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Mapping the New World Lesson Plan
Students compare two maps of the same area from different time periods. In this American History lesson, students look at two maps of the English colonies from 1636 and 1651. They discuss why the maps changed and predict maps from the...
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Westward Expansion and the Frontier
Students explore U.S. history by researching a historic map. In this westward expansion lesson, students discuss the mystery of the western U.S. in the early 1800's and the impact expansion had on Native Americans and agriculture....
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Salem's Maritime History: A History of our New Nation
Eighth graders examine the impact of Salem's maritime trade on America. Using primary source documents, they identify the use of expanding the number of products available and how it affected the economy. They write an essay discussing...
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Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court I: A Case of Racial Discrimination in the late 1800s and Minority Supreme Court Justices
Students read the decision of the Michigan Supreme Court in the Ferguson v. Gies, a case dealing with discrimination in a restaurant. They participate in a class discussion about the case and the justices that presided over it. They...
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Region, History, and the Novel: Is Resistance Futile?
High schoolers read a novel related to their geographical area and "Gone With The Wind". Using the first novel, they use the internet to research one aspect from it and relate it to their location today. They create a Hyperstudio or...
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The West in Brochures
Students explore the daily life of the American Cowboy in the 1800's and compare it to the life of the Native Americans.
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Native Americans During the 19th and 20th Centuries
Students explore major events in Native American history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this American history lesson, students listen to lectures, examine photographs, and analyze music regarding Native American history...
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Chinese Immigration 1860s-1880s
Eighth graders consider the plight of Chinese immigrants to America. In this immigration lesson, 8th graders analyze political cartoons from the late 1800's that exemplify American public opinion regarding Chinese immigrants. The...
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Surveying: 19 Chains and 50 Links
Through an interdisciplinary lesson, emerging engineers explore the history of surveying systems. After discussing various systems, they perform surveys on printable pages. Using their geometric skills, they physically stake out plots...
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Greeks Lose Their Marbles
In this Greek history worksheet, students read an excerpt about how the Greeks lost their marble structures. They identify which goddess the Parthenon was build for; why the Greeks wanted the marble returned to Athens; and why the...
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Math for the Frontier
Students explore the concept of inflation. In this inflation activity, students compile a list of necessities they would need to take with them if they were moving to a new state next month. Students compare their list with that of a...
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Imperialism and Expansion: Part 1
Young scholars explore the era of imperialism and expansion of the United States. In this American history lesson plan, students play a game regarding the U.S. attempts to expand the nation in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Moby-Dick
Students take on the persona of a sailor or a captain of a whaling vessel in New England in the 1800s and write five journal entries as that person. In this Moby Dick instructional activity, students research the whaling...
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Westward Expansion - Fur Trade
Students complete a unit of lessons to learn how products reach the market and study the history of the fur trade. In this history and trade lesson, students first learn about the technology that allowed products to reach market faster....
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Political Cartoons
Young scholars analyze cartoons by identifying the symbols, characters and information and its significance in history. They examine the economic and political changes in contemporary America. They determine that political cartoons play...
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Prohibition Then; MADD Today
Learners examine consumer traits. In this economics lesson, students examine the separate histories of Prohibition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Learners participate in a classroom simulation to discover how the movements dictated...
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Caught Between Worlds: Frontier Life as Reflected in Captivity Narratives
Students analyze captivity narratives written between the 1600's and 1800's. In this narrative lesson, students think critically about the interaction between Native peoples and the settlers to understand the cultural beliefs held by...
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Exposes in Different Eras: The Work of Dorothea Dix and Burton Blatt
Students discover that Dorothea Dix was the first to make the pubic aware of the terrible living conditions of people with mental illness in the 1800's. They evaluate the influence of citizen action on public policy.
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Westward Expansion: The American Indian Experience
Students complete a brief presentation documenting the life of an American Indian. In class, students discuss the pros and cons of placing American Indians on a reservation. After their discussion, students choose a issue in Native...
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Women in Science
Students study the roles that women have played in science throughout history. They work in small groups while visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
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Fireworks
Students listen to a short lecture on the history of fireworks and identify how fireworks are made. They paint a picture depicting fireworks and view a presentation on firework safety.
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Nevada Mines 1850-1880
Students explore the Nevada mining of 1850-1880. In this history lesson, students investigate the Comstock Lode and examine the mining tools that were used to search for silver and gold.
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Urban Growth in Industrial America
Students examine the correlation between urbanization and industrialization. For this 19th century American history lesson, students investigate census data from the late 1800's to find out how urbanization and industrialization in...
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Gone to Texas
Fourth graders role play as empresarios attempting to bring colonists to Texas in the 1800's. They create an advertisement that encourages the immigrants to come to Texas.