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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War

For Teachers 5th
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...
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Johnny Tremain

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students study the Revolutionary War. For this colonial America lesson, students read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. Students discuss chapter 1 as they respond to the provided discussion questions.
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Ten Crucial Days-How to Win a War You Should Lose

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research the victories of Washington at Trenton and Princeton. In this Revolutionary War instructional activity, students investigate and discuss the factors of Washington's victories and use maps to identify the strategy...
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John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Short Essay

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review John Lawson's writings to discover the impact they had on emigration to America. Using the writings, they analyze the influence of them and review the early settlement of the colonies. They write their own essay sharing...
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Liberia and the U.S.: Historic Ties and Policy Decisions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss and analyze factors affecting U.S. foreign policy toward Liberia. They role-play various groups during 1900 who were concerned with the relationship between United States and Liberia as a "colony"
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The Irish Potato Famine and Immigration

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study how the potato famine affected the Irish population. They speculate on how the Irish were viewed by the English and the new Americans. They examine why the Irish immigrated to the new colonies. and evaluate how new...
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Founding Myths, Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars participate in a scavenger hunt using their textbooks to find information about historical events, people and places in US history during the Revolutionary Era. After creating their list of important people, students...
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Brutal British

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read and predict the outcome of a story set during the Civil War, then map the story. To prepare for the activity, students determine why it is important to look at historical events from all angles by using primary and...
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The Colonization of the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
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Learning About Colonial Times

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students research Colonial America. In this Colonial Times lesson, students view the PBS Colonial House Interactivewebsite and create a timeline of important events during the Colonial period. Students print and share their timelines.
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Revolution! Freedom for All?

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the causes of freedom by revolutionary patriots. In this Civics and Economics instructional activity, 12th graders analyze primary sources. Students work cooperatively to write a freedom declaration for their...
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Birth of a Nation

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders portray one of the actual framers of the Constitution. They summarize each class period with a journal entry and culminate the experience with the actual framing and signing (or not signing) of the Constitution.
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History of Immigration through the 1850's

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the history of Immigration.  In this World History lesson, students explore European immigration then specifically focus on ways African Immigration was different.  Students then divide into small groups and...
Lesson Plan
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John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Review Writing and Answer Questions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
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Lawson's Many Roles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the life of John Lawson and his many roles he took on during his life. Using their text, they discover the area in which he traveled and lived. They write an essay about his movements and identifying his contacts in...
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Poor Richard's Almanack

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discover what "Poor Richard's Almanack" is and identify at least one element of good writing used by Benjamin Franklin and his work. They then identify what makes some of Benjamin Franklin's sayings applicable today and create a...
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California's Mission/Rancho Era

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the Spanish colonization of California, including the relationships among missionaries and Indians and their interactions with soldiers and people in the pueblos and ranchos.
Worksheet
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Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry worksheet, students read a 3 page article and then answer 10 statements as true or false.
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Hominid Diet

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students listen to an interview with Lucinda Backwell regarding fossil evidence that early hominids included termites in their diets. They participate in a discussion to investigate the significance of these findings.
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Shall We Go Dutch?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the language and cultural differences that were encountered by the Indians and the Dutch leading to disaster for the first European settlement in Delaware.
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Australian Currency

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate currency and exchange rates.  In the middle school mathematics lesson, students use ratio and proportion to convert from Australian currency to the U.S. dollar and vice verse.  Students create their own...
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Learning from Maps and Timelines Time Travel

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create timelines depicting the important events in the lives of the groups that arrived at the Fort St. Louis. They include the fate of La Salle and the colonists.
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Powder Magazine

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders complete activities in which they discover powder magazines and the history of South Carolina. They practice using new vocabulary and complete a worksheet after visiting the museum. They examine how families and...
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Africans and Women in Jamestown

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the first settlement at Jamestown and its citizens. Using the internet, they discover the role of women and Africans in Jamestown. They role play what the settlement was like before and after women and Africans coming...