Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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Reasons for Settling the New World

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
After studying the reasons settlers entered the New World, primary learners try to persuade others to enter this new land. Class members present their arguments in a variety of ways including posters, writings, and charts. Richly...
Lesson Plan
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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.
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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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.
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
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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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Faces: Understanding Artifacts Through Design Elements

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners examine and discuss drinking container artifacts from Jamestown. They view images of the artifacts, discuss their purposes, draw an original facial expression for a brown paper jug, and write a description of the facial expression.
Lesson Plan
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What Should a House Do?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students complete a unit of lessons on the similarities and differences between Native American homes and European settlement houses. They explore websites, read stories, design a dream house, and construct wigwam models.
Lesson Plan
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More Than Tipis and Feathers

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research Native American People of the plains, the forest, the northwest coast and the desert. They compare how their lives were similar and how they were different. They make a model of one type of dwelling.