Curated OER
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Natural Dyes
Second graders explore the work of Americans when it came to coloring materials. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 2nd graders follow the provided steps to make natural goldenrod dye from scratch.
Curated OER
Fashion Fanfare of the 19th Century
Fourth graders compare and contrast the clothing during the 19th century to the fashion trends of the present day. They design something suitable for a future time period and explain why.
Curated OER
Clothing and Social Change in America
Learners examine how clothing for men and women has changed over time with their changing roles in society. Students work individually and in groups to complete the tasks in this instructional activity.
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history lesson plan on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different...
Curated OER
Making Cloth: The Impact of Technology
Young scholars analyze and discuss several primary source documents that address the changes in technology that affected New England agricultural communities in the early 19th century. They also identify and discuss historical contexts...
Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Examples of Cameroonian Clothing
Pupils examine aspects of culture in Cameroon. In this Cameroon activity, students view a slide show featuring indigenous Cameroonian clothing and respond to discussion questions.
Curated OER
New england (1780-1820): Dress, Dance and Games
Students examine and discuss nineteenth century clothing and compare it to contemporary styles. After writing paragraphs describing the clothing styles, they play games from the period. For homework, they create their own games to play...
Curated OER
Historical Witness - social Messaging
Students examine and develop artwork that shows women's roles during different eras. In this women's role lesson, students look at artwork that shows women at work during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century. They design a mixed...
Curated OER
Becoming a Member of an 1830s Family
Students compare and constrast life in an 1830s family verses a modern family. They role play the position of a family member in 1830 while wearing traditional clothing for the time period. They write journal entries to show their daily...
Curated OER
Historical Witness Social Messaging Beginning Level Activity
Students explore women in history. In this lesson about nineteenth century women, students analyze paintings looking at women and their clothing, expressions, body language, and the setting and color. Students understand how paintings...
Curated OER
Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Whole Cloth Quilt Design
Students examine how decorative motifs are adapted to other types of objects by craftsmen and artists. They examine photos on the Illinois State Museum website, discuss design elements, adapt a motif to a line drawing, and transfer a...
Curated OER
A Sample of What?
Students are introduced to the connection between women and the textile industry. Using primary source documents, they complete a handout on how gender roles have changed over the years. They examine a sampler which is connected to the...
Curated OER
The Mission of Lewis and Clark
Students comprehend the various aspects of the Lewis and Clark expediton. They complete an idea web. Students work in small groups. They recall some important aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition by performing the Corps of...
Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Students create political cartoons that feature satire. In this political cartoon lesson plan, students examine examples of satire and caricature prior to creating their own political cartoons that feature the French Revolution or...
Curated OER
The Three Faces of Isaac Stevens
Eighth graders examine three images of Isaac Stevens for information about the man and his activity as a US soldier, territorial governor and participant in treaty councils. Students are also shown Union Army pictures with different...
Curated OER
The Floating World
Students explore through art and literature the social mores and ideals of beauty during the Edo period (1615-1868) in Japan. This lesson includes resource links and possible lesson enrichments.
Curated OER
Lee Yick: Fighting Racism
Students study the 14th Amendment, then review and analyze a Supreme Court brief. There was much racism exhibited toward the Chinese immigrants by the European Americans; this came in the form of institutional racism and mob violence....
Other
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville: History of Costume
Digital scans of the illustrations from a nineteenth-century publication about historic costumes constitutes a pictorial survey of changing modes of dress from ancient times to the mid-1800s. Five hundred designs in all.
Other
Victoriana Magazine: Native American Tribes and u.s Government
The U.S. government's policies towards Native Americans in the second half of the nineteenth century were influenced by the desire to expand westward into territories occupied by these Native American tribes. By the 1850s nearly all...