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Invetories Slave owner or not?
Primary source analysis is a great way to bring history to life. Learners examine a series of personal inventories taken from Southern white males who died during the Civil War era. They analyze the documents to determine the social and...
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Jamestown Celebrates 400th Anniversary
Students view a world map and identify the locations of England and Virginia and discuss what kinds of things they would take with them on this kind of trip. They read the words in the news box on the student page and fill in the blanks...
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Writing American Diaries
Young scholars examine the concept of historical perspective in writing. They read the diary of Sally Wister, a young Patriot from Philadelphia during the Revolutionary Era. Additionally, they must include different points of view in...
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Compare and Contrast Settings
Third graders compare different lifestyles. In this settings lesson, 3rd graders read Colonial Life, determine similarities and differences between today and life in Colonial times and write a passage about these similarities and...
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Colonial Life in Virginia
Fourth graders compare and contrast life in England with plantation life in America. They study the dependencies or mini-industries that could be found on plantations.
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Slave Laws in British Colonial New York, 1664—1722
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze colonial New York slave laws. Students respond to 4 short answer questions about the laws.
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A Trip to Colonial Virginia
Young scholars consider prices while planning a trip to Colonial Virginia. In this budgeting lesson plan, students construct an itinerary of events for a vacation. Young scholars are responsible for working within the approved budget.
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Benjamin Franklin's Many "Hats"
Students examine Benjamin Franklin's contributions to the United States. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson, students analyze the sculpted depiction of Franklin by Hiram Powers. Students also study Franklin's life, philosophy, and...
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American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. In this early American history lesson, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American history prior to...
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Freedom Trail News
Students take a virtual "Freedom Trail" tour to gather information and materials for a "newspaper" on the political situation in Boston in 1775. They describe historical places, people, and events connected to the beginning of the...
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The Affects of Environment on Native American Culture
Students research the culture of the Native Americans. In this U.S. History instructional activity, students are given the major geological areas where the Indians lived prior to the arrival of the Europeans, then they create a...
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Ben Franklin the Good Citizen
Students investigate Benjamin Franklin's contributions to society. In this history lesson, students read about Franklin's philanthropic behavior and play a bucket brigade game to re-enact how fires were put out during colonial times.
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Battering Through the Seasons
Young scholars define bartering and barter to investigate supply and demand. In this bartering lesson, students read A New Coat for Anna and recall how they exchanged merchandise in the story. Young scholars complete a sequential...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
B. Franklin, Printer and the Public Eye
Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...
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The U.S. Trade Embargo on Cuba
Students examine perspectives for and against the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, develop a position on the embargo and articulate viewpoints in a public forum.
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Stories of Individuals in the Chinese Community: a Comparative Approach
Students focus on stories describing the experiences of several individuals in the Chinese community and compare them with the experiences of Chinese immigrants in the late 20th century.
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Regulating Drugs: The Creation of the FDA
Students view a video about the Food and Drug Administration. They research its history and functions. They examine problems facing society today. They compare and contrast these issues with those faced during the Progressive Era.
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Pilgrims: The First Americans
Fifth graders become familar with the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving through essays about important people of the time. In this Thanksgiving lesson, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and write a...
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The Thanksgiving Meal
Learners make a Thanksgiving meal based on the nutrition of the colony they were assigned. In this nutrition lesson plan, students' parents come in to taste the food after the learners explain their colony to them.
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The New Republic
Students research the Federalists and Anti-federalists. In the lesson plan on state legislature, students use primary sources to create a brochure and write an essay that illustrates federalist and anti-federalists viewpoints.
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Back to the Farm
Young scholars complete a family tree. In this farming and ranching lesson plan, students define the term genealogy, learn how to create a family tree, and fill in a family tree with the help of their parents making sure to note if...
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The Desert is Theirs: Adapting to Our Environment
Students determine how animals and people adapt to the desert environment. In this desert lesson plan, students review vocabulary about the desert and how humans have to make changes to accommodate their environments. They listen to and...
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Pre-Colonial Native American Groups
Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. In this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the web...
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Images of the New World
Students examine how visual and literary images played an important role in the English colonization of Virginia. They analyze the importance of Thomas Harriot's Report on the subsequent development of English colonial plans for...