Curated OER
To Move or Not to Move? Decision Making and Sacrifice
Middle schoolers examine the motivations that prompted people to move westward during the 19th century. They take on the role of an average citizen and weigh the costs and benefits of making such a move and decide if they would have...
Curated OER
American Literature - The American Dream: Past, Present, and Future
Students are introduced to the ideas of the American Dream at the turn of the century. They present their ideas on the American Dream at the turn of the century through a person characterized in Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
Curated OER
Comparing Primary Sources from the Industrial Revolution
Tenth graders, in teams, analyze, evaluate and describe primary sources pertaining to industrialization at the turn of the century. They examine the sources and answer questions about each.
Curated OER
Skagway: Gateway to the Klondike
Students explore the impact of the Klondike Gold Rush on the development of Skagway, Alaska. Lesson can be used in units on western expansion, late 19th and early 20th-century commerce, and urban history.
Curated OER
Colonization and Emigration
Pupils explore emigrants deciding to leave the United States and the events that lead to their decisions.
Curated OER
U.S. History: The Second Great Migration
Learners examine the migration of rural African Americans to northern cities following World War !!. After predicting the effects of cultural and economic factors, they write essays explaining the impact of migration on communities and...
Stanford University
Jacob Riis
Fourth graders view and discuss the photographs of Jacob Riis.In this Jacob Riis and Immigrants instructional activity, 4th graders analyze the photographs of Jacob Riis and answer questions about the feelings evoked by the photographs....
Curated OER
Boston Park System
Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to the Emerald Necklace park system in Boston, MA. They discover how urban conditions influenced the creation of city parks.
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson: American History
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the type of immigrant that came to America during the 19th and 20th centuries. They write letters as if they were immigrants coming to America and what they faced and their hopes for the future.
Curated OER
How Has Colonialism Led to Multilingualism in Africa
Prepare yourself for a top-notch presentation on colonialism in Africa! Discussed are the reasons for African multilingualism. Maps and a country-by-country look at various colonists that made their mark on the African continent are...
Curated OER
Photography and the National Park Service
During the 1800s the United States was expanding westward; land was there for the taking. Kids explore how some early photographers used their photography to influenced the US Congress to save areas like Mirror Lake. They complete a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Election of 1912
The Election of 1912: an election with four competitive opponents. Pupils get to know the candidates with informative reading passages that provide context to the election. Then, the class engages in a debate and answers questions as one...
Curated OER
Washington Irving in Context
Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...
Stanford University
Anti-Suffragists
Young scholars view the movie Iron Jawed Suffragists.In this anti- suffragists lesson, students recognize that many people didn't want women's suffrage. Young scholars view documents written about suffrage and create a graphic organizer.
Curated OER
Savannah, Georgia Historic District
Young scholars complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to the Savannah, Georgia Historic District.
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark: Meeting the Indians of the Northwest
Eighth graders examine the relationships forged with Native Americans by Lewis and Clark. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders research digital and print sources to study details regarding the Native American tribes that Lewis...
Curated OER
Prairie Voices: German Immigrants Move to Iowa
Young scholars create historically accurate travel journals. In this Iowa history lesson plan, students research the German immigration experience as they write travel journals that feature a German family's move into an Iowa county.
Curated OER
Back To Africa
Students analyze the massive immigration after 1850 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity, and how the Progressive movement influenced different groups in American...
Curated OER
Too Bright at Night?
Young scholars explore the consequences of light pollution. They consider benefits and drawbacks of technology in order to acquire informed attitudes on the various technologies and their social, cultural, economic, and ecological...
Curated OER
Farmers, the Populist Party, and Mississippi (1870-1900)
Students determine the cause and effect of a historical event. They draw conclusions about statistical data and maps and compose a campaign speech for a Populist candidate. They design a political poster and badge for the Populist Party.
Curated OER
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Students use photos, maps and reading materials to examine the history and role of Mount Auburn Cemetery. They analyze the landscape of the cemetery, consider how it affects visitor's emotions and feelings and then design an original...
Curated OER
The Great Migration: Two American Tales
Students compare and contrast experiences of European immigrants and African American migrants in U.S. cities. After examining the topic, they write essays evaluating the differences and similarities of the groups' experiences.
Curated OER
Return South Migration Lesson Plan
Students study the reasons so many immigrants returned to the South following the Civil Rights Movement. They examine how the former slaves influenced the cultural life in the Northern cities.
Curated OER
"Heritage" - "Hey, That's the Name of Our School!"
Seventh graders gain a better understanding of the canal period in U.S. History, and more specifically, discern the importance of the Illinois and Michigan Canal on the development of Illinois as a state and Chicago as a prominent city.