Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...

Students examine the building of the I & M canal in Chicago. Using the internet, they research the lives of the individuals who worked on the construction and develop a timeline of events. They explore the impact of the canal on...

Students examine the role of John Jones and his fight to repeal the Black Laws of Illinois. Using the text of the law, they explore his reasoning for repealing the laws and the arguments he used to support his beliefs. They draw their...

Learners create a journal that includes historic events that occurred in Illinois in the 1700's that features entries on the same topics from different perspectives.

Here, young historians compare their early lives to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s. They listen to a read aloud of a story by Dr. King's sister, and then write in the provided reflective journal template. Lastly, they share their...

Fifth graders research work to research six areas in the life of Adlai E. Stevenson II: His Early life, Governor of Illinois, Campaigns for president, Ambassador to the UN, famous quotes, later years. They create a supply of notecards...

Learners gain an appreciation for geologic and historic time. They gain a general amount of information of the development of hte Chicago area, with particular attention given to the role of the Chicago River. Students contruct a time...

Students explore life in early Mesopotamia through a list of jobs that people taken from an ancient clay tablet found in Mesopotamia. The list is compare to jobs still performed in today's society.

Students analyze primary documents to determine whether the author is pro- or anti-emigration. They outline reasons for or against immigration to Illinois during the early 19th century.

Twelfth graders research the history of how a particular environmental issue moves through the Conservation Movement. They create timelines that show the progression of public sentiment and the legislation about the issue.

Students study how archaeologists record the past. They discuss archaeology and artifacts. They view a list of artifacts discovered by Marquette at the Illinois Village and answer questions regarding them. They complete a test about...

Seventh graders gain a better understanding of the canal period in U.S. History, and more specifically, discern the importance of the Illinois and Michigan Canal on the development of Illinois as a state and Chicago as a prominent city.

Fourth graders search a database for pictures of home that early Midwestern settlers lived in. They create a class presentation using the pictures.

Students read about and discuss the reasons European countries were interested in the Ohio Valley. They complete a puzzle to review vocabulary and watch a video on the Illinois Prairie and the I & M Canal. They rewrite the historical...

Fourth graders become familiar with the conditions facing the members of the Expedition in the early 1800's, as well as the causes and consequences of the Expedition. They describe the conditions of the land in the 1800's and during the...

Students, in groups, research and pretend as if they are interviewing a Mississippian child. They come up with three questions to ask to research their culture.

Students analyze and discuss various documents relating to slavery in Missouri in the 1830's and 1840's. They learn why some records are deemed to be of permanent, historical value to the state.

Students investigate the origin of the quadratic function. In this algebra lesson, students analyze solving an equation by completing the square. They compare the early methods as compared to our method for solving quadratics.

Learners identify and research various women and their roles in military history. They describe how modern political positions are affected by differences in ideologies and viewpoints that have developed over time. Finally, students...

Students investigate the lives of families in two different centuries. They compare the 1600's to the 1800's. Students write an essay about the differences and how they developed in history. Special attention is paid to the external...

Students explore the change in values from the 1920's to the present. In groups, students use the internet to analyze Pete Rose and gambling in sports. The 1919 scandal of the World Series is explored and discussed by students. They...

Create an artifact kit to engage your young learners. Then, assign small groups a section of chapter three. They will identify the main idea and three supporting details for their section. Then, they select one artifact from the kit that...

Students use primary sources to analyze advertisements, prices, and styles of Lincoln Logs from Carson Pirie Scott catalogs from 1952 to 1960. Students then compare modern-day toy to Lincoln Logs of the 1950s by analyzing differences in...

Students experience issues of intercultural children born as a result of the Occupation of Japan by American soldiers. They reflect on how these experiences and issues might be relevant to our own lives. Task cars are available to print...