Curated OER
Mapping the New World Lesson Plan
Students compare two maps of the same area from different time periods. In this American History activity, students look at two maps of the English colonies from 1636 and 1651. They discuss why the maps changed and predict maps from the...
Curated OER
Agriculture and Slavery
Students explore the importance of agriculture, especially tobacco farming, and the influence it had on slavery in the state of Virginia. Students establish the sequence of tobacco and slavery in the state.
Civil Rights Movement Veterans
Timeline of Events: 1960’s Civil Rights Movement of St. Augustine, Florida
A timeline can be a powerful learning tool because it reveals a pattern in events. While few would consider St. Augustine, Florida a hotbed of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a selection of background information and a timeline of...
Curated OER
Jamestown Scavenger Hunt
Students identify and share Primary Sources in Early American History by Janey Levy. Then they discuss the usefulness of using primary sources in uncovering the past. Students also research original documents from Jamestown to complete...
Curated OER
VS.6a
Sixth graders explore, discuss and explain why George Washington is called the "Father of our Country" and James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution." They view and create a graphic organizer after discussing a variety of...
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The Constitution
Eighth graders conduct research about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, the Connecticut (Great) Compromise, and the 3/5 Compromise.
Curated OER
Cultural Impact of Jim Crow Laws and Civil Rights Movement
Learners compare the cultural customs of people from European descent and African Americans between 1900 and 1940. Next students listen to interviews about life during the time of Jim Crow laws, and determine how life might be different...
Curated OER
World War II Through Primary Sources
Seventh graders explore, analyze and study World War II through primary sources to assess the differences and impact of a "world war" vs. "a small war." They critique liberated prisoner letters, describe what they see in photographs and...
Curated OER
Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Young scholars examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
Curated OER
Civil Rights
Students study the social and political events in Virginia linked to desegregation and massive resistance and their relationship to national history. They examine the "Jim Crow" laws and how they affected the lives of African Americans...
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Todd Duncan: The First Porgy
Students view a video and conduct research about Jim Crow laws and their effects on race relations.
Library of Virginia
Life as a Liberated People
Imagine having no control over your life and then suddenly having to provide for yourself. Such was the challenge faced by many American slaves after emancipation. Class members are asked to consider these challenges are they examine...
Center for History and New Media
The Impact of the Jim Crow Era on Education, 1877–1930s
Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...
Center for History and New Media
Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
Curated OER
Exploration of the Americas
Third graders demonstrate knowledge of exploration by naming and describing accomplishments of explorers. They use the internet to find corresponding information on the explorer and fill in a chart that is provided. Students also...
Curated OER
Slavery and Abolition: Three Unforgettable Names
Young scholars research the people and events involved in the abolitionist movement prior to the U.S. Civil War. They read about and discuss the roles of Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and John Brown. Students complete a word splash, Venn...
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Cultural Impact of Jim Crow Laws and the Civil Rights Movement
Students examine the Jim Crow laws and how they impacted the lives of both African Americans and white Americans. They discuss the Civil Rights Movement and how their lives may have been different had it not occurred.
Groups...
Curated OER
"Adding It Up" at James Fort
Students discuss jettons and their archaeological importance at Jamestown. They then practice using historic counting sheets and artifacts to understand the calculating methods of the early 17th Century, and identify their similarities...
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Civil War
Historical poetry is lyrical in form and rich with content. After examining the differences between the Northern and Southern states before and during the U.S. Civil War, learners complete a Venn diagram and create an illustration of the...
Curated OER
How Africans Became Slaves for the Colonists
Students complete a t-chart identifying the advantages and disadvantages of having indentured servants. In groups, they research the use of serfs and slaves in various cultures and share their responses. To end the lesson, they...
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Freedmen's Bureau
Students examine the African American experience after they received their freedom after the Civil War. They complete a Mind Map, read and analyze a poem, and write a paragraph using key vocabulary words. They analyze the impact of the...
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"how To Think Like an Archaeologist" Suggested Pre-visit Activity for Historic Jamestowne
Students study grocery receipts to simulate the archaeological activity of classifying items. They discuss the receipts as if they were find lists.
Curated OER
"What Do You Mean?" How Language Changes Over Time
Learners examine words used at Jamestown in 1607. They predict what the words meant in 1607, write sentences using three of them, then analyze the sentences after they have read the actual definitions of the words.
Curated OER
Understanding Primary Sources
Students draw conclusions from primary sources and share information and interpretations with a small group. They are introduced to the Jigsaw technique. Students discuss why a grocery receipt would be a primary source. They...