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Federal Holidays
Third graders complete various activities pertaining to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day. They conduct research and complete writing and art activities on the...
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An Age of Exploration
Students investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his adventure....
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Globe Skills Lesson 3 Voyage to the New World
Students explore the globe. In this globe skills lesson plan, students use their knowledge of latitude and longitude to respond to questions regarding Christopher Columbus's maiden voyage to the Americas.
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Ponce de Leon: The First Conquistador
Students learn why Queen Isabella waited nearly six years to give approval to Columbus to travel west and what event caused her to suddenly support the voyage of Columbus.
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Sink or Float?
Students investigate whether different objects sink or float in water using the Scientific Method. They listen to the book "Christopher Columbus" by Stephen Krensky, identify the steps of the Scientific Method, conduct the sink or float...
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Pre-Columbian Native Peoples and Technology
Students explore Pre-Columbian native cultures. In this Exploration Era lesson, students define the words "primitive," "civilized," and "technology." Students consider the connotations of the words and then investigate misconceptions...
K20 LEARN
But What About Me?: Teaching Perspective In The Social Studies Classroom
How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...
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The Early History of Haiti
Seventh graders make list of places Columbus explored on his first journey to Americas, locate island of Hispaniola on map, examine groups of people who have inhabited island, complete blank map and key of Hispaniola, and research early...
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Voyage to the New World
Students examine the exploration of the New World. They write a descriptive account of the first encounter between Europeans and Native Americans, analyze and label maps, plot Columbus's journey on a map, and write a chapter summary.
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Games for Culminating Activity
Young scholars need to be creative in developing an activity that will help other students review the information studied in the past four weeks. They will work effectively in groups to develop a culminating activity and to play other...
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Early Explorers
Fifth graders research European explorers. In this world history lesson, 5th graders will compare eight European explorers and identify important factual information about each. Students will be engaged through game-play and...
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Renaissance Trade and Exchange
Sixth graders map out trade routes. In this Renaissance time period lesson plan, 6th graders complete a Christopher Columbus Map Activity, discuss and identify the parts of a map, and locate Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Students...
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The Discovery of the Americas: A Play About Early Explorers
Students perform a play about the early explorers to America.
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WHAT DID COLOMBUS SAY?
Students read and analyze two primary source documents written by Christopher Columbus.
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Grab a Winning Book to Read on March 3
Learners identify periods of history and read a news article about a librarian who wrote an award winning book. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a class challenge and a vocabulary activity, then...
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Haiti: Exploration and Colonization
Tenth graders discuss what their prior knowledge of the exploration of the Americas/Caribbean and the history of the island of Haiti. They trace Columbus' journey from Spain to Hispaniola and locate Haiti in the Caribbean and read the...
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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...
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European Explorers Database
Third graders watch a demonstration on how to create a new database. In pairs, they enter information about European explorers in an easy to read fashion. They save and print their databases to be used in a review game before their test.
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In the News
Fourth graders will use AlphaSmarts/Neos to create a one page newspaper in Word which features an early explorer. This lesson can be done entirely in the classroom. The students will perform research about the explorer prior to the...
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Earth is Round?
Third graders discuss how Aristotle concluded that the Earth was round. As a class, they review theories about the Earth's shape and describe how life on Earth would be different if it were flat. Individually, they make a moon book in...
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School Newspaper
Young scholars investigate writing a school newspaper. In this writing a school newspaper instructional activity, students choose topics that will be included in the school newspaper. Young scholars view online sites about writing...
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Illuminating Our Human Experiences: Soliloquy from Hamlet
Young scholars determine the meaning of a soliloquy and examine the themes in Shakespeare's, Hamlet. In this literature lesson, students read Hamlet's soliloquy and watch a Photo Story 3 text model of such. They write a personal...
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Stories That Go with the Territory
Students investigate various expeditions throughout history to new and/or uncharted territories. They work in groups to develop and 'produce' television news magazine segments about some of these historic expeditions.
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Pop Around the World
Students study the origin of popcorn. They locate countries where it is grown on a world map. They color the world map and glue kernels of popcorn onto the countries from which popcorn originated. They write the names of common items...