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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cowboy Life

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Travel back in time to the 1800s and research the Old West! Elementary and middle schoolers work with a partner to complete at least four activities from a list provided by the teacher. They use these activities to present their...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lure of The West

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Here is a fabulous series of lesson plans on four of the most celebrated artists of the Old Western period in American history. Learners study the works of Charles King, George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, and Thomas Moran. The pack is...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Old West

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this literacy activity, students look for the words that are related to the concept of the Old West. The skill of spelling is emphasized.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who is Who in the Old West?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the backgrounds of those who settled the Old West. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students participate in a simulation that requires them to role play miners, ranchers, Native Americans, Chinese,...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Kit Carson to the Rescue

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
There's nothing like the Wild Wild West! Scholars investigate the American Frontier through the eyes of Kit Carson. To complete the first installment of a three-part series, they use presentations, a short video, and primary and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How the West Was One - Three x Four

For Teachers 6th
While this instructional activity provides a motivating and interesting way to review the concept of the order of operations, it involves the use of software called How the West Was One + Three x Four. There are also other resources that...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Showdown in the New Wild West

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is the root of the conflict between ranchers and environmentalists? Middle schoolers write their impressions of what an environmentalist is and does. They read the New York Times article "In New Wild West, It's Cowboys vs. Radical...
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Interactive
PBS

The New West: Interactive Map | A Biography of America

For Students 9th - 12th
Using this interactive map activity, from A Biography of America, explore how the "New West" evolved during the late 20th century, transforming from the wild, untamed Old Rocky Mountain West into a smaller, more accessible "New West."...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oklahoma! The Cultural Myth of America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore cultural myths in America by collecting images and characteristics of stereotypical Americans. They read a primary source document, discussing the views of the author in class. Next, they compare the terms used to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill Pickett, Bulldoggin' Cowboy

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Who was Bill Picket? Interested readers work through an informational passage to find out about a famous "bulldogger" from the old West. They answer several reading comprehension questions and use a seven step process to decode new...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Cowboy

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Middle Schoolers produce a class newspaper about the American cowboy and the times in which he lived with illustrations, feature stories and advertisements typical of the times. This is an ambitious, yet worthwhile project for youngsters...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

"West Side Story"

For Students 5th - 6th
In this music history worksheet, students discover the musical "West Side Story" by first reading a summary of the plot. Students answer 5 questions about the story line. Students then read and analyze the lyrics to "America" and discuss...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dangers of the West

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, 8th graders examine primary sources to investigate the dangers travelling to and settling in the American West. Students design brochures that...
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Activity
Mr. Roughton

Pawn Stars: Africa

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What element was worth more during the growth of empires in West Africa: gold or halite? After examining various pieces of evidence of primary and secondary source documents placed around the room, your class members will each make a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hit The Trail

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Young historians research one of the most colorful periods in US History: the cattle drives of the 1800's. They research the three most popular trails, and complete mapping and writing assignments about each one. The instructional...
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Unit Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Your class can think about the American Old West as they listen for dynamics, articulation, rhythm, and tempo in the Aaron Copland song, "Billy The Kid." They'll explore how Copland uses music to create an image of life for an outlaw in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gunfighters of the Old West

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify, through specific character traits, several of the major gunfighters of the Old West. They create a new composite character from preexisting and famous persons and their own imagination.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cattledrives & Barbed Wire

For Students 6th - 8th
In this United States history worksheet, learners utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the development of the West. A short answer question is included as well.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Protecting Against the West Nile Virus

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students anaylyze how the west nile virus is passed from mosquitoes to humans. They answer questions based on an article from the CDC. They finally examine their state map and track where cases have been reported.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cowboy Tourism

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers disucss the role the tourist industry played in popular perceptions of cowboys and Indians. They discuss the image of cowboys, as it is presented in fashion and contemporary advertisements. Students read about a town in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going West

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students examine the lives of early pioneers who traveled west for better opportunities. They listen to story "Josafina and the Story Quilt", and discuss hardships encountered by traveling families. Students then complete research and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural Lit. 19: Old Spanish Trail & Native Americans

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders name the American Indian people by tribe who lived in the lands which the Old Spanish Trail traversed. They investigate and describe some impacts of western expansion upon the American Indians.
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Unit Plan
Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo History Museum: Curriculum Guide

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Learn about the California Gold Rush from an institution that has been in place since the early days of the American West: Wells Fargo History Museum. From domain-specific vocabulary review to group research projects, an expansive packet...

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