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Taming Wild Land
Third graders consider the habitat needs of living things and how extensive farming in an area can affect the plants and animals of a region. They participate in a simulation to show how changing the habitat in one area can greatly...
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African Americans and the Move West
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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Land Use in New Hampshire: Farming
Students examine how the environment as affected people farming in New Hampshire. They visit a field trip to a local farm to make observations. They create a poem based on their observations.
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Heartfelt/Handmade Activities: Genre Painting
Students examine genre painting. They explore the Illinois State Museum website, identify how genre paintings were composed, analyze the activities of an Illinois farm in the 1850s, and create a genre painting of current everyday...
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Cowboys in the 1890s
Learners study the rise of cattle ranching in the West and the economic conditions under which cowboys worked in the 19th century. They examine the economic changes that affected cowboys in the 1890s. They analyze the effects of the...
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Debating for Land
Students research pertinent information based on historical facts and is supported by quotations from primary sources in order to prepare for a class debate about land ownership in the 19th century.
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The Past Is Gone, But Not Forgotten
Students examine the role of historic sites in preserving the past, and use a NY Times article about a preserved 19th century farm as a springboard for discussion about the conservation of other historic sites and research about historic...
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The Collaborative Works of Rodgers and Hammerstein: Show Business
Pupils study the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein in an historical context of the development of American musical theatre as an art form. Students explore "roots" of the genre as it evolves in last half of the 19th and first two decades...
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Mystery Photo!
Students examine an original engraving of a piece of equipment called, The Grasshopper Catcher. They describe how technologies developed in Iowa during the Industrial Revolution influenced farming practices, and develop hypotheses about...
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Lesson 6: Native Americans in the West
Learners recall their knowledge of Native American people who lived in the West and reflect on how their perspectives differed from pioneers and argonauts of the 19th century.
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Iowa Agriculturist
Tenth graders review the Iowa Agriculturist, retell the annual and seasonal cycle of farming and describe pioneer farming practices.
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Fun-Factory - NOT!
Students design a solution to a problem based on the Industrial Revolution. In this design lesson plan, students come up with architectural designs and present them to teachers in a simulated factory.
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Dying to Look Good!
In this health worksheet, students examine how people have done unhealthy things to their skin in order to look fashionable. Students read about Elizabethan women putting toxins on their skin to make themselves pale. Then students read...
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Fall Plowing: Drawing to Scale
Young scholars explore coordinates and scale drawings. In this drawing to scale lesson, students discuss symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes, geometric, shapes and estimation of size. Young scholars recreate a portion of a drawing using...
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Don't Fence Me In
Middle schoolers examine historical information about the development of barbed wire and practice identifying geometric terms. After reading through background information, they participate in several activities that include making...
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It's Just a Barn
Investigate Pennsylvania Barns. Have your class consider the elements common to Pennsylvanian barns and why they are significant to the food production process. They write summaries of Frederick Watts and his impact on agriculture.
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Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Middle schoolers take a close look at the prairie environment. They identify common plants and animals of the prairie. In addition, pupils work in teams in order to put together a presentation on a certain aspect of the prairie...
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Cowboy Tourism
Students disucss the role the tourist industry played in popular perceptions of cowboys and Indians. They discuss the image of cowboys, as it is presented in fashion and contemporary advertisements. Students read about a town in Montana...
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Making a Brand for Ourselves the "Cowboy" Way
Students define cowboys and learn about their roles on rangelands. In this rangeland lesson, students define cowboys and cowgirls and complete a KWL chart. Students read Cattle Kids and Til the Cows Come Home. Students visit the Diamond...
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Flush It! Throw It! Out of Sight, Out of Mind!
Students describe disposal procedures by reviewing water and solid waste disposal cycles and what happens when one step is omitted. They examine the connection between industry and human health.
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Geography: Why Is the Sacremento Valley a Good Place to Grow Rice?
Third graders locate the Sacramento Valley in California where rice is grown. In this rice growing location lesson, 3rd graders locate the Sacremento Valley, California on a map, and color the mountain ranges and terrain that is around...
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Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Here is a simple lesson for young learners on the plants, animals, and flowers found in the prairie environment. There are worksheets embedded in the plan that pupils use once a teacher-led discussion and demonstration has taken place....
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Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Learners search for a variety of items while visiting a Listening to the Prarie exhibition.
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Land Grant Colleges
Students are introduced to the concept of land grant colleges which allowed agriculture to be brought into education. As a class, they create a timeline and compare and contrast the land grant colleges of 1890 and 1892. They use maps...