Curated OER
Effects of Urban Growth
Learners explore population growth in the United States and the impact it has had on society. First, they brainstorm the reasons for population growth and the results of these increases. Then, they design surveys, record results, and...
Curated OER
Statue of Liberty
Students make their own Statue of Liberty. In this Statue of Liberty lesson plan, students research the symbol of the United States, create a KWL chart for it, and cut and paste their own Statue of Liberty.
Curated OER
Take Me Out To the Ball Game
Students use a map to graph and locate major league teams of different sports. In groups, they analyze the population data of the United States and compare it with the amount and location of the major league teams. They share their...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Isn’t It Exciting? (The American Industrial Revolution and Urbanization)
America was built on the ingenuity, work ethic, and foresight of our ancestors. Sixth graders learn about the complex Gilded Age in American history, including the prominent inventors and captains of industry, and how they all connect...
American Battlefield Trust
Fredericksburg 360
Urban combat long preceded today's video games. Pupils today experience the battle of Fredericksburg—a major Civil War engagement in an American city—using a 360-degree interactive app. Users explore the battlefield online, using a...
Curated OER
U.S. Geography: The Northeast
Students investigate U.S. Geography by creating a map in class. In this natural resource instructional activity, students create a map of the United States and research the Northeast based on their resources and recyclable...
Curated OER
Finding Our Way Home: Immigration to the United States, 1815-1860
Learners 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.
Curated OER
Ragtime: 1880-1920
Build an understanding of the social, economic, and cultural changes that were incited by the American Industrial Revolution. Learners will research the historical context of the Ragtime Era, and compose an oral presentation in the...
Curated OER
Places We Live
Students compare/contrast rural and urban communities, and view and discuss the images on the Illinois quarter. They discuss Abraham Lincoln's life, complete a chart and a Venn diagram comparing urban and rural settings, and create a...
Curated OER
Taking From the Giving Tree
Students explore the ways in which various American cities negotiate the protection of their "green infrastructure," gaining a broader understanding of proposed and enacted legislation as it relates to preserving and planting trees in...
Curated OER
Women in United States History
Students identify and explain the significance of key terms, such as: 19th Amendment, Femisnism, Flappers, Immigration and Jobs in Wisconsin. They identify and analyze viewpoints, events, social classes, and people of various years.
Curated OER
Analyzing Civil War Pictorial Envelopes
Young scholars explore the power of political messages contained in visual artifacts and examine the political messages conveyed by the illustrations that appeared on personal stationery used during the Civil War. They create and...
Curated OER
U.S. Geography- The Northeast
Students investigate the geography of the Northeast states. In this map skills lesson, students are shown a map of the Northeast states and identify the state names and borders. Students construct individual maps of the Northeast using...
Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
Curated OER
A House Divided: Photography in the Civil War
Students study Civil War photography and write captions for each picture based on context. For this Civil War photography lesson, students match photographs with their original captions. Students read included short biographies of the...
Curated OER
African Americans: 1800 - 1870
Students explore living and working environment of both slave and free African Americans from places throughout the United States.
Curated OER
A New Society Project
Ninth graders examine the social and political movements of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. For this American history lesson, 9th graders work in groups to form their own society and laws. Students make a diagram of their town and...
Curated OER
Urban Treasure Hunt
Fourth graders use clues, and a photo, to find the location of a building in Illinois. They then take a present picture and create a powerpoint presentation to compare past and present features
Curated OER
A Walk in the Woods: The Legacy of the Haudenosaunee
Fourth graders explore folktales and legends to investigate the life and culture of the Haudenosaunee Indians. The stories and food of the six Nations are experienced as the lesson proceeds.
Curated OER
A Sense of West Virginia
Students consider their perceptions of the world through their 5 senses while visiting the West Virginia State Museum. In this West Virginia history lesson plan, students discover how knowing about the past helps with their understanding...
PBS
Women's History: Parading Through History
Want to teach your pupils about debate, effective speech techniques, propaganda, and the women's movement? The first in a sequential series of three, scholars analyze real propaganda images from the the historic women's movement, view a...
Curated OER
The Greening of Mars: The Changes Necessary to Sustain Life on Mars
Fifth graders discuss the currents conditions on the planet of Mars. In groups, they work together to develop a mechanism that allows for a balanced ecosystem to survive on the planet. After presenting their ideas to the class, they...
Curated OER
Making Connections: Exploring Our Brains through the Five Senses
Students identify structures of the brain, and neurons and analyze their functions. In this nervous system lesson students create drawings and models of anatomy.
Curated OER
Exploring our National Parks
Students utilize maps/Atlases to find key spatial information, locate U.S. National Parks, characterize the geography of a specific region, and create a National Park brochure.