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Early Settlements

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students embark on a journey through colonial times.  In this early settlement lesson, students come to understand what life was like for the settlers in the early colonies. Students research and create projects illustrating their...
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Treaties

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore Canadian history by participating in a role-playing activity. In this First Nation treaties lesson, 3rd graders identify the difficulties the Aboriginals faced when dealing with early European settlers. Students...
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Kansas Prairie Homes

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students read about settlers in Kansas and the adaptations they made in order to build different kinds of houses. In this Kansas settlers lesson plan, students participate in choral reading and retell information they learn.
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The French in Texas

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use Internet to examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas, and write journal entries from point of view of 17th Century French settler, French or Spanish explorer, or Native American whose land was taken.
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Welcome to Paradise

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders listen to Lynne Cherry's novel, The River Ran Wild. They work in two groups one of whom represents the native people and the other represents the English settlers from the book. They look at the geography of the settlement...
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A Practical Experiment In Colonization

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Role-play and simulation exercises are fantastic ways to help learners understand the reality behind many social and historical events. Pretending they are colonists, upper graders choose a location, create a history, establish laws, and...
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Narrative History - Hypertext Dialogues

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students create scripts about California settlers. The document reflects the settlers' fears, expectations, and realizations.
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Rice Around the World

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders draw pictures to show the life of early colonists and how they set the standard for rice farming. In this rice farming lesson plan, 3rd graders read about how and when Americans set the standards for growing and producing...
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Hit the Trail

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read about the history of cattle trails and complete language arts, math, social studies, and more activities about barbed wire. In this barbed wire lesson plan, students read poetry, research changes over time, draw cattle...
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The Fable of Franny And Her Fabulous Fainting Goat

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Mix the art of reading comprehension with the skill of telling time. Children in grades two and three will discuss the importance of goats throughout history based on the provided background information. They'll create cute goat...
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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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 plan, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and...
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Early Indian Inhabitants of Deerfield

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explain that there is evidence of New England's being inhabited by Indians as far back as 10,000 years ago.
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Homes of the West

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about homes in Utah over time and design models of the homes.  In this homes of the west lesson, 4th graders draw and label five homes that existed in the west. Students research each home and gather information...
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The History of Rice

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the history of rice by drawing a timeline of important dates.  For this food history lesson, 4th graders research the history of rice, where it came from, and who first used it for food.  Students...
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Coming to America: A Look at Colonization in the 1600s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze the European colonization of America. In this colonial America lesson, students use provided Internet resources to research colonization and representative government. High schoolers use...
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Exploring Indiana's Natural Resources

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the European exploration of the Midwest, focusing on Indiana. They map the path explorers took, comparing the British with the French. They research why the explorers stopped...
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Nebraska: Using Pictures

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a scrapbook about Nebraska history focusing on Post Office murals. They choose their favorite murals and write a story to go along with the mural. In groups, students present their murals to the class and visit the...
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An Investigation Into Our Community

For Teachers K - 3rd
Pupils examine maps of Palmer, Massachusetts and practice giving directions. As a class, they discuss how it changed from a farming community to more industrial. To end the lesson, they take pictures of the community to show how it has...
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Make a Bison

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discover how bison were hunted by the Native Americans and compare it to the buffalo. Using construction paper, they trace a bison outline given to them and use coffee grounds to fill in the space where the fur would be. They...
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Immigration Unit

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders develop an appreciate for the various cultures that are present in their local community. Through reading and research, they explain how various culture came to live in their area. At the conclusion of the unit, 3rd...
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Colonial Research Fun

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review the characteristics of the thirteen colonies. In groups, they use the internet to research one of the colonies more in depth and answer questions about it. They develop a newspaper or travel brochure to share the...