Curated OER
Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
Curated OER
What Really Happened?
Students read about the settlers in one of the first American colonies. They brainstorm ideas about what they think happened to the settlers. They write their version of what happened at Roanoke Island Colony.
Curated OER
Jamestown
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...
Curated OER
Frederica: An 18th-Century Planned Community
Students explore life as early settlers in Frederica by pretending to be crafts/tradesmen there and writing letters describing the fort/town to a friend or family member still in Great Britain, debating reconstruction vs. preservation,...
Curated OER
Lick Creek African-American Settlement
Students examine the archaeological site of Lick Creek, Indiana. They discover the settlement of African-American settlers. They practice using new vocabulary as well.
Curated OER
Buffalo Gone: Appreciating Natural Resources
Students develop numercy skills by studying the number of bison before and after the arrival of European settlers in Canada. They examine the affect of the reduction in the number of bison on Native families.
Curated OER
JUST A MATTER OF TIME
Students recognize the dynamic changes in themselves and in agriculture that have occurred through the years. They are shown pictures of a baby or students are asked to think of their little brothers or sisters or themselves in...
Curated OER
Mound Cities
Learners learn about Mound Cities and how they both started and stopped. In this Mound lesson students explore how Mound Cities did not succeed and why. Learners dig deeper then the lesson as they discuss defeat and relate it to their...
Curated OER
The Homestead Act of 1682
In this American West learning exercise, students read about the Homestead Act of 1682. Students read 8 paragraphs and complete the 3 activities for the learning exercise.
Curated OER
Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.
How Many “Un-endangered Species” Do You Know?
Can endangered species become un-endangered? Of course! Examine six lucky animals whose populations once were dwindling, but now are healthy and thriving. Learners match animal images to brief descriptions, complete a true/false...
Curated OER
Mystery State # 5
Mystery state number five is none other than Utah! Quiz your kids on state knowledge while building deductive reasoning skills. They use each of the five clues to determine the name of the mystery state. A great warm up when studying...
Curated OER
Pass the Jug
Students discuss water rights. In this science instructional activity, students simulate an exercise whereby they begin to understand the meaning of water allocation and limited water supplies by actually passing out water from a jug.
Curated OER
Island Research
Students will work in small groups to gather information about the geography, history, economy, climate, culture, and other aspects of life on the island of Eleuthera. Lesson contains adaptations for all levels.
Curated OER
Sew, You Want To Quilt?
Students become familiar with the achievements of the artist Faith Ringgold. They take notice of the patterns in their environment. They connect the mathematical concept of patterns to create a class quilt.
Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students research how early colonists lived. They investigate late 17th century colonist's lives from Massachusetts and Delaware. Using their research, students write historical fiction in the form of friendly letters between the two...
Curated OER
Jamestown Celebrates 400th Anniversary
Students view a world map and identify the locations of England and Virginia and discuss what kinds of things they would take with them on this kind of trip. They read the words in the news box on the student page and fill in the blanks...
Curated OER
Ozark Folk Culture and Geography in the Mountain View, Arkansas Area
Upper grade through early high schoolers develop an understanding of Ozark culture, and the geography of the Ozark Plateau. They study place, location, human environmental impacts, and movement. This interesting plan incorporates muic,...
Media Smarts
News and Newspapers: Across the Curriculum
Did you know that the Chinese Court Gazette is the longest continuing news paper in history? In addition to some great background information, this resource includes suggestions for activities across grade levels and across the curriculum.
Curated OER
A Handy Measure
How many hands tall are you? Challenge kids to measure themselves the way the 19th century Oklahoma horse traders measured their prize horses (can they guess how many hands tall a horse had to be?). There's some background information...
California Historical Society
Understanding California
Here is a beautiful handout through which learners can explore the history of California, from the earliest Europeans to visit the Golden State up through its experiences during the Great Depression and position in the modern...
Forest Foundation
Fire in Our Communities - What Can We Do?
Learn about defensible space and renewable resources with a lesson about forest fires. After exploring the ways that humans have impacted the environment, kids conduct mock interviews about differing points of view in the conservation...
McGraw Hill
Study Guide for Island of the Blue Dolphins
Dive your class into a reading of Island of the Blue Dolphins with this in-depth study guide. Breaking the novel into three parts, the resource begins each section with a focus activity that identifies a specific theme or question...
Smithsonian Institution
Mexican War
Did you know that without the Mexican War, the United States would not include the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and even parts of Colorado? Scholars learn a variety of interesting facts about the...