Eighth graders examine basic elements of the Homestead Act, describe gender make-up of the West before and after the Homestead Act, connect the Homestead Act with women's suffrage, and create a modern day business propaganda pamphlet.

Students investigate the impact of the passage of the Homestead Act. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students visit selected websites to examine the lives of Americans who settled the American frontier.

Eighth graders analyze the Native American's viewpoint of the Homestead Act. Using one Native American group who lived in Nebraska, they write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper discussing the Homestead Act and how it affected...

Enhance your American literature unit with this resource, in which readers access the Nebraska Studies website and read about "Railroads and Settlement." They search for a photograph of some aspect of the railroad from the Prairie...

Young scholars examine websites and video clips to become familiar with tenets of the Homestead Act, challenges faced by settlers and misconceptions about settlers. They role-play colonists on the Planet XR-38 and make choices similar to...

Students examine primary sources regarding American movement to the west. In this westward expansion lesson plan, students create broadside posters based on the Homestead Act primary sources they research.

Fifth graders investigate the significant events in America's history. Students listen to a variety of books based on significant historical events in America. Students divide into 6 groups, each of which is responsible for researching...

Students discuss the Indian Allotment Act. In this social studies lesson, students research a selected tribe and write a report on their selected tribe.

Racial Profiling. Class members chart what they know and what they want to know about this hot-button topic. 

Students research pertinent information based on historical facts and is supported by quotations from primary sources in order to prepare for a class debate about land ownership in the 19th century.

Students investigate the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad. For this Transcontinental Railroad lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the effect of the railroad on Chinese immigrants and American...

Students analyze the factors that inhibited and fostered African American attempts to improve their lives during Reconstruction, the role of class, race, gender, and religion in western communities, and the challenges diverse people...

Help your middle schoolers recognize the similarities and differences between the games they play and those played by pioneer children. Using the Internet, they research a game of their choice and discover how it has evolved over time....

Fourth graders bring in a family photo from home. They compare their photo to the Rawding family photo. Students share their conclusions orally. They use Venn Diagrams to organize their thoughts and observations.

Young scholars examine historical information about the development of barbed wire and practice identifying geometric terms. After reading through background information, they participate in several activities that include making...

Students examine why people move from one country or area to another. Using photographs, they analyze the culture and lifestyles of people pictured in the image. They research and explain the daily experiences of the settlers to...

Eighth graders read and analyze primary source documents dealing with Nebraska history. In a role-play, they present the information they gathered to their classmates. They examine what live was like for people settling in Nebraska.