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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps of Indian Territory, the Dawes Act, and Will Rogers' Enrollment Case File

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, in groups, analyze one map at a time, first the 1885 map, then the 1891 map. After they have completed the analysis sheets, they compare the two maps and answer questions imbedded in the plan.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America Grows - Trailblazers Pave the Way

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Young scholars study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trails to the West

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research American history of the 1850's. In this American history lesson, 8th graders write about how different American groups looked at the idea of Manifest Destiny. Students then draw the Oregon and Santa Fe Trail. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Helping Hand: The Role of Guides During Western Expansion

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research and examine the lives and culture of western mountain guides during the early to mid 1800s. Students write reports about a guide they research, do a simulation of the guide by keeping a journal, managing money and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jackie Steals Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery Issue And Views North Versus South Around 1850s

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders compare and contrast the opinions of northerners and southerners about the issue of slavery in the 1850's. They study how the legislation that was enacted by Congress addressed the issues. As they investigate, they create a...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Headin' West! The Life of a Pioneer

For Teachers 5th
Students explore the life of a pioneer and the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny and pioneering. Students complete activities, maps, writing and reading to experience pioneer life. Handouts and worksheets are included...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inventions and Effects of the Industrial Revolution

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Young scholars understand that the Industrial Revolution began in England, spreading to the rest of Western Europe and the United States and with it came an increased demand for raw materials from the Americans, Asia, and Africa.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars trace the development of sectionalism in the United States. They explore slavery, freedom and the Constitution. Students identify influential opponents and defenders of American slavery. They explain different solutions...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Industrial Revolution

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the time period of the Industrial revolution in American history.  In this American History lesson, 8th graders read the chapter on this time period.  Students create a presentation on this time period to teach...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Route 66 And Population Patterns

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate the geography located along Route 66. They research how the population patterns change in certain areas along the highway. Students use the information in order to form hypotheses about how and why the population...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making A New Nation

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders read standard road maps and topographical maps, and examine the lives of pathfinders who opened the trails to the West. They develop Living History presentations, role-playing a character from the past.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Southern Agriculture and the Slave Trade

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the relationship between agriculture and the slave trade during the 1860s. In groups, they research how two factors led to the explosion of slavery in the Southern United States. Using maps, they answer comprehension...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the debates over American slavery and the power of the American federal government for the first half of the 19th century and how the regional economies and political events produced a widening split between the states.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trekking Across America

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students evaluate the impact of transportation on society, the economy, communication, and travel. They complete an inquiry project about modern modes of transportation, and compare transportation of the 19th century to transportation...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Five Utah Indian Tribes

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders trace the emergence and development of culture in Utah. They study the five Utah Indian Tribes and review several names of physical features of Utah that are derived from Indian words. They discuss how many cultures have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Riding a Stagecoach in the 19th Century

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research the differences between traveling on a stagecoach and wagon trail in the 19th century. In this historical lesson, students discover the uses of stagecoaches and wagon trails in the 19th century, then decide which one...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the Lewis and Clark expedition. They develop skills for historical analysis. They locate a variety of geographic features encountered by the expedition, and create a timeline that documents Lewis and Clark on their journey.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad#140

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Young scholars participation in a simulation of laying the track of Transcontinental Railroad starting from three different locations. They use toothpicks and coffee stirrers to build the rails. They evaluate which group laid the most...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Sense of West Virginia

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students consider their perceptions of the world through their 5 senses while visiting the West Virginia State Museum. In this West Virginia history lesson, students discover how knowing about the past helps with their understanding of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Five Utah Indian Tribes

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the five Utah Indian Tribes being able to identify the tribes by name and location.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Patterns of Settlement in Early Alabama

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the settlement of Alabama. They collect data from the U.S. census website and answer questions regarding settlement patterns in the counties of Alabama in 1820. They write a paagraph describing where they would have...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing the Past to the Present

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders work in pairs and read a primary source artifact. They create a PowerPoint slide that will be part of a "museum" presentation for the rest of their class. Students select artifacts from a group of digitalized artifacts...