Worksheet
Curated OER

Interesting Facts about the Historic Trails

For Students 6th - 8th
The Oregon trail is a very interesting part of American history. The class, having read or discussed the events leading to the westward expansion and settling of the Oregon Territory, can answer each of these fill-in-the-blank...
PPT
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The Restoration Colonies

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Explore the earliest American cities in this presentation, which details the demographics, geography, and characteristics of New York, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas, among others. These slides help to fill in the gap between the...
Worksheet
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The Great American Desert

For Students 5th - 6th
In this American deserts worksheet, students study the images and read the passages to learn about the 6 divisions in the American landscape: the Eastern lowlands, the Flood Plain, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific...
Lesson Plan
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Uncle Sam is Rich Enough to Give Us All a Farm:

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine websites and video clips to become familiar with tenets of the Homestead Act, challenges faced by settlers and misconceptions about settlers. They role-play colonists on the Planet XR-38 and make choices similar to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Expansion: Chief Joseph's Words Of Surrender

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Pupils explore westward expansion in the United States as it relates to Native Americans and the novel Holes. Students read a passage from Holes and discuss how westward expansion affected the Native Americans. Pupils compare and...
Lesson Plan
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The Settlers are Coming, but the Natives are Here

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine interactions between Native Americans and settlers. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students participate in a classroom simulation and then write paper about how the Native Americans and settlers could keep the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lewis and Clark: Meeting the Indians of the Northwest

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the relationships forged with Native Americans by Lewis and Clark. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 8th graders research digital and print sources to study details regarding the Native American tribes that Lewis...
Worksheet
Curated OER

4th grade social studies review

For Teachers 4th
In this geography worksheet, 4th graders answer multiple choice questions about laws, Native Americans, geography, and more. Students complete 25 questions.
Lesson Plan
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Westward Expansion and the Frontier

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students explore U.S. history by researching a historic map. In this westward expansion instructional activity, students discuss the mystery of the western U.S. in the early 1800's and the impact expansion had on Native Americans and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy in historical context. In this Westward Movement lesson, students read Our Journey West and explain examples of settlers working together for the common good.
Lesson Plan
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Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore the economic, political, racial, and religious roots of Manifest Destiny. They read articles and analyze how the concept influenced the nation's westward expansion. Students discover the motivations and expectations of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who are the Women of the Pacific North West: 1830-1870?

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students view a picture from the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and discuss the people in the picture. They locate Cromwell's Map and discuss the villages located close to Fort Vancouver. Students read information regarding the role...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Transcontinental Railroad

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners investigate the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this Transcontinental Railroad lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the effect of the railroad on Chinese immigrants and American...
Lesson Plan
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Sacajawea

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate the challenges Sacajawea faced when communicating. They examine ways of communicating using gestures as the Native Americans did. They identify how the Native Americans used natural resources when meeting their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of African Slaves on South Carolina Rice Plantations

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders investigate the role of African American slaves in rice plantations. In this slave life instructional activity, 4th graders discuss the products produced in the 13 colonies. Students discuss the importance of rice to South...
Lesson Plan
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Billy the Kid: Perspectives on an Outlaw

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the life of Billy the Kid. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, students use Internet and print sources to research the contributions of gunfighters to the settlement of the American West.
Lesson Plan
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Sadorus Lesson Plan: The American Farm as Portrayed by Artists

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students describe how artists painted American farms in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They identify idealized, nostalgic, and realistic views of farming through discussion, bringing into play their own knowledge of farms today.
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Don't Fence Me In

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Ensure that your class has a well-rounded understanding of new inventions, in this case barbed wired. Class members, after researching the history and development of barbed wire, assess its impact on cattle and the development of the...
Worksheet
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The West: US History

For Students 8th - 12th
In this U.S. history instructional activity, students read assigned textbook pages that tell the story of Westward Expansion and respond to 35 short answer questions.  
Lesson Plan
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The Children of Eric the Red Explore the West: The Norsemen Encounter Indigenous People of North America

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read about Viking exploration and complete activities based on the Indigenous people they encountered. In this Viking exploration lesson plan, students compare and contrast stories, write a character sketch, and more.
Lesson Plan
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Rivers to the West

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the reasons they may have chosen to follow certain rivers. They list the rivers that start from St. Louis and follow the route of Lewis and Clark. Students trace and label the rivers...
Lesson Plan
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Food

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the types of foods eaten after the Civil War. They create their own cowboy style menu.
Lesson Plan
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USH Test One

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders write about one reason immigrants came to the United States in the late 1800's. They take a test that focuses upon past concepts and then an introduction is given by the teacher for the concepts of Imperialism and The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whose Land Is It Anyway?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders comprehend the interaction and conflict beween Native Americans and white settlers in the years following the Civil War. They listen to T"his Land is Your Land." Students are asked what their interpretation of the...