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American Journeys: Learn About Illinois
Fourth graders explore the state of Illinois. They use maps and research the state of Illinois. Students track their trip through the state and they create a travel narrative of their journey. Students use maps to identify geographical...
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Lost Illinois History
Students discuss "The Trail of Tears," why it happened, what it is, and where it began and ended. They work in groups to complete a reading section and answer a series of questions then share the answers with the class. Students take a...
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National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
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The Great Chicago Fire Survivors
Students compare and contrast the experiences of two survivors of the Great Fire of Chicago using a Venn Diagram.
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The Great Chicago Fire Survivors
Students examine documents describing the experiences of survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, and write condolence letters.
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Hemingway Hangouts
Learners use printed maps and websites to estimate driving distances and plan routes to Hemingway's home. They visit several locations online and record facts about each location.They calculate, distances, driving time, and other factors.
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Take a Hike
In this geography skills worksheet, students respond to 9 questions that require them to read topographic maps and interpret them. The topographic maps are not included.
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The Hopi Indians
Fourth graders read and look at maps of the Hopi Indians and compare and contrast their lives with the Hopi Indians. In this Hopi Indians lesson plan, 4th graders learn about different cultures and answer short answer questions.
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From Hypothesis to Conclusion...Reading Maps to Understand Proofs
Tenth graders explore the concept of proof. In this proof lesson, 10th graders work in groups to collectively write proofs for directions to places on a map. Students give directions to specific places in big cities such as from the New...
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"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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How Far Did They Go?
Students create a map. In this direction and distance lesson, students come up with familiar places in the community and calculate the distances from these places to the school. Students create a map that displays these places and their...
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Coin Connections
A wonderful lesson on identifying the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter awaits your young mathematicians. They engage in a multi-session lesson which allows them to practice using the values of each coin in worksheets and activities...
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Traveling Cat Flown Home to Family
Learners locate Wisconsin and Belgium on a world map, then read a news article about a cat that stowed away on ship from the U.S. to Europe. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how...
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Geography Grid
Fourth graders search a database to find images and scan and affix them on an 8-foot long map of the state of Illinois. They then use it as a basis for discussion.
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Prairie Settlement
Middle schoolers make a decision for site selection for a farm during the 1840s in the Midwest. They build research and writing skills by recording the information used for analysis in a chart and as diary entries.
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The Prairie Climate
Ninth graders research the average temperature and precipitation of a prairie region to determine the type of climate it is, and how it differs from other biomes. They examine the types of adaptions animals have made to live in the...
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Populism & the Election of 1896
Populism and the rise and fall of the Populist Party are the topics of this presentation, which details the Presidential Election of 1896 and the role of silver. Detailing main points with clever political cartoons and informative maps,...
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Clinometer
Seventh graders build their own Clinometer and using the tangent of angles, estimate the height of trees. Then these students develop and instructional activity to show whole class and determine the tallest tree on school property.
ReadWriteThink
Biography Project: Research and Class Presentation
I Have A Dream ... that after the lesson, all individuals master the reading, writing, researching, listening, and speaking skills the biography project helps them develop. Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a topic example for a model...
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The Civil War - Lesson #1 of 3
Eleventh graders design a newspaper, with images, that reflects historically accurate information about how Illinois residents felt and acted during the Civil War.
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Animals from Afar
Students visualize the scope of the Roman empire by illustrating the geographic origins of various imported animals. They study how exotic animals were imported into Rome from the farthest regions of the empire.
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Geography of Southeast Asia
Ninth graders study the geography and culture in ten Southeast Asian countries. They examine the development of the culture of these countries and how it is affected by their geographic locations.
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Places We Live
Students compare/contrast rural and urban communities, and view and discuss the images on the Illinois quarter. They discuss Abraham Lincoln's life, complete a chart and a Venn diagram comparing urban and rural settings, and create a...