Charles Drew, and Michael Faraday. They research these scientists individually and...
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Mapping Your Community
Students define the boundaries of their community by comparing the community's official boundaries with other historical, political, physical, and perceived boundaries of the area and create a community map.
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Making Use of Fieldwork
Students transcribe, analyze, and archive fieldwork and create a team project drawn from fieldwork. They brainstorm a list of reasons why preservation of collected materials is important and explore the online archives of the American...
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Traveling the USA
Students simulate the role of travel agents addressing the needs of a foreign family visiting a state in the US. They prepare a presentation and informational sales pitch of a proposed travel itinerary.
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The Underground Railroad
Third graders explore two different websites about the Underground Railroad. They make a graphic organizer to categorize the reasons a person might have for and against helping slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. They incorporate...
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Korean War
Students identify and interpret general information about the Korean War, including important dates, terms, events, and participants. They also identify what the Cairo Declaration was and what military forces, political forces, and...
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The 1828 Campaign of Andrew Jackson: Issues in the Election of 1828 and Beyond
Students research the campaign and election issues of Andrew Jackson. In this presidential election lesson, students research the campaign of 1828. Students then list the important issues. Students discuss the political advertisements in...
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Families
Students draw a picture of their families and discuss how each is different. In this families lesson plan, students discuss how each family is uniquely different and special in their own way.
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Foods and Languages of the World
Students review Mexico's location and language and learn to pronouns 10 new Spanish food words. Students listen as the book, Corn is Maize is read, touching and passing around an ear of Indian corn. Students discuss the contribution of...
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Historic Dates and Timeliner Unit
Eighth graders research a specific Civil War battle including important date, major events and outcomes of the battle. They use their notes and information to create a timeline of the battle using Timeliner software. Finally, they decide...
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Digital Picture Books
Second graders create digital picture books reflecting their experiences during the school year on field trips and various classroom activities. Using digital pictures taken during the year, they write captions for each picture and...
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Creating Powerpoint Presentations
Third graders create Powerpoint presentations to explain their ideas about inventions. They include research information they have collected on the slides and choose background colors and fonts to use.
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The Revolutionary War People and Events
Fifth graders research events, institutions, and individuals that influenced history during the American Revolution. They create a four-frame cartoon depicting the information they have studied.
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Celebrating Diversity in Iowa Schools
Young scholars examine the effect of cultural diversity on themselves and their community. They create a presentation to be given at a multi-school diversity conference. After listening to various cultures speak, they compare and...
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Getting to Know the Streets of Honolulu
Students practice identifying the streets names of Honolulu. Using a city map, they identify a main street and two intersecting streets. They research the origin of the name and complete a worksheet. They share their findings and...
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Using an Amortization Table
Students search the Internet to find a site that contains an amortization table and make a hypothesis about the results of changing time and rate. They examine the affects of time and rate on a mortgage and discuss the difference in the...
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Art or Artifact?
High schoolers analyze and discuss illustrations of the New World by John White. They examine the images, answer questions about each one, and write an essay.
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Technology: Rating Inventions
Third graders brainstorm a list of inventions used daily. They use Kidspiration to create a web with inventions in the middle. Students choose three inventions from the web and rank them according to interest.
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Presidential Database
Ninth graders research the Presidents of the United States. They develop generalizations about the nature of the Executive Branch using the researched information. Students complete a Query worksheet about the Presidents.
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Follow a Bill!
Pupils participate in an activity to discover how a bill becomes law in California. In groups, they create a school program based on their own ideas for change. They develop and conduct a survey within their community and present their...
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Voting Adventure
Students discover the requirements they need to be able to vote in a democracy. Using that information, they discuss the importance of voting in an election. They use the Internet to analyze voter participation numbers in their county....