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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring New Frontiers

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students gather information about the contributions of various explorers. Using the internet, they discover the many viewpoints of those who conquered new frontiers. They examine and compare life 200 years ago to their life today.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visual Arts, Literary Arts, and Performing Arts: Their Connection and Place in America's Minority Culture

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the rich, varied, and full artistic culture of each of these three minority groups, Native Americans, Chicanos, and African Americans. They explore art through dance, music, literature, and many other different mediums....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Exchange

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine the connection that the present has to the past and how different cultures impact each other with lasting results. They discuss European exploration in North America and West Africa by describing cultural...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

European Exploration

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders analyze key European explorers and focus on where and why they explored. They research who sponsored the explorers as well as the accomplishments of the explorers. They discuss the lasting effects of the expeditions in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spanish Influence in America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers try out instruments from South America. In this multiculturalism lesson plan, students discuss the attributes of Latin American music and play instruments from South America.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gold Rush Abolitionists: How different was the role of Spanish-speaking blacks under Mexican rule from the role of English-speaking blacks under U.S. rule?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students determine how Spanish-speaking blacks and English speaking blacks were treated differently. In this emancipation lesson, students compare the Mexican and American rules regarding slavery.     
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pilgrims: The First Americans

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familar with the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving through essays about important people of the time.  In this Thanksgiving lesson, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and write a two...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America's Stone Age Explorers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners watch a Nova program examining the earliest in habitants of the Americas. In groups. they take notes on various topics covered in the program. Among the topics covered are: the Clovis people, Solutrean culture, migration...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Exploration and Settlement of the American Southwest

For Teachers 3rd
Students scrutinize the Zuni Pueblo Revolt in this seven lessons unit on early Spanish explorers in the American southwest. The discovery of the Spanish missions, the search for the seven cities of gold, and particular geological...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Colonization of the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coronado: Misfortune's Explorer

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discuss the importance of Coronado's expedition through Texas and the trials his men endured during the journey. They view and discuss a map of Coronado's route, the effects of weather on the Great Plains, and Buffalo....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jamestown

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research the Jamestown settlement and examine life in the colonies from 1607-1610. They explore websites, develop a timeline, select two settlers to research, and write three letters written from the point of view of their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Christopher Columbus: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

For Teachers K
Learn more about maps by examining Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. Kindergartners will learn about basic map skills and how to identify the compass rose, oceans, and land masses. They will also discover the purpose of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring a New World

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create a PowerPoint presentation about Christopher Columbus. The integration of technology helps them to be engaged in the subject matter. The basis for the information in the presentation is for students to answer some...
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Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

A History of the United States

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
This 262-page Core Knowledge teacher guide presents an overview of the two-volume History of the United States program designed for middle schoolers. The guide includes information about the learning strategies used, a pacing guide, the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Settling Nroth America: Improvisation and Playwriting

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students map the classroom by marking the movement of the first Americans' migration from Alaska down into North America. To improve their skills in map-reading and sense of direction, students identify physical features of the map and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Christopher Columbus

For Teachers 1st
Help first graders gain an understanding of the beginnings of our nation by learning more about Christopher Columbus. They begin by listening to a read aloud of Christopher Columbus and His Voyage to the New World (another title could be...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Historical Summaries: Arizona

For Students 8th - 10th
In this Arizona history worksheet, learners read a 2-page article about prehistoric, Spanish, Mexican, and American Arizona prior to responding to 2 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovery of America

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students examine the European conquest of North America. They participate in activities which allow them to discover the indigenous peoples of the region. They also place events in chrongological order.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Women in Science: Marie Anne Lavoisier and Ann Bancroft

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore and analyze the contributions of women in medicine as well as the concept of sexism. They assess multicultural content to explain the different scientific careers available to women and categorize the human and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It looks Like Champagne

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret phase diagrams and explain the meaning of vocabulary words.  In this ocean explorer lesson students describe two uses of super-critical carbon dioxide. 
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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

The Deadly Arctic Expedition

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars view a documentary of an Arctic expedition. In 1913, Arctic explorer and scientist, Vilhjamur Stefansson put together a crew of seamen and scientists to explore the Arctic. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and...
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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.