Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Hawk Island Hike

For Teachers K - Higher Ed
Students explore Wisconsin's natural and cultural history through hands-on exploration of Upham Woods. They are shown the basic paddling skills and they work in teams to paddle across the river on barge. Students describe cultural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ad Creation from Admongo.gov

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore consumerism by completing a worksheet. For this advertisement lesson, students discuss the relationship between the media and consumerism while analyzing advertisements from the Internet, magazines and T.V. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Smarter Consumer

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore advertisements. For this consumer literacy lesson, students discuss advertisements to help them make better buying decisions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be a River Pioneer!

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students role-play as pioneers in Illinois river towns. They research and choose a home town and participate in the development of the town. They present their simulation in either a written report or visual presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jingle Bells

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, traditions, and careers. They explain how they contribute to the community. Students sing a song to display the different Christmas traditions that are celebrated in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The British Empire – Where the Sun Never Set

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read an article on the British Empire.  In this ESL lesson, students explore the British Empire from the 1600's, then work in small groups to complete several activities that reinforce the information learned in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trekking to Timbuktu: Making The Pitch to Globe Trekker - Student Version

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders create a large poster exhibit to highlight through image and written word the most interesting aspects of each topic investigated. The topics investigated include geography, trade, early years of Timbuktu, Mansa Musa's...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

My Friend, the Volcano

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Working in cooperative groups, young scientists research and report on how undersea volcanic activity may benefit marine ecosystems. There are many links to websites that you can use to stimulate curiosity or for pupils to use for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Disease and Epidemics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore how disease and epidemics have the potential to shape communities. They examine their impact on culture and specifically the literature of the time. Students investigate how trade routes accelerated the movement of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polymer Clay Millefiori Cane Beads

For Teachers 5th - Higher Ed
Students explore how to make millefiori cane beads. They use clay and beads to form the unique art.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Am I?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Extensive background on marine navigation is provided for you as the teacher. Assign groups to research marine navigation techniques and construct astrolabes. Resource links are listed for extension ideas. If you are teaching an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Difference?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners investigate volcanic processes at convergent and divergent tectonic plate boundaries. They read and analyze diagrams, complete a worksheet, and write an essay.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Have No Money, Would You Take Wampum

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students engage in a discussion about their experiences with goods, services, and money.  In this bartering lesson, students read The Wampum Bird story and brainstorm their personal experiences with economics.   
Interactive
Mariners' Museum and Park

Age of Exploration: The Great Exchange

For Students 9th - 10th
A great description and explanation of the exchange that took place between the Old World and New World as a result of European exploration. Find examples of plants, animals, and diseases that were traded as a result of exploration and...
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Age of Exploration: The Columbian Exchange

For Students 9th - 10th
A fascinating look at the exchanges that took place around the world after the Americas were discovered. This covered the gamut from diseases which wiped out 90% of the native peoples in North and South America, to farm animals, tools,...
Interactive
Mariners' Museum and Park

Mariners' Museum: Exploration Through the Ages

For Students 9th - 10th
A history of the world from the perspective of those who sailed the seas in great waves of exploration, from ancient times through the nineteenth century. Learn about the explorers, their ships, the tools they navigated by, and their...
Activity
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Renaissance: Exploration and Trade

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Detailed introduction on exploration and trade during the Renaissance. Provides an overview of the tools created during the Middle Ages that made such travels by sea possible as well as insight into the types of goods traders sought in...
Handout
Steven Kreis, PhD

The History Guide: The Age of Discovery

For Students 9th - 10th
A survey of the explorers of the Renaissance period. Includes a general look at the main explorers, with links to biographies of many of them.
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: The Story of India: Vasco Da Gama

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS explores the world of India through an in-depth look into Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Identifies his importance in the age of exploration and his involvement with the spice trade. Details his trips to India and the location of...
Primary
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Transatlantic Slave Trade

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection uses primary sources to explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Article
Other

Adriaen Block, the Discovery of Long Island Sound and the New Netherlands Colony

For Students 9th - 10th
An interesting and comprehensive essay on Adriaen Block, the development of New Netherlands, Dutch trade, and the impact of the Little Ice Age in Europe on fur trade in North America.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Travel, Trade and Exploration in the Middle Ages

For Students 9th - 10th
Medieval Europeans were fascinated by the lands that lay beyond their own continent. This article looks at the real and imaginary travels of explorers and tradesmen through works including The Book of John Mandeville, The Travels of...
eBook
University of Groningen

American History: Essays: Portugal & Spain: Quest for Monopoly in the East

For Students 9th - 10th
Essay on Spain and Portugal quest for control of trade, exploration and colonization, and their eventual displacement by Northern Europeans.
Website
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Travel, Colonialism and Slavery

For Students 9th - 10th
From Robinson Crusoe to the anti-slavery activism of Olaudah Equiano and the letters of Ignatius Sancho: explore a range of writing produced during an age of travel, trade and colonial conquest, in which Britain vastly expanded its...