Curated OER
Make a Dried Bouquet
Students examine how drying flowers was a popular hobby for Colonial women during the Colonial era in America. They read and discuss an instruction sheet, and create dried-flower bouquets that are hung upside down and tied with a string.
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The Tempest
Young scholars discuss cultural beliefs about magic. They investigate European exploration and colonialism. They create a cartoon strip of an episode that is described or dramatized in the play.
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Canada's Press: Making a Historical Newspaper
Students examine several colonial-era editorial cartoons. They evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques the cartoonists used to display their messages and share one editorial cartoon with the class emphasising what message has been...
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The American Revolution: Causes
Students investigate taxation of the American colonist by the British which led to the revolution. In this American Revolution lesson, students analyze a poem called Revolution Tea, and then work in small groups to present an oral...
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The Role of African Slaves on South Carolina Rice Plantations
Fourth graders investigate the role of African American slaves in rice plantations. In this slave life instructional activity, 4th graders discuss the products produced in the 13 colonies. Students discuss the importance of rice to South...
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Choosing Plymouth - Pilgrim Study Unit
Learners identify the principal physical features the Pilgrims considered when choosing the location of Plymouth. They create a postcard to send to a friend in Europe as if they were a Pilgrim; illustrating one aspect of the settling in...
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Colonial Williamsburg
Fifth graders study about Colonial Williamsburg and become "experts" in one aspect of that period. They will actively seek and share their knowledge via the internet.
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Comparing Time Periods in U.S. History: The Ashford Project
Fifth graders use a "fact book" comparing periods in American history then students create a picture to illustrate their assigned periods. # # students use their pictures and concept maps to write expository paragraphs about their...
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Picturing History: John Singleton Copley and British Portraiture
Students observe and compare 18th century British portraits with those made by John Singleton Copley. By conducting research they explore the cultural climate of the portraits in order to write a historically accurate story.
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The Happy Progress of Our Affairs: George Washington and the U.S. Constitution
Students engage in a lesson which uses Washington's own words to illustrate the events leading to the establishment of our national government, and the crucial roles he played throughout that process.
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The Telling: A Thanksgiving Story
young scholars use literature to compare and contrast different points of view on the first Thanksgiving.
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On the Mayflower Lesson Plan
Students create a model of the Mayflower. In this early childhood lesson plan, students engage in dramatic play while reenacting the Pilgrims and the Mayflower. Students listen as the instructor reads On the Mayflower by Kate Waters.
Hubbard's Cupboard
The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving
Students explore holidays by participating in class singing activities. In this Thanksgiving history lesson, students discuss the importance of Thanksgiving Day and read several poems which discuss the history of Thanksgiving. Students...
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"Some Excellent Dumb Discourse:" Caliban as native American
Explore The Tempest and how language and power are intertwined in the play. Through a series of questions (provided) and an intense activity that has groups translate Caliban's speech into American Sign Language, learners recognize...
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Revolutionary Idea
Students take a field trip to watch a reenactment of the Revolutionary War. In groups, they participate in the same daily chores as the soldiers and examine the contributions of the colonies. To end the lesson, they eat a typical...
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Life in Plymouth - Pilgrim Study Unit
Students write a timeline showing significant events in the Plymouth Colony that occurred between 1621 and 1628. They define and illustrate key vocabulary words which are imbedded in this lesson plan. This simple activity is designed to...
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A Pair, A Panel, A Presentation: Creating an Image for Your School
Students create a screen for the school. They work as a group to create a screen using various scenes from the school. Once they have finished their project, they explain why the artist chose to use the scenes from his time period.
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Postcards From Mars
Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...
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Art Reflects Life
Fifth graders use the Internet to view collections of famous artists throughout the eighteenth century America. Using the artwork, they identify the themes that portrayed America as the land of opportunity. They record their findings...
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On the Mayflower Lesson Plan
Learners build a model of the Mayflower inside of the classroom in order to learn about the voyage of the Mayflower and the hardships faced by its passengers. For this American history lesson, students work in small groups to construct...
Berkshire Museum
The Three Life-Giving Sisters: Plant Cultivation and Mohican Innovation
Children gain first-hand experience with Native American agriculture while investigating the life cycle of plants with this engaging experiment. Focusing on what the natives called the Three Sisters - corn, beans, and squash - young...
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Social Studies: Exploring Boston's Big Dig
Young scholars, in a high school class for autistic children, take a virtual tour of Boston's "Big Dig" and the artifacts discovered there. During weekly lab sessions, they discover the processes involved in artifact preservation. ...
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Paving the Road to the Constitution
Eighth graders argue for or against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In this U.S. government lesson, 8th graders complete four activities that encourage them to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of...
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Food For Keeps
Students investigate the concept of food preservation. They use the internet to conduct research, specifically the methods of processing the students' favorite foods. They are introduced to the project using realia like beef jerky and...