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The Odyssey of a Coin
Students create a fictitious newspaper article to document the travels of an ancient Greek coin. They evaluate the economic conditions that existed in ancient Greece and analyze the impact Alexander the Great had on the ancient world.
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Show Me a Flowerpot
Students compare and contrast handmade and machine-made products in a study about the evolution of production processes in American history. In this production history instructional activity, students explore a flowerpot in depth....
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Time in a Teakettle
Students compare and contrast the development of teakettles. In this artifacts lesson plan, students divide into groups and examine different teakettles. Students complete an artifact analysis worksheet, draw a picture of their kettle...
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Animals in Myths and Real Life
Students research the role of lions, elephants, and bears in ancient Roman life and mythology. They develop a strong understanding of the role animals played in important ancient Roman historical events and myths.
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Traveler's Trunk
Students analyze and interpret artifacts from the 1920s and explore the Great Migration. For this 1920s history lesson, students review background information about the Great Migration and use artifacts to study history of Chicago....
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Native American Research
Students investigate an Native American tribal group. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The subject areas to focus on are religious life, history, social structures, economics, geography, and environment. Students...
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World Wide Web Historical Timeline
Young scholars use newspapers and magazines to identify six recent political and social events from around the world. In groups, they use a timeline template to place the events on the timeline in chronological order. They share with...
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Smiley Face Circle Stories
Learners examine different artifacts from the 1970's. In this history lesson, students discover what each artifact is by seeing the artifact and reading a card defining what the artifact represents. On the second day, learners create...
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Famous Women in the Military
Students identify and research various women and their roles in military history. They describe how modern political positions are affected by differences in ideologies and viewpoints that have developed over time. Finally, students...
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Malcolm X and Race Relations
Students read sections of Malcolm X's autobiography. In groups, they create a poster which highlights the events in his life and explains his philosophy on race relations. They present their poster to the class and answer any questions...
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The Odyssey of a CoinC
High schoolers create a fictitious newspaper article to document the travels of an ancient Greek coin. They evaluate the economic conditions that existed in ancient Greece and analyze the impact Alexander the Great had on the ancient world.
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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Eleventh graders utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois and how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies.
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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858: Interactive Map Activity
Students utilize an interactive map to explore the 1858 Senate campaign in Illinois. They examine how factors such as population, transportation, and party strongholds can affect campaign strategies. Students write an essay discussing...
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Urban Treasure Hunt
Fourth graders use clues, and a photo, to find the location of a building in Illinois. They then take a present picture and create a powerpoint presentation to compare past and present features
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Inventions Multimedia Time Line
Eighth graders research the impact of particular inventions on various times throughout history. They compile information from the Internet and a database to create a multimedia timeline of important inventions. The program Timeliner is...
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Family Life
Learners investigate the lives of families in two different centuries. They compare the 1600's to the 1800's. Students write an essay about the differences and how they developed in history. Special attention is paid to the external...
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We Really Dig Archeology and Palentology
Sixth graders examine the differences between archeology and paleontology. Using the internet, they explore the tools and techniques used in each field. They must use the correct tools to uncover and record the objects they find. They...
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Langston Hughes: Artist and Historian
Students examine the life and works of Langston Hughes. In groups, they research the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance and how Hughes' poems relate to the era. They use the themes in his writings and relate it to the Great...
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Treasure Tales
Create an artifact kit to engage your young learners. Then, assign small groups a section of chapter three. They will identify the main idea and three supporting details for their section. Then, they select one artifact from the kit that...
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Mapping the Prairie
Fifth graders study maps of the Chicago area looking at defining characteristics and place names. They investigate settlement patterns by looking at the maps.
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Rosie the Riveeter and Mary the Munitions Worker
Tenth graders study the role that places like the Joliet Arsenal played in how women were view in American society during and after World War II. They interview a person from the World War II era about the job they performed and how...
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Who's in Charge of This Animal?
Eleventh graders study wildlife management and identify the appropriate government agencies that are in charge. They examine different wildlife management techniques. They write a letter showing interest in the activities of one of the...
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South Asian Architecture
Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons
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My Promise
Students define their own civic responsibility and create a PowerPoint presentation about their volunteer efforts. In this civic responsibility lesson, students define the word volunteer and read an article about a volunteer in their...