Curated OER
The Gilded Age & the Progressive Era (1877–1917)
In this online interactive philosophy worksheet, students respond to 7 short answer and essay questions about the Gilded Age and Progressive Era in the United States. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet.
Curated OER
Caught Between Worlds: Frontier Life as Reflected in Captivity Narratives
Students analyze captivity narratives written between the 1600's and 1800's. In this narrative lesson, students think critically about the interaction between Native peoples and the settlers to understand the cultural beliefs held by...
Curated OER
The Frontier
Students, given certain background information, list hardships that Laura Ingalls Wilder and other people that lived during the same time period went through. They interview someone who grew up in a different era than them.
Curated OER
Big Trouble in the New Frontier: The Bay of Pigs
Eleventh graders explore the Bay of Pigs invasion and defend both sides of the issue.
PBS
Using Primary Sources: The Rogue's Gallery
What would be in your life's scrapbook? Scholars use short video clips, primary and secondary documents, and photos to investigate a 1909 scrapbook. They analyze and uncover what the Rogue Book tells them about the past in Western...
Smithsonian Institution
Eastern Indian Wars
Many know that Native Americans were forced off their lands and moved west, but how did these people react? The Red Sticks faction of the Creek nation opted to defend themselves and their lands in a series of wars called the Eastern...
Community Colleges of Los Angeles
Seeking Refuge: Understanding Refugees in Canada
What if you had no choice but to leave everything behind and seek asylum elsewhere? Do countries have an obligation to accept refugees? To gain an understanding of the complexity of the issues of refugee rights, class members first...
PBS
Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West.
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: Who were the Settlers?
Life in the great, wide-open spaces of the West! Scholars analyze the reasons behind the vast movement to the Great Plains after the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act. Using photographic, document, map, video, and...
Curated OER
Lone Stars and Gun Smoke
Seventh graders assess the significance of the Texas Ranger Frontier Battalion Company 'D' in maintaining law and order along the Texas-Mexico border. They study the importance of Ranger actions and utilize primary sources and maps to...
Curated OER
Populism and the People’s Party
Students examine the history of the Populist Party as it relates to its reforms and economic plight. In this Populism and the People's Party lesson, students explore why farmers experienced financial difficulty at the end of the century....
Curated OER
Immigration to the Golden Land: Jewish Life in America
Young scholars examine waves of Jewish immigration during three time periods and analyze a variety of primary sources, including letters, memoirs, and laws, to gain insight into both the American immigrant experience and American society...
Curated OER
JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s
High schoolers examine the presidencies and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. In this American history lesson, students specifically analyze the civil rights support of the 2 presidents and their support of civil rights legislation....
Curated OER
Quilting - A Pioneer Craft
Fifth graders explore quilting in pioneer families. In this quilting activity, 5th graders review the history of quilts, the role of women, and quilting patterns. They create their own pattern and quilt square.
Curated OER
Digging up the Past
Young scholars explore history through archaeology. In this critical analysis instructional activity, students work in teams to recreate a model of the archaeological discoveries made in the excavations at Monticello. This instructional...
Curated OER
The Stamp Act of 1765
Eleventh graders explore the origins of colonial objections to "taxation without representation". In this American History lesson, 11th graders create a presentation on specific topics in relation to the Stamp Act.
Curated OER
Bound For Texas
Students examine factors that motivated immigrants to move to Texas. They locate features on the Texas bird's-eye view website, and develop an art or writing project either from a townsperson's or immigrant's perspective.
Curated OER
From the Rise of the Absolute Monarchy to Democracy on the American Frontier
Students use a teacher-made museum guide with questions that allow them to analyze and compare the patron art of seventeenth-century France with portraits of later periods at the Joslyn Art Museum. Students also read The Little Prince...
Curated OER
The American West - End of Unit Test
In these American West worksheets, students answer questions based on the American West unit. Students answer 23 questions about the unit.
Curated OER
Jobs in the Colonial Period
Students identify jobs and their requirements that were important on the New Hampshire frontier. They analyze the importance of certain jobs and compare and contrast them with jobs today. They also examine the role of technology in...
Curated OER
Galapagos Islands
Students study the science and geography related to the Galapagos Islands. In this ecosystem lesson plan, students locate the Galapagos Islands on a world map and discuss its significance in history. Students complete a vocabulary sheet,...
Curated OER
Pioneer Homes
Students compare and contrast Native American dwellings with pioneer homes. They identify the progression of these homes and locate examples on a frontier map.
Curated OER
The Art of Growing Things
Students discuss how the Pilgrims brought seeds, from England, into the new settlements and explore the history of seed nurseries. After observing packets of seeds and their contents, students list information found on the packets and...
Curated OER
AT HOME ON THE RANGE
The student will learn how ranchers on the western frontier helped saved the bison from extinction.Hand out student worksheets. Have students read the information about bison on Student Worksheet A before completing Student Worksheet...