Curated OER
Today We Encountered the White Man
High schoolers analyze and interpret artifacts and a timeline to get specific information. In this timeline lesson plan students work in groups to research an Indian tribe and write an information piece of their research.
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BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Students observe and identify characteristics of artifacts and fossils; explain how artifacts and fossils are used to explore the past; and identify ways that Native Americans prepared food and made tools
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Traveler's Trunk
Students analyze and interpret artifacts from the 1920s and explore the Great Migration. In this 1920s history lesson, students review background information about the Great Migration and use artifacts to study history of Chicago....
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Smiley Face Circle Stories
Students examine different artifacts from the 1970's. In this history lesson, students discover what each artifact is by seeing the artifact and reading a card defining what the artifact represents. On the second day, students create...
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Stampin' Around Chicago
Students discuss the United States Postal Service and choose an artifact from one decade. In this art lesson, students research how the artifact chosen relates to Chicago and the United States. Students create their own postage stamp...
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What's That Relic?
Fifth graders listen to a read aloud of David Mc Cauley's book Motel of the Mysteries. They discuss an unknown artifact and decide what it might be used for. They research other artifacts and play "What's that Relic?"
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Quilting Our Communities
Students share personal artifacts and use them to make a classroom community quilt.
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Transmission of Family Histories
Students examine how different artifacts represent family history, stories, and experiences. They act as reporters for their own family artifacts sharing them with the class.
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What's in the Soil?
Second graders create stratified soil levels using pictures. In this earth science instructional activity, 2nd graders identify "artifacts" from 3 historic eras and divide them into 3 soil levels. Then they draw their own multi-level...
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Titanic: Looking for Clues
Students make inferences about a shipwreck based on the location of artifacts. They role play as marine archaeologists and list three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the Titanic.
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The Iron Cheesebox
Students describe the oxidation/reduction reactions that are involved in the corrosion of iron in seawater. In this marine sanctuary lesson students study the steps in conserving marine archaeological artifacts.
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Photo Analysis of American Inventions
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this inventions lesson plan, students analyze photographs of American inventions and and discuss the needs the inventions met...
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The Huexotzinco Codex
Learners examine primary sources and perform historical analysis. In this Huexotzinco Codex lesson plan, students investigate the codex as they make inferences and draw conclusions
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Methods of Mystery
Students utilize the scientific method to discover the age of an item. In this historical dating lesson, students compare and contrast a 400 year old cabinet to one made within a few years by using carbon dating. Students complete a...
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Protecting the Past: Give a Hoot, Don't Loot!
Young scholars, in small groups, simulate an ancient civilization and the art they created, another group represents vandals, and the final group represents archaeologists who try to figure out what life was like for the "ancient...
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TechnoKnight
Students examine world history by creating arts and crafts. In this middle ages lesson, students discuss the relevence of items such as a helmet, shield and family crest. Students complete middle ages worksheets, create historic...
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"Archeology Dig"
Students simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.
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Roots: The Ancestry of Modern People
High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.
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Photograph Copying for Primary Source Historical Information (When Skiing Came to America)
Seventh graders explore the history of their town using old photos and interviews to compile data. They used pictures of a historical town event and interview residents who had participated in that event.
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Artifacts: Bringing the Past Back to Life -- the Mexican Case
Middle schoolers examine and discuss the meanings of the various symbols in Tenochtitlan. In groups, they complete a part of the model of the city and discuss the importance of finding artifacts. Individually, they choose an a...
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Playing Historical Detective: Great Grandmother's Dress and Other Clues to the Life and Times of Annie Steel
Students draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. In this drawing conclusions instructional activity, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This instructional...
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Historical Maryland Women
Students identify objects, activities, and people in pictures of women in Maryland's history. In groups of four, they analyze photo packets of historical women. Students complete an acrostic using phrases reflecting specific...
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Using Historical Photographs to Help Students "Live History"
Third graders grasp a deeper understanding of historical time periods when vicariously experienceing the situations and circumstances of real-life individuals and responding to them.
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Artifact Exploration
Students develop an understanding of the ways in which different people can use, relate to, and understand an object. Students look at each artifact collected in this lesson plan. For each artifact, the students describe how members of a po