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Opportunity and Danger

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine the Immigration Acts of 1862 and 1865. They discover how Chinese immigrants faced prejudice. They interview a first or second generation immigrant.
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The Day the Water Ran Out

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore ecosystems by researching desert characteristics. In this drought lesson, students identify the potential impacts of a drought on their home state and interview people who are familiar with water studies. Middle...
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Our Changing Voices

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine their role in society. They search primary documents and assemble a family album.
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Could You Make an Oak Basket?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners listen to an interview with Lucreaty Clark, a White Oak Native American basket maker. They analyze the interview and record their observations on a worksheet. Students consider information that can be gleaned from an audio...
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Kindred -- A Book About Families

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars research specific events that occured in their family or community. They interview a member of their family to discuss historical events. They focus on the impact of the event on the family.
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Archaeology as a Career

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about archaeology as a career. They develop a list of questions they would like to ask an archaeologist and then actually interview an archaeologist on the future of archaeology as a career.
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Nicotine Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interview both smokers and nonsmokers to get their point of view on the topic. They prepare bar graphs based on the data accumulated by the class during the interviews.
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Marital Conflict Resolution

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students study the importance of marital conflicts and the skills to resolve the conflicts. They complete a Marriage Interview with three different couples that have been married 3 different lengths of time and assess adult roles and...
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Traditions and Transformations

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Young scholars examine how traditions change over time. In this lesson on Jewish culture, students interview persons of the Jewish faith, write poems, and create murals that exemplify Jewish culture.
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Personal Timeline

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students interview family members, find seven important life events, and arrange these events in chronological order using the educational computer-based program Timeliner. This lesson includes a Timeliner example of student work.
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Alexander Graham Bell: Voice of Invention

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars watch a Biography episode about Alexander Graham Bell -- his remarkable inventions, family life, and the individuals who influenced his work.
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The Parkingtons Are Coming

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students particpate in a simulation as hosts for a visiting family of aliens. They work in small groups deciding what 10 pages of information from an Almanac the aliens need before they arrive.
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Lincoln Home National Historic Site

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate the community in which Lincoln and his family lived and explore how the citizens felt about him. The national issues that inspired Lincoln to act decisively in politics and that propelled him to the White House are...
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Thanksgiving: Traditions

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate the traditions and history around Thanksgiving. They divide into groups and research specific aspects of the holiday. Students then share their findings with the rest of the class. They also complete crafts,...
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Fact and Fiction in Little Women

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students read excerpts from the novel "Little Women." Students work in groups to research, analyze, and answer the questions included in the instructional activity. After research, students write a paper and include a bibliography. The...
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The Modern Day Minstrel - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify and describe the various roles that musicians fulfill. They recognize various genres of music. They identify and interview musicians in the community and invite them to come in and talk about their roles as musicians.
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Conducting Oral Histories

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students discuss and conduct oral histories, and prepare questions for interviewing special classroom guest.
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Food: Eating Habits

For Students 7th - 8th
Students match pictures of people eating certain foods with the correct phrase. Student pairs interview each other in order to gather and compare information on food eating habits, and awareness of nutritional value - or lack thereof.
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Be a Quilt Detective

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students examine handmade quilts. They conduct research to learn the story behind the stitches. They write a report on their research with the quilter or from Internet sources.
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How to incorporate local history into your Arkansas History class

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore their local history through research and then providing reenactments about the history.
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Home Ties Lesson Plan

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students interview family members to find out what their ties are with the community. They use this information to compare other cultures and times with what they have learned about the African-American culture. They create a Venn diagram.
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National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
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Career Biographies

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students choose an occupation that they would like to pursue and write a career biography that outlines the path they would need to follow to achieve their goals.
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Breadline

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the breadlines during the Great Depression. They view a short video about different country's responses to mass unemployment. They interview family members if possible who lived during the Depression.