Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Divided We Fall

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the Bill of Rights. For this U.S. Constitution lesson, students write essays for perform plays that feature the importance of the first ten amendments. Students imagine the United States without 1 of the amendments that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward the Course of Empire Goes: American Imperialism in the Pacific Ocean during the Nineteenth Century

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research the acquisition of colonial outposts throughout the Pacific Ocean by the United States during the late-nineteenth century. They present their findings to the class and propose which countries or territories the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the American Revolution

For Teachers 5th
Challenge your fifth graders with this lesson. They read about the American Revolution, discuss key terms, and engage in a variety of activities. First, they create a timeline, then they answer an online quiz, and finish by making a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Loyalists and Loyalism in the American Revolution

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students engage in activities to understand how ideologies were constructed before and during the Revolutionary War. How and why were some "reluctant revolutionaries" turned into whig patriots willing to fight against the British empire,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Everything was up to date in 1628

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students view a video of Colonial House, a reality series where people lived according to the standards of European immigrants to the U.S. in 1628. For this colonial history lesson, students research changes in geographic areas over time...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Welcome to 1776

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders visit each center that is set up in the classroom. They participate in each activity and answer the questions at each center in writing with 90% accuracy. Student centers are colonial food, coloinal closet, colonial...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time Marches On

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars discover the times of Colonial America by creating a timeline.  In this U.S. History lesson, students research a teacher-directed website about African Americans in early colonial times.  Young scholars utilize...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Benjamin Franklin and the Long Struggle for Independence

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore U.S. history by reading biographical material in class. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students identify the life of Franklin and the events that led him to become one of America's first heroes. Students complete an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Too Large to be a Lunatic Asylum: South Carolina’s Mental Health

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the history of South Carolina's mental institutions. In this South Carolina history lesson, 8th graders discover details about asylums built in the state in the 1800's. Students analyze primary sources about mental...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kensington Mansion: Plantation, Sharecroppers, Tenants

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders investigate the significance of the Kensington Mansion. In this South Carolina history lesson, 11th graders take field trips to the mansion and research primary and secondary sources about plantations, sharecropping, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial Homes

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students tour colonial homes in Connecticut and compare their features.  In this colonial homes activity, students create a diorama after returning from a field trip to homes. Students use their observations and comparisons to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Trading Post with the Most: Colonial Dorchester's Settlement and Economy

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the Dorchester settlement, In this American colonial history lesson, 8th graders examine primary resources and maps from the Dorchester trading post in order to learn about its contributions to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Samuel's Choice

For Teachers 5th
The book, Samuel's Choice is used to illustrate the decisions that African Americans who were enslaved during the Revolutionary War had to make. The series of four lessons is designed to be implemented after the book is read. The book,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Women and the Law Ladies of the 80's: 1780's, 1880's, 1980's

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine laws that have affected women in history: the 1780's, following the United States independence from England; the 1880's, the time of westward expansion, the silver/gold era, and the coming of the Industrial Revolution.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stamp Act: Virtual Representation vs. Actual Representation

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research and discuss the different points of view of colonists in terms of taxation, as well as how these viewpoints helped lead to the revolution.
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Colonial America: The Original 13

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers work in small groups to research the initial history of two colonies and answering a list of questions. They then prepare a PowerPoint presentation or poster that includes all the findings of the questions and share...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students will reflect upon the use of music to teach lessons throughout history. The focus of the study is based upon early American History. The tie of music and the abolition of slavery makes for interesting inquiry for learners.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Making of Our First President

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate George Washington's military career. In this George Washington instructional activity, students research the contributions of Washington the colonial military and then write editorials about his accomplishments for a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History In The Making

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students visit Colonial America in a Time Machine to discover the process that a citizen today must follow in order to make or change a law. Students research the Colonial Era in their Time Machines. Students encounter various government...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. History: The Progressive Era

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the Colonial Revival Movement as a response to industrialization and immigration. focusing on Deerfield, Connecticut, they create a documentary artifact reflecting the period.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New England Colonies

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students study the New England colonies. In this colonies lesson, students use a directed reading-thinking method to learn about the New England colonies. Students follow the method to make predictions, read the text, and analyze the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Johnny Tremain for the 21st Century

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the American Revolution based on the novel, 'Johnny Tremain.' They define key vocabulary terms, develop a timeline, write a report on a colonial craft, make a colonial flag, and create a...