Study the Revolutionary War era practice of recruiting seamen to prey upon the British shipping industry, and discuss the impact this practice had on the Colonial war efforts. Learners read and interpret recruiting advertisements for...

In this online interactive history instructional activity, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about the United States between the years 1763 and 1776.

Fifth graders research bartering. In this bartering lesson, 5th graders investigate bartering as a way to trade for goods and services. Students experience bartering first hand while playing a game.

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.

Fourth graders study the economy of Jamestown. In this early settlers lesson, 4th graders read about the trade between the English and the natives in Jamestown. This lesson is part of a larger unit and coincides with the novel The Double...

Students examine the impact of global trade on regional civilizations of the world after 1500. They research and analyze images of pottery excavated at Jamestown, and create a poster that presents information about world trade networks...

Fifth graders explore how important print media is to everyone's daily life. Students use present daily newspapers and they are to reproduce weather forecasts.

Students discover the history of America by identifying the traditional colonies.  In this U.S. history lesson, students examine a world map and identify where the voyagers left from Europe to arrive at the United States. ...

For this American colonies worksheet, students unscramble the letters in 20 words to spell vocabulary pertaining to the thirteen original colonies. There is a word bank provided.

Students research data on Jamestown settlers in order to learn about the daily life and events in the colony. In this investigative history instructional activity, students work in groups to analyze the results of the Jamestown census. ...

Combine a fantastic review of primary source analysis with a study of Captain John Smith's influence on the Chesapeake Bay region in the seventeenth century. Your young historians will use images, a primary source excerpt, and maps...

Two slide shows, viewed side-by-side, permit middle schoolers to compare and contrast the lives of the Pilgrims of the Plimoth colony and the Wampanoags. Four videos take learners on virtual field trips to the Plymouth plantation. And an...

Scholars examine the first Thanksgiving through books and interviews while they complete a KWL chart. Pretending they are part of the feast, learners craft a scrapbook page that features images related to their experience. Pupils reflect...

Sharpen those pencils and get to writing with a series of document-based questions about the French and Indian War. High schoolers focus on maps, letters, and other primary documents from the 18th century before answering writing prompts...

Thirteen steps make up a lesson that challenges pupils to compare and contrast the daily lives of Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. Learners revisit the Graffiti Wall then break into small groups for an investigative reading assignment...

Students examine how the Jamestown settlement changed the first few years after it was founded. They take a virtual field trip of Jamestown, read primary source documents, discuss census information, and write a summary of changes in...

Students explore the concept of landmarks.  In this landmark lesson plan, students brainstorm different landmarks around their community and nationally.  Students then identify the patterns in Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings or...

Volume One of the 299-page Core Knowledge History of the United States covers events from the Precolonial Period to the 1800s.

This 262-page Core Knowledge teacher guide presents an overview of the two-volume History of the United States program designed for middle schoolers. The guide includes information about the learning strategies used, a pacing guide, the...

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.

Third graders locate several important American colonial cities on a map and research how their proximity to water and nearby arable land affected the rate and success of settlement.

Students assess the effect of contact between the Native Americans and Europeans after 1492. They explore the lives of the early European colonists and the Native Americans living along the East Coast of North America. Lesson contains...

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 examine the early migration of Native Americans, African Americans, and the British Colonists. They conduct Internet research, complete a timeline, label maps, compare/contrast the three groups' experiences, and write an essay.