Students analyze African American burial grounds. In this African American history lesson, students draw conclusions about African American communities in early New York and consider how archeology made it possible to study the communities.

Students will reflect upon the use of music to teach lessons throughout history. The focus of the study is based upon early American History. The tie of music and the abolition of slavery makes for interesting inquiry for learners.

Young scholars examine indentured servitude. In this Teaching Tolerance lesson, students compare indentured servitude of colonial America to the undocumented immigration of today. Young scholars write reflections regarding how they feel...

Eighth graders compare the use of rice in the 1700s to the modern use of rice. In this instructional activity examining the importance of rice in US history, 8th graders learn about the role of rice in the early 1700s and compare the use...

Students explore the foundations of America. In this early American history lesson, students watch Discovery video segments regarding the Boston Massacre, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights....

Learners research the Conestoga wagon. In this early transportation lesson, students use primary documents to research how the invention of the Conestoga wagon improved transportation.

Learners understand some causes of the American Revolution. Students learn the viewpoints of the loyalists and the American Revolutionaries. Learners learn a timeline of facts which they use to compare and contrast the views of the...

Teach little learners about the first Thanksgiving.  In this Thanksgiving lesson, students discover what it was like to live during that time period.  Students compare and contrast the first Thanksgiving to their own.

Learn about the first Thanksgiving with a unit centered around the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. First graders read and discuss books, create a mural, complete a worksheet about five blessings in their life, prepare...

In this African history study guide worksheet, students read a brief overview pertaining to the history of Africa from 1500 to the present.

Students compare two maps of the same area from different time periods. In this American History lesson, students look at two maps of the English colonies from 1636 and 1651. They discuss why the maps changed and predict maps from the...

Fifth graders research the Jamestown settlement and examine life in the colonies from 1607-1610. They explore websites, develop a timeline, select two settlers to research, and write three letters written from the point of view of their...

Fifth graders explore bartering. In this bartering lesson, 5th graders investigate bartering between the American colonies. Students study the climate and geography of neighboring colonies and investigate crops native to each area.

Fifth graders study the story of the voyage of the Mayflower told from the view point of the three Allerton siblings who were on board the ship. The book tells of their voyage across the Atlantic and their first year here on the North...

Students watch a video of "Paul Revere: The Midnight Rider," complete a vocabulary list and discuss the video using the questions that are provided.

Young scholars examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.

Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...

Students identify artifacts discovered from the exploration of the Jamestown fort in order to help them create a short fictional account about the lives of Jamestown's first inhabitants. In this history lesson, students research the...

Students compare and contrast the changing Native and English colonial architectural landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries. Students research and evaluate how economic technology, and the environment reflected cultural changes in the...

Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.

Learners use court records to learn that tobacco was used a source of currency in early Delaware history. Students choose something in their culture to use as currency instead of money.

Students research and write an essay describing historical events surrounding the Canadian government's treaty with Aboriginal peoples. They examine the motives behind treaty documents and government acts to determine whether government...

Sixth graders examine and discuss the characteristics of tin glazed earthenware pottery of Colonial Mexico. They design and create their own Talavera-style plate by applying the concept of radial symmetry.

Students explore the early colonies of American settlements. After researching important characteristics such as land, politics, economics, and educational opportunities, students create their own advertisement for one of the colonies.