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The Golden Spike
Students investigate modern transportation in the 19th century by examining artifacts. In this U.S. history lesson, students read the story Joseph's Railroad Dreams, and discuss the Golden Spike used in the first transcontinental...
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The Bus Ride Teacher's Guide
Students examine and respond to the text, The Bus Ride. In this African-American literature instructional activity, students explore pre-reading questions that focus on fairness of laws. Students read the text based on Rosa Parks and...
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"Families and Schools of the Past"
First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.
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Letters from Lincoln
Fourth graders explore the childhood of Lincoln and pioneer life in early Indiana. Students respond to literature and write a story using historical fiction. Students explore the writings of President Lincoln and the pioneer community...
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Washington/Lincoln Compare and Contrast
Students examine the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Using the information, they complete a Venn diagram discovering what the two men had in common. In groups, they review a timeline made in an earlier lesson and view a...
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Drama Terms Notes
Comedy, tragedy, act, scene, prop. do you want to review important drama terms? Actors record the term next to its definition on a worksheet that could be used individually or as a group activity. A link to a corresponding PowerPoint...
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Snoozer
Pupils read a fictional story set during the Civil War and identify how oral history and folklore contribute to the richness of U.S. history, African American history, and baseball history.
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The Journal of a Civil War Soldier
Fifth graders write a response in their journals about the fictional thoughts of a Civil War soldier. They use specific web sites in order to research the life of a soldier during the Civil War.
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Tossing the Text Book: Teaching Modern History
Tenth graders analyze primary sources. In this Current Events lesson, 10th graders write a short two - three paged paper answering a specific question. Students prepare a fact sheet for the class detailing points that support...
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Nothing to Fear
Sixth graders read from the book, "Nothing to Fear," and discuss living in New York during the Great Depression. They write entries and summaries in their learning logs to share with the class. They work in groups to create a database...
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Flying High With Hot Air Balloons!
Sixth graders demonstrate an understanding of a narrative story by listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. They create two visual products that reflect the understanding of events, vocabulary, and characters.
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Great Questions for Tic Tac Toe
Fourth graders plan their own activities to reinforce the concepts being taught in school. The tic-tac-toe grid is used to help students create innovative learning activities to generate ideas.
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Taking Notes from Written Documents
In this notetaking skills instructional activity, students discuss the main events and opinions of a document, as well as listing three things the document tells about life at the time it was written.
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The Golden Door: U.S. Immigration Through Ellis Island
Students complete a unit covering various aspects of immigration to the United States through Ellis Island. They plan a fictional trip to America, entering at Ellis Island. and actually visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
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A Day During Colonial Times
Fifth graders participate in read aloud activities of three books about life in Colonial times. They compare their life to that of children of Colonial times using a Venn diagram. They draw a picture and write about what a day in the...
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Book Review
Students write a five paragraph theme that explains how the novel which they read in this unit effectively utilized various literary elements to portray the impact of a disease on a population. They then decide which three literary...
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Nightmare on Joe's Street
Learners conduct research and create an eponym dictionary. They use their imaginations to create their own monster. They have a Monster Mash day to show off their creations.
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Postcards From Mars
Fifth graders research and explore what life would be like for human colonists on Mars. They explore various websites, read and discuss newspaper articles, develop a chart of the hardships and conditions that would be faced by colonists...
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The American Revolution and Williamsburg
Williamsburg provides a way for students to learn about the American Revolution.
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Crafty Literature Projects to Lure Language Arts Learners
Recognize National Arts and Crafts Month with language arts project ideas to inspire creative learning.
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Inferring Themes
Fifth graders practice making inferences on various types of reading material. As a class, they develop a definition of the word "theme" and discuss themes for some of their favorite stories. They use the context of the reading...
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Michael Jackson Lessons: A Cross-Curricular Experience
By learning about Michael Jackson through these lesson plans, students can explore history, science, math, etc . . .
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I Knew Him When
Students research the life of Abraham Lincoln and write a first-person account from the viewpoint of someone who knew him. They develop a timeline of Lincoln's life, research a particular period of his life, and write a first-person...
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Exploring Arthurian Legend
Pupils use the internet to track the growth of the King Arthur legend from the Dark Ages to its arrival on the silver screen.