Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Who Wants to be a Pioneer?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students write a story based on their research of the Oregon Trail. Using the Internet and traditional sources, they engage in research about pioneer's experiences on the Oregon Trail during westward expansion. Students write a story...
Activity
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Freeology

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream"

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech "I Have A Dream" is hailed as one of the most eloquent and moving speeches of the 20th century. But what makes his words hit his listeners' ears in just the right ways? Young orators study Dr. King's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Expansion

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the components of the Westward Movement in the United States. Understanding the past and the linkages it has to the present is the intended goal of this seventeen day unit.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Main Idea Worksheet

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this Sedona worksheet, students complete multiple choice questions about the area of Sedona, Arizona. Students complete 9 questions total.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trailblazers - Now and Then

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students, working in pairs, use maps to determine the most efficient routes between two cities. They research which route would have been used by early trailblazers. They present a first person account of one of the trailblazers place in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?

For Students 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers can analyze primary source documents to answer the question, "Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?" They will read the provided excerpts then answer 11 different questions to uncover the ultimate answer.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Utah: State History

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Utah state history worksheet, students read two and a half pages of information about Utah and complete 10 true and false questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indian Removal: The Cherokees, Jackson, and the “Trail of Tears”

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine executive power. In this Indian Removal lesson plan, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the "Trail of Tears". Young scholars respond to discussion questions regarding the...
Lesson Plan
Small Planet Communications

Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss political, social, and personal issues relating to the Civil War from various perspectives using internet sources. Students write various selections from Civil War characters' point of view.
Website
Other

American Mountain Men: Mountain Men and the Fur Trade

For Students 9th - 10th
On-line research center features numerous resources dedicated to the history of the Mountain Men in the American West. This project includes primary sources, images, maps, artwork, newspaper articles, artifacts, and links to related...
Article
University of Missouri

Famous Trials: Mountain Meadows Massacre (1875 76)

For Students 9th - 10th
Called "the darkest deed of the nineteenth century," the brutal 1857 murder of 120 men, women, and children at a place in southern Utah called Mountain Meadows remains one of the most controversial events in the history of the American...
Primary
Lone Star Junction

Lone Star Junction: Guide to Life and Literature of the Southwest

For Students 9th - 10th
The complete text of the 1952 version of this book by J. Frank Dobie. Chapters are thematic collections of annotated lists of books on different aspects of Southwestern culture and history, e.g., Texas Rangers, mountain men, and the Pony...
Activity
Other

Mountain Men, Trappers, and Fur Traders: John Jacob Astor

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a very brief site on the man who came to monopolize the fur trade, John Jacob Astor. Hyperlinks for additional information.
eBook
Other

Mountain Men: The Adventures of Captain Bonneville

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides online text, including an introduction by the author, for "The Adventures of Captain Bonneville," by Washington Irving. Contains a link to the publication history for this work.
Article
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Zora Neale Hurston

For Students 9th - 10th
Encyclopaedia Britannica provides a biography of Zora Neale Hurston, a famous novelist and first African American graduate of Barnard College.
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Teachers: Journeys West

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A series of lessons utilizing primary texts, including narratives, photographs, and maps, through which students explore the following question: "What motivated thousands of people to journey west during the 1800s?"
Activity
Other

Robert Frost: America's Poet

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides many full text poems by Robert Frost. There are also multiple links for more information on Frost and his works.
Handout
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: Robert Frost

For Students 9th - 10th
The site provides background and texts of numerous poems. Follow the links at the bottom of the page to specific poetry books to find complete text of individual poems.