Despite the difficulty of travel, the US expanded significantly between the 1800s and the early 1900s. To prepare for a performance task assessment on the rapid expansion of the US in the 1800s, class members engage in a...

Coyotes in Chicago? Yip. Middle schoolers demonstrate their ability to identify details that support the idea that coyotes are adaptable creatures.

Students compare a political map of North America today with one from 1845. They identify items of continuity in the political map of the United States today and that of 1845 and describe the influence of Indian and Hispanic cultures on...

You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...

Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...

Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...

Fifth graders explore the westward movement between 1800 and 1861 in the United States. They write narratives from the standpoint of those cultures that were repressed during this period, such as Native Americans, slaves, or Mexicans. ...

Use this roaring 1920s history lesson to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in the 1920s and...

Students formulate theories about the Lewis and Clark Expedition about its purpose and impact on America. They write position papers supported with facts discovered in their research. Students include quotes, factual references, maps,...

Fourth graders become familiar with the explorations of Hernando DeSoto. In this DeSoto lesson, 4th graders recognize the routes and territories of DeSoto's explorations. Students use primary and secondary sources and research to answer...

Students investigate geography by completing games with classmates. In this United States of America lesson, students examine a map of North America and identify the borders of Mexico and Canada as well as the Pacific and Atlantic....

Students research the Cree tribe of North America. In this Native American lesson, students will research on-line, then compare and contrast the differences between the Cree tribe and other Native American tribes. Students will break...

Students examine the conditions in France and Spain during the Middle Ages and the Discovery of America. In groups, they compare and contrast the political situations in both countries and what effect they had on the New World. To end...

For this American imperialism worksheet, students review a chapter as they define 5 vocabulary terms in their own words, eliminate 4 false statements, and identify 2 themes from this era of growth and challenge in America.

Young scholars in an ESL classroom are introduced to new vocabulary before reading a story in their native language. In groups, they discuss how the tradition of writing stories down became a tradition and answer comprehension...

Students identify Puerto Rico and discuss its relationship and proximity to the United States. Next, students identify significant events that occurred during Dona Felisa's term in office and how if may have affected her popularity. ...

Can literacy get any more fun than this? Learners not only have fun, but gain confidence as well when presented with familiar text in another language. Select books, songs, poems, even recipes written in another language, and using the...

One, two, three. Un, deux, trois. Eins, zwei, drei. Primary learners love to count and this lesson contains a series of games that encourage learners to count in English, French, German, and Spanish. The exercises develop literacy and...

Researchers say that we need to hear and see new language 12 times before we remember it! Here's a plan that details a series of games that can be used as memory exercises. Bingo, Noughts and Crosses, Pelmanism, and repetitive speaking...

Readers are asked to identify the main idea and two supporting ideas in a brief passage about the Louisiana Purchase.

Elementary schoolers and language learners will shine with a series of games and activities that feature weather words. The exercises can be adapted for pairs, small groups, or whole class participation.

Encourage the poetic genius in your young creative writers with a poetry workshop. Fix form poems (cinquains acrostic poems, octopoems, hello/goodbye poems) provide a framework and encourage vocabulary development as well as an awareness...

How did the metric system come to be, and why does the US not use it very much? Your class can learn the answers to these questions with the reading passage included here and then respond to the five related questions.