Curated OER
"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Michigan's Two Regions
Third graders discuss and compare upper and lower Michigan. In groups they research a list of significant events from Michigan history and then compile the information into an illustrated classroom timeline.
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American Civil War
Eighth graders read a collection of stories about the Civil War. Based upon their readings, they perform various activities to reinforce facts about the Civil War. Students create time lines, maps and reports about the war. They...
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Ten Crucial Days-How to Win a War You Should Lose
Students research the victories of Washington at Trenton and Princeton. In this Revolutionary War lesson, students investigate and discuss the factors of Washington's victories and use maps to identify the strategy Washington used....
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Context for Exploration
Students examine watershed maps from the Columbia River. They practice using maps and create their own watershed map. They share their map with the class.
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Young scholars examine the works of Noam Chomsky. They collaborate in small groups to read and identify vocabulary words and historical questions. They answer their questions and role-play as emissaries to locate remaining answers. ...
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Passport to the Eastern Hemisphere
Seventh graders create a time line of significant dates in the history of their nation. This requires students to examine the entire history of a country and make informed judgments based on their historical knowledge.
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"Families and Schools of the Past"
First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.
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That Was Then
Learners compare and contrast their community in the past and today. Using primary sources, they develop their own history of their community. Individually, they create maps of the local area and complete sketches of local gravestones.
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Chuuk Introduction (Middle School)
Students pretend they are visiting a relative in the Chuuk nation of Micronesia. Using their knowledge of the 4th of July, they compare and contrast the holiday to the Chuuk's independence day. They create travelogues that outline...
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My Community Then and Now
Third graders examine and discuss the characteristics of their community. They compare their present community with its characteristics at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and they make flat or relief maps that include unique...
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State of Arkansas Travel Brochure
Eighth graders design a travel brochure to persuade others to visit Arkansas. They depict particular points of interest they decide are the best in the state.
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Finding Our Way Home: Immigration to the United States, 1815-1860
Students break into families of 4 members. They brainstorm issues that they would encounter as an immigrant family by creating a web. Students are given roles to research focusing on that perspective: father, mother, grandparent, and child.
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"Egypt, Gift of Nile"
Sixth graders are introduced to the basics of ancient Egypt focusing on the Nile River and the necessity of the river. The students work in small groups and
become "experts" on the given topic and then present the information that
was...
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Australian Aboriginal Art And Storytelling
Students explore Aboriginal storytelling traditions through the spoken word and through visual culture. They listen to stories of the Dreamtime told by the Aboriginal people and investigate Aboriginal storytelling in contemporary dot...
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Integrated Lesson Plan
An ambitious and engaging lesson plan on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...
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Go West: Imagining the Oregon Trail
Students access the Oregon Trial website to find information on what it was like to experience traveling the Oregon Trial. Then, in groups, they create dioramas depicting events that could have happened along the Oregon Trail.
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Dr. King's Dream
Students explore life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., reflect on section of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, discuss inequities that still exist in the United States, and create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for...
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The New England Fishing Industry:Sea Changes in a Community
Explore New England's economic and cultural past and possible issues New Englanders will face in the future. Middle and high schoolers research the fishing industry and the need for regulation. They analyze the topography of New England...
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The Envelope Please
Students research an animal of the rainforest. They create a computerized claymation to present their research.
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Piecing Together the Story of Glenn Cunningham: A Kansas Champion
Students use primary and secondary sources to conduct research about Glenn Cunningham. In this Glenn Cunningham lesson plan, students tell why he was a hero, and tell facts from what they learned.
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The Battle of Bunker Hill: Now We Are at War
Students what events in Massachusetts in 1775 demonstrated colonial opposition to Imperial rule. They examine the events related to the Battle of Bunker Hill and determine the differences in the land masses of Charlestown and Boston from...
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Technologies of the Civil War
Fifth graders discover new and interesting technologies of the Civil War. In this Civil War portfolio of lessons, 5th graders analyze primary resources, develop new vocabulary, investigate websites, and create a time line of new...
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Southeastern Native Americans' Lifestyles
Learners complete activities to learn about Southeastern Native Americans. In this lifestyles lesson, students watch a PowerPoint about Southeastern Native Americans, view artifacts from the region and discuss the objects with a...