Lesson Plan
Edgate

Discovering New Resources

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is a natural resource, and what resources did the Lewis and Clark expedition seek? After reading an article on the mapping of the west, learners get into small groups to discuss the important natural resources of the period. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moving West

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapwork: A Place In the News

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students determine how to find geographic information about places they read about in the news. In this geography lesson, students look at political and physical maps to determine the difference. They access maps online to find the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagon's West

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars travel to the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students discuss the Oregon Trail and then play the computer game of the same title. Young scholars take on the roles of those who travelled the trail.
Lesson Plan
Lakeshorelearning

Read and Write about It

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Reading informational text is a skill that transcends subjects and grade levels. Practice reading about different topics in various formats with a language arts lesson that includes opportunities for writing and research as well.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Texas Cowboy: Myth and Reality

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students create "cowboy ballads" in this interactive, multi-day lesson. The cowboy is researched using various sources and class discussions. Students evaluate individual work at the end of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Don't Fence Me In

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Ensure that your class has a well-rounded understanding of new inventions, in this case barbed wired. Class members, after researching the history and development of barbed wire, assess its impact on cattle and the development of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth, Sun, Moon, And Stars

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...
Unit Plan
Calvin Crest Outdoor School

Survival

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Healthy Girls, Healthy Villages

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars consider the impact of education. In this global issues lesson, students explore the effectiveness of the Camp GLOW program in Niger. Young scholars discuss the issues that face women and girls in Niger and identify how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chapter 9: A Surprising Day and A Little Bit About China

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete activities with Chapter 9 of the book The Fastest Pig in the West by Randi Hacker. In this literature lesson, 5th graders discuss the concept of saving face and how it affects the main character's decisions....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inflation Game

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders explore the goals of economic growth, stability, full employment, freedom, security, equity, and efficiency as they apply to US economic policy. They is expected to analyze how economic growth, stability, and full...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Entrepreneur's Game

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders explore the basic principles of the US free enterprise system. They examine the basic principles of the US free enterprise system including profit motive, voluntary exchange, private property rights, and competition.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Predicting a Mystery's Solution

For Teachers 6th Standards
Who killed Sam Westing? Model for your class members the components of a good prediction, and how to use these components to predict a mystery's solution. Class members use what they have learned to craft predictions while reading Ellen...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orienteering - Lesson 7 - Compasses

For Teachers 9th - 12th
More compass practice! This activity has your scholars practicing getting their bearings. They will participate in a schoolyard compass game where they will have a specific starting point and then navigate through the course according to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orienteering - Introductory Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Gain knowledge of directions and degrees while learning how to read a compass. NEWS - north, east, west, south, and everything in between. It's crucial to be accurate in reading a compass and understanding degrees and direction when...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The MPA “GamePlan”

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the purpose of having Marine Protected Areas. In this environmental science activity, 8th graders simulate the planning process by playing a board game. They explain the positive and negative effects of trade offs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westmoreland Trail

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the Westward expansion of the U.S. They play the computer game, Oregon Trail III, read primary source documents, conduct Internet research, write diary entries from the pioneer viewpoint, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Field Trip to the Watsonville Wetlands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the differences between food webs and food chains.  In this wetland lesson plan students play a food web game and go on a scavenger hunt. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kindergarten Social Studies Lesson 4

For Teachers K
Students examine the lives of children in other places. They listen to a read aloud of Eve Bunting's, Dandelions, and retell the story of the family living in the West. They talk about the sod houses and compare them to the types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diseases of the Oregon Trail

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students identify diseases that plagued the pioneers and find preventative measures to avoid them.  In this Oregon Trail lesson, students brainstorm possible health problems and diseases for pioneers. They then research a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Contamination Challenge

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
Students play a game to analyze further the effects of water contamination. For this environmental concerns lesson, students play an online game about water contamination and may visit the additional links to further their studies on the...
PPT
Curated OER

Tic Tac Lesson: Learning About America

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
General information about America is covered in this presentation. There are 4 topical slides, our capital, important places, important people and our country's holidays. This PowerPoint would be a great discussion starter or as...