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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guardians of the West

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover the role of American buffalo in Westward Expansion. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders examine primary and secondary sources in order to create a cause and effect chart that features the treatment of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Expansion

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the components of the Westward Movement in the United States. Understanding the past and the linkages it has to the present is the intended goal of this seventeen day unit.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wild, Wild West

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders research the history of the transcontinental railroad. They use advertising propaganda techniques to design and create a poster encouraging people to explore the West by rail.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

First Nations vs. Euro-Americans

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students analyze primary and secondary source documents to help them describe the cooperation and conflict that existed among the American Indians and new settlers. Then, students analyze the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sectionalism

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students examine sectionalism. In this sectionalism lesson, students explore reasons sectionalism developed. Students realize the conflicts that led to the Civil War and how sectionalism affected citizens on the border of Kansas and...
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PPT
Curated OER

The Cold War (1945-1991): An Ideological Struggle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Covering the main topics of the Cold War, including some excellent discussion points on the methodologies of the Soviet and Eastern Bloc nations versus the US and Western Democracies, this presentation is a good way to introduce the...
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Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Deconstructing Consumerism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A short, engaging video provides a critique of the hyper-consumerist mentality that many think have taken over the Western world. After watching the video, pupils reflect on their own habits and use evidence to respond to discussion and...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a lesson that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People of the West

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders research and identify key facts about men and women of the Westward Movement. They assess the events and reasons that motivated people to move west, hardships they faced and their contributions to the nation. Each student...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans and the Move West

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the phases of westward migration in the United States during the 19th century focusing on the incentives that led many African Americans to make the move.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Influence of Geography on the Migration of Virginians

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study how geography influenced the westward migration of Virginians. They review the settlement patterns of early Virginians before discussing reasons why people move away from an area. Looking at maps, they determine how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Deadly Equilibrium Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students read a narrative "The Domestic Slave Trade" and answer questions about states' slave trading. They read another narrative "Runaway Journey" and answer questions about runaway slaves. They discuss the impact of the slave trade on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Justinian I

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research emperor Justinian I in this lesson. They identify the contributions of Theodora to Justinian's rule, and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire during this time. They then analyze the contributions of Byzantine on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Values and Beliefs of Manifest Destiny

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine the beliefs of Manifest Destiny and its role in the California Gold Rush. They analyze a painting to gather information about Manifest Destiny.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
How did the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the growing tensions that led to the Civil war? To better understand the events that led to the Civil War, young historians engage in a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

NATO and Russia: Will the Expansion of NATO Cause a New Cold War?

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders role play as participants in a NATO meeting focused on inviting a number of independent republics from the former Soviet Union to become members of NATO. They represent their countries after researching them.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Louisiana Purchase: Reading and Quiz

For Students 6th - 8th
In need of informational text and a related quiz regarding the Louisiana Purchase? Here are four pages containing basic information on Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, Manifest Destiny, and the Louisiana Purchase, plus a 15-question quiz. 
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stereotypes and Tonto

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify stereotypes, especially those applied to American Indians.  In this teaching tolerance lesson, students read an essay entitled " I Hated Tonto (Still Do)" and discuss the negative impact that stereotypes may have on a...
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PPT
Curated OER

Sunken Millions: The Way West

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Recover sunken treasure with this interactive PowerPoint! Break your class into two teams: the divers and the surfers. They'll work together to answer 20 multiple choice questions, reviewing major events that occurred during the 1800s....
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Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rivers to the West

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars discuss the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the reasons they may have chosen to follow certain rivers. They list the rivers that start from St. Louis and follow the route of Lewis and Clark. Students trace and label the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America Moves Out!

For Teachers 1st
First graders analyze the events of early American exploration. This is a unit resource for teachers in which there are six lessons about the American Western exploration and expansion. Within each lesson there are objectives, materials,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heading West

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars study the concept of the westward expansion. In this exploration of the western U.S. lesson, students participate in different activities that explain economic hardships, jobs, and land opportunities. Young scholars...

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