Polk County Public Schools
The French and Indian War
Sharpen those pencils and get to writing with a series of document-based questions about the French and Indian War. High schoolers focus on maps, letters, and other primary documents from the 18th century before answering writing prompts...
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Perspectives of the American Revolutionary War
e purpose of this unit is for young scholars to understand the American Revolutionary War and evaluate different perspectives relative to causes and effects of the war. The concept of perspective is examined in the concept of decision...
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Stamp Act
Fifth graders write about the Stamp Act and pretend they are being taxed by the British and write how they feel. In this Stamp Act lesson plan, 5th graders view a taxation simulation.
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Different Viewpoints - Loyalist or Patriot
Third graders use primary sources to study U.S. history and government. In this primary sources lesson plan, 3rd graders practice gathering information from "eye witness" accounts of history.
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Art or Artifact?
High schoolers analyze and discuss illustrations of the New World by John White. They examine the images, answer questions about each one, and write an essay.
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American Civilization
First graders research and examine various events during the American Revolution. They locate the thirteen colonies on a map, create Boston Tea Party boats, and construct Paul Revere paper lanterns.
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What Lies Beneath
Students conduct Internet research on the history and archaeological excavations at historical Jamestown. They explore various websites, and develop a Powerpoint presentation to present to the class.
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How To Think Like An Archaeologist
High schoolers take a field trip to historical Jamestown. Using artifacts given to them, they must identify them and discover who would have used them and for what purpose. They create a database to organize the information and share...
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Art & Life During the American Revolution
Fifth graders examine and critique the art, artists, and artisans of late 18th century America.
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American Revolution: Attempting to Resolve Disputes by Communication
Students study conflicts over taxation. In this American Revolution lesson, students research the taxes imposed on the colonists by the British and determine how the colonists attempted to abolish the taxes through non-violent protests....
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Barter Day
Students explore trading and bartering. They participate in a Barter Day in which they bring in hand crafted or homemade wares to school to barter with classmates.
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World Literature-Teaching Asian, African & Latin American Authors
World Literature lesson plans for high school students can lead to a greater cultural awareness and appreciation of literature.
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Newhallville:A Neighborhood of Changing Prosperity
Sixth graders review the various immigrant groups who settled in the Newhallville neighborhood. In groups, they compare the boundaries of the neighborhood in the past and today. Using the Internet, they research the types of industries...
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Longfellow Amongst His Contemporaries: the Ship of State Dbq
Students evaluate the ship of state metaphor in relation to the historical events in America from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. They synthesize ideas presented in ten different primary source documents and compose an essay...
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Developing Flags
Students examine why having a symbol such as a flag is important for countries. In this flag lesson plan, students break into groups and create their own flag to represent their group dynamic.
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Hull of a Ship
Fifth graders engage in this introductory unit lesson. A bulletin board for the unit be started, Colonial Notebooks be presented to each student, and a pre-test on colonization be administered.
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Monetary Mania
Students participate in an online quiz program that reviews economic concepts and vocabulary. They apply concepts learned through the International Money Fund Center.
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Through The Looking Glass
Learners examine the time period of westward expansion. In groups, they use the internet to research the reasons why people moved west during the 1800s. They write their own narratives playing the role of a member of a pioneer family...
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People, Not Numbers: Bringing 12 Million into Personal Ter
Students forge a compassionate link to the large numbers of people who were the victims of slavery as opposed to thinking of them simply in terms of numbers. They perform a math exercise to put the number of people in slavery into...
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John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Short Essay
Students review John Lawson's writings to discover the impact they had on emigration to America. Using the writings, they analyze the influence of them and review the early settlement of the colonies. They write their own essay sharing...
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French and Indian War
Fourth graders engage in activities that familiarize them with the causes of the French and Indian War. They discuss the problem that started the war, the countries involved, and the effects to come about as a result of the French and...
Tech Coach Corner
Mr. Indent
Mr. Indent will help your class learn how to indent paragraphs! He flies across the screen and punches the top line over, just to make sure it's clear when a new idea begins. An entertaining presentation with some practice for youngsters.
Scholastic
Groundhog Day
A simple activity for a simple, but special, holiday. Young learners read a brief history of Groundhog Day, practice reading aloud, and then discuss how shadows are formed.
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Streams of Time Lesson Plan: Visually Organizing the History of the Atlantic Slave Trade
Students, after reading the Transatllantic Slave Trade, create a color coded triple-timeline to help them explain the chronological streams that flow through the essay.