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The Cotton Gin
High schoolers are introduced to an early American inventor, Eli Whitney, and his experiences with the Patent Office. The economic importance of the cotton gin and its impact on slavery are also addressed.
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The Impact of the Cotton Gin
Fourth graders study Eli Whitney and the cotton gin. In this lesson on the cotton gin, 4th graders use primary and secondary sources to gather information about Eli Whitney, the cotton gin that he invented and how it changed the south.
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Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin
Students review the U.S. patent laws by researching Eli Whitney's petition for a renewal on his cotton gin patent. They examine documents to assess the impact of the cotton gin, role-play the patent hearing and discuss the effects of...
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King Cotton
Sixth graders investigate the farming process for cotton and its impact on the United States history. In this cotton farming lesson, 6th graders read background information on the cotton farming process and discuss the role of slavery in...
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Thoreau
Eleventh graders answer the question Why Westborough? Why did their town develop as it did, what types of industry were here and why. They are introduced to journal writing. Students free write about ideas that stand out from class. ...
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Cotton Production and Milling
Students examine cotton production and milling. They compete in a hand-ginning contest to realize how difficult it was to separate the seeds from the fibers of cotton. They discuss why Eli Whitney's cotton gin was an important invention.
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JUST A MATTER OF TIME
Young scholars recognize the dynamic changes in themselves and in agriculture that have occurred through the years. They are shown pictures of a baby or students are asked to think of their little brothers or sisters or themselves in...
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Impact of Technology
Young scholars asses the effect of technology on the status and role of individuals, and analyze the postive and negative impact of moderiation on cultural and physical enviroments. Pupils brainstorm examples of postive and negative...
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Slavery in the United States
Students investigate the personal accounts of slaves in the United States. They participate in various activities according to grade level to examine the role of slavery in the South.
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Writers and the Old South Myth
Young scholars are introduced to authors of the South. In groups, they compare and contrast the pastoral and counter pastoral traditions present in some forms of Southern literature. They use a database to examine the covers of the...