Students examine federal powers. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students explore the powers of Congress to coin money. Students also study the meaning of the symbols on U.S. coins.

Students investigate the skills needed to survive for the early colonial settlers and Native Americans. They conduct research, develop a list of skills, and create a how-to poster demonstrating a survival skill.

Fifth graders write a newspaper article about an important event or cause of the Revolutionary War. In small groups they participate in a jigsaw activity, and return to their original group to report on their new information. Students...

Students work together to research the Abenaki Indians. They discover how the Native Americans lives where changed after contact with the Europeans. They compare and contrast the Indians and the Europeans and present their information to...

Students explore colonial life and society during that time.

Students watch a short video on colonial rule. They discuss how lives were changed once independence was granted in India. They create mock interview sessions acting as political figures involved in an independence movement. They...

Students observe slides of U.S. coastal geography. They study topography and vegetation maps for one region. They gather geographic facts on a guided worksheet. Students pretend to be colonists. They decide what kind of economic system...

Middle schoolers review the main points of the Walking Purchase of 1737. In groups, they describe how the Iroquois, Minisink, and Delaware Indians felt about the purchase and compare and contrast the different views. They write and...

Eighth graders study the importance of rice as a cash crop and the crop's dependency on slave labor during the settlement of coastal South Carolina. They explain the importance of the rice plantations to South Carolina's colonial economy.

Middle schoolers review the writings of John Lawson. Using his writings, they read comments about them to determine how his writings might have affected emigration to America. They answer discussion questions and share their answers...

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...

Eighth graders examine various political cartoons from the American Revolution era. Using present day political cartoons, they compare and contrast the ones from the past to the ones of today. As a class, they discuss the use of...

Students differentiate between primary and secondary research sources before making a visual representation of their research into the colonist of Fort St. Louis. They write inquiry questions to guide their research.

Students examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family...

Twelfth graders research how the constitution was formed and the reasons for its implementation. They form a class wide constitution that expresses the steps originally used while forming the original constitution. Students vote and...

Seventh graders investigate the basis for farming choices in the early colonies by using group research and discussion. Each group researches a topic that they write about and present to the rest of the class.

Students, in groups, research a topic from the Revolutionary War. They present their research to the class as a review and the instructor summarizes important information. They take a test on the presented topics.

Pupils write a description of the spatial organization of the former and present location of New Hampshire's state capital. They analyze maps, participate in a class discussion, and calculate the distance of Concord from the borders of...

Students examine the importance of the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. As a class, they complete a K-W-L chart about George Washington and write about what they believe is going on in a picture they are shown. They are...

Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...

Students debate and role play about whether the colonists should declare independence from England or not. In this American history and oral communication instructional activity, students read informational text about the colonists and...

Students gain a greater understanding of how political borders impact human and environmental development. Then, either individually or as a class, establish a correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer working in Africa.

First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.

Fifth graders use text or other references to locate different types of information about the Mayflower and pilgrims. They create a presentation for lower elementary classes about the Pilgrims.