Curated OER
The Battle of Lexington
Students discover the Missouri River and its importance during the Civil War. For this U.S. history lesson, students examine a map of the great Battle of Lexington, and discuss why the Missouri River was a key element to the...
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Pottery-making Methods
Students become experimental archaeologists using three methods of pottery making before the invention of the pottery wheel.
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The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands
Students study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
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Habitat Happenings
Students examine the characteristics of the Prairie Creek Habitat in Illinois. In groups, they travel between various stations writing haikus and reading brochures. They identify what occurs in each habitat and identify the animals...
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Biodiversity in Sixth Grade
Sixth graders explore the nature of habitats on an ABC hike. In groups, they collect items that make up habitats including plants, feathers, and leaves among other materials. Students then classify and organize the collected materials...
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Mapping the Prairie
Fifth graders study maps of the Chicago area looking at defining characteristics and place names. They investigate settlement patterns by looking at the maps.
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Art or Junk? Discovering the Triangle Inequality
Middle schoolers study the triangle inequality. They will identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two and three-dimensional shapes. Then they develop vocabulary to describe the attributes. They also use manipulatives to analyze the...
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Rosie the Riveeter and Mary the Munitions Worker
Tenth graders study the role that places like the Joliet Arsenal played in how women were view in American society during and after World War II. They interview a person from the World War II era about the job they performed and how...
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50 States Word Search
In this fifty states worksheet, students identify and locate all fifty states of the United States of America. There are 50 states located in the word search.
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Contain Yourself: Changes Over Time in the Use of Containers by Native Americans
Learners examine the types of containers used by Native Americans. They discover how their form and function has changed over time. They create their own container based on the Native American examples.
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From A Different Perspective
Emerging writers create a response to their reading. They read Notes from the Trail and discuss whose perspective the journal entry is written from. Then, they write a response to the journal entry in first person perspective as if...
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Perceiving the Prairie
Twelfth graders explore the changing concept of "prairie" through written and artistic works. They write their own poem or essay describing the prairie after discussing how differently people perceive the prairie.
University of Virginia
Illustrating Uncle Tom's Cabin
Historical illustrations reveal more than what they are meant to portray. After reading Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, high schoolers view a series of illustrations, movie posters, photographs, and book covers that exemplify...
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Prairie Populations
Eleventh graders practice the Quadrat Survey Technique to analyze the biodiversity of a local plant community. They compare its biodiversity with the documented changes in biodiversity of the tallgrass prairie over time.
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Lesson 28: Introduction to Illinois Government
Fourth graders research and compare the United States and Illinois Governments. They play the game Who Wans To Be A Millionaire.
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Exploring Uses of Rocks and Minerals
Students explore the uses of rocks and minerals. They make observations to identify objects from the present and past are made out of rocks.
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Biodiversity in Illinois-Pond Habitats
Second graders construct a pond habitat in the classroom using a small swimming pool partially filled with water, real cattails, a tree log adjoining, and plastic animal life appropriate to a pond setting. They examine the frog in detail...
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Missouri
In this Missouri activity, students read a detailed 2 page history of the state. Students answer ten true and false questions about the passage.
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Types of Chemical Reactions
Students understand the difference between four different types of chemical reactions: composition, synthesis, single replacement, and double replacement and identify the type of reaction and predict the products of these types of...
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National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
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Plum Stone Dice Game
Students read about a Native American dice game online. They make replica games, and practice playing with them. They predict the outcome of the dice rolls by completing a dice throw chart.
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Relationships: Pressure, Volume and Temperature
Tenth graders investigate the relationships of pressure and volume and pressure and temperature of gases. In this gases lesson plan, 10th graders use an inflated balloon to show the relationship between volume and temperature of the air...
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A Toast To The Past
Students analyze, and research the identity of the non electric toaster as a historical artifact. In this toaster lesson plan, students then create a visual timeline of toaster history.
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Bye-Bye Bison
Fourth graders investigate the bison's struggle for survival. They discuss the importance of bison while participating in an role playing activity showing how important the food supply and surroundings are to their survival.