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Games Children Play
Help your middle schoolers recognize the similarities and differences between the games they play and those played by pioneer children. Using the Internet, they research a game of their choice and discover how it has evolved over time....
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People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
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On the Oregon Trail
Students work with primary documents and latter-day photographs to recapture the experience of traveling on the Oregon Trail. Working in groups, they write a scene for the movie that is historically accurate and based on the kinds of...
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Landforms
Second graders identify all the geographical landforms along the pioneer trail. They study, and present to the class, at least one geographical landform along the pioneer trail.
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Canvas Transformations
Learners transform the content of paintings currently in the collection hanging in the Utah Fine Arts Museum by using the four theatre techniques of storytelling, kinetics images, soundscapes, and ritual building.
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“Father of the CD” Dies
Students read and discuss an article pertaining to the invention of the CD as a life-changing product. For this ESL lesson, students complete a chart with a partner ranking various tech companies. Students answer true and...
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Visual Pictures of the Buffalo National River
Students create art in a Buffalo National River unit. In this Buffalo River art instructional activity, students create woven rugs, make baskets, create pottery bowls, build log cabins, and construct tipis. They create a bulletin board...
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Oregon Trail Diary
Young scholars pretend they are on the Oregon Trail and keep a diary of their adventures. In this Oregon Trail lesson plan, students write about their decisions to move, crossing rivers, buying supplies, and more.
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Succession in the Classroom
Students investigate their environment by growing plants in class. In this botany lesson, students discuss the lifespan of plants and animals and how they must be cared for continuously over time. Students grow a plant in...
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Prairie Voices
Fifth graders compare and contrast a one room school house in Iowa in the past with how they go to school today. In this school lesson plan, 5th graders read about rural families and the controversies that they endured in the time of one...
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Celebrating the Harvest
Young scholars complete a webquest of how people celebrate the harvest around the world. In this harvest lesson plan, students present their research to the class.
National First Ladies' Library
Who Wants to be a Pioneer?
Students write a story based on their research of the Oregon Trail. Using the Internet and traditional sources, they engage in research about pioneer's experiences on the Oregon Trail during westward expansion. Students write a story...
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Arkansas Black Pioneers: A History of African-American Colonies in Arkansas
Students research regions of early Arkansas as they relate to African American colonies in Arkansas after the Civil War. They discuss the characteristics of the regions, view a Powerpoint presentation, and write reflective journals.
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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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Adult Roles and Responsibilities
Students explore goods and services. In this money management lesson, students pick a $100.00 item they would like to buy and they use the internet to research that specific topic. With their research they answer questions on a given...
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Centennial: A Day In The Life Of Children - Then And Now
Fourth graders compare and contrast the rules and responsibilities of children from today and in the past. In groups, they compare and contrast their daily lives with a child in history. After taking a field trip, they discuss how...
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Frontier Life Story
Young scholars undertake a similar (but not quite as drastic) adventure as that of Frontier House as they explore the day-to-day realities of frontier life through a Laura Ingalls Wilder story, and reflect on which time period suits them...
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Tall Tales
Students examine the characteristics of tall tales and how exaggerations are used. They create a character that is larger than life, they brainstorm attributes for their character, before writing a Tall Tale. They plan out their story,...
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Help the Elderly With Meals on Wheels
Students research the history of the Meals on Wheels program. Using the internet, they discover their community's connection with the program and other programs similar to them. They discuss options in which to help more organizations...
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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 History of Maple Syrup
Young scholars explore the process of harvesting maple syrup. In this science and history lesson, students make their own maple syrup and create a picture book that shows the Native American and American pioneer methods of making the syrup.
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Industry!
Students investigate the history of technology development during the twentieth century as a preparation for visiting the Intel Museum. They complete worksheets, review timelines and research specific topics in technology for...
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For the Fun of It
Middle schoolers view pictures of Amelia Earhart and discuss the social and historical context of her life. They read excerpts of Earhart's autobiography "The Fun of It" and analyze her purpose in writing it.
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Oregon Trail Diary
Students write a diary. In this writing and creativity lesson, students pretend they are moving west and keep a diary about their adventures. Students study real-life scenarios about families who made the trip out west before writing...