Exploration of the Americas Lesson Plans

Students explore U.S. history by completing an ancestry activity. For this slavery lesson, students research Internet sites and identify the slave trade routes used several hundred years ago. Students create a timeline based on African American slavery and read several biographies of former slaves.

Students explore plate tectonics, the "Big Bang" theory and Earth's history through geological evidence. In this understanding Earth's history lesson plan, students complete a 20 question worksheet on the history of Earth including a time line of Earth's major events.

Students learn how to use maps, compute mileage, and be physically active while exploring America's national parks, historical heritage, and nutritional information via key agricultural sites.

Sixth graders, in groups, produce a Special Edition Newspaper highlighting the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Paper must be historically accurate newspaper from the point of view of different roles.

Fourth graders analyze colonial rule and policies with regard to the causes of the American Revolution. In this Colonial America simulation lesson, 4th graders role play in an Independence Game, reacting to a variety of "events" that happen. Students respond in an events journal about their role and record their thoughts, feelings, and decisions in each situation.

Fifth graders, in groups, produce a historically accurate Special Edition Newspaper, including articles, editorials, and pictures, highlighting the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Students explore America's racial wealth divide. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students play a "rigger" version of the game Monopoly and reflect on the game and economic injustice in the United States.

Third graders explore America's history prior to 1492. This unit of six lessons identifies five regions of the United States and assists students in the development of an understanding of the Native Americans who lived in the regions.

Learners examine the causes of the American Revolution. In this colonial America lesson, students read handouts regarding the sequence of events that led to the commencement of the war. Learners complete the provided worksheets and participate in the provided simulation.

Young scholars access prior knowledge of why the explorers came to America between 1492 and 1542. In this discovery of America lesson, students follow the route of an explorer and find out why he traveled to another land. Young scholars create an eight slide PowerPoint about there explorer. Students share information and are assessed on the content. Young scholars create a time-line to record effects of the voyages of the explorers.