Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Come to Illinois - Or Not?

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students analyze primary documents to determine whether the author is pro- or anti-emigration. They outline reasons for or against immigration to Illinois during the early 19th century.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Illinois County Dragonfly Poster

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students identify the dragonflies found in their Illinois County by using the Odonata database list to find the scientific names, searching field guides and the Internet for (1) the common name (2) description (3) life habits and (4) a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery and the Legal Status of Free Blacks: Rhetorical Analysis of Debates During the 1847 Illinois Constitutional Convention

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders read actual arguments regarding the status of free blacks in Illinois and slavery in the United States more generally.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

At Home on the French Frontier: 1700-1800

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners role play bartering for goods and services as the French settlers did in colonial Illinois. They start with eight household items to acquire through bartering. They have to calculate values for each object and determine the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boating Safety

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students are introduced to the safety procedures to follow while boating. After taking a quiz, they complete open-ended questions about boating accidents in Illinois. They discuss as a class how those accidents could have been prevented.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Habitat Happenings

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the characteristics of the Prairie Creek Habitat in Illinois. In groups, they travel between various stations writing haikus and reading brochures. They identify what occurs in each habitat and identify the animals...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

River Research

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the History of the I&M Canal

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students examine the building of the I & M canal in Chicago. Using the internet, they research the lives of the individuals who worked on the construction and develop a timeline of events. They explore the impact of the canal on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Here Today. . .Gone Tomorrow

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students observe that there are threatened and endangered bird species in Illinois, why they have been given this status and how it relates to endangered species on a worldwide basis. they participate in the Project WILD "Oh, Deer" or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking to Our Environment

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders studied an environmental region in Illinois. The wetlands, swamps, woodlands and prairies were chosen. They research this region and create a picture that looks as if they are looking out the window. They had to have at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Legends

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders review the concept of a legend. Using the internet, they research animals found in Illinois. They write their own legends based on the animal they researched. They share their story and show pictures of the animals to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rendezvous

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the Rendezvous. They then set up bartering stations for students from other classes to visit.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Underground Railroad in the I and M Canal Area

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss provocative statements about the Underground Railroad and form opinions. They locate and read a selection on the Internet that either supports of discredits their written opinions. They then read a speech by John Hossack.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Glass House - Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students analyze the architecture of Ludwig van der Rohe's 'The Glass House.' In this architecture analysis lesson, students view the images of the house and read about the home. Students complete two research projects for the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Prairie, Stream, Forest for Junior High Students

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders take field trips to prairies, streams and forests in Illinois. During the field trip, they complete a worksheet to observe what they see and discuss it when they get back to school. They share their experiences through...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chicago's Amazing Growth

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students, in groups, collaboratively explore the rapid growth of Chicago (from 350 to 300,000 in less than 40 years), and how the city changed to accommodate such rapid growth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Predicting the Past

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils study how archaeologists record the past. They discuss archaeology and artifacts. They view a list of artifacts discovered by Marquette at the Illinois Village and answer questions regarding them. They complete a test about three...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trappers Then and Now

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study how trapping in the Illinois Territory in the 1800's effected the beaver population in the state. They compare methods, rules and regulations of the 1800s to those of today. In groups, they research a variety of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Whole Cloth Quilt Design

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine how decorative motifs are adapted to other types of objects by craftsmen and artists. They examine photos on the Illinois State Museum website, discuss design elements, adapt a motif to a line drawing, and transfer a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Great Chicago Fire: The O'Leary Hearing

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students dramatized the O'Leary hearing regarding the Chicago fire using the transcript from the original hearings as a script.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I & M Canal: Technological, Economic

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read about and discuss the reasons European countries were interested in the Ohio Valley. They complete a puzzle to review vocabulary and watch a video on the Illinois Prairie and the I & M Canal. They rewrite the historical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

...If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the concept of and reasons for immigration. They report on an immigrant group that moved to Illinois since 1700.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting a Sense of Time

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students gain an appreciation for geologic and historic time. They gain a general amount of information of the development of hte Chicago area, with particular attention given to the role of the Chicago River. Students contruct a time...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...

Other popular searches