Curated OER
Jackie Steals Home
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
Curated OER
Cells: Structures and Processes
Students explore the basic unit of life, the cell in this nine lessons unit. The cell structure of animal and plant cell functions and how they affect our world are probed in this unit.
Curated OER
Immigration History Firsthand
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this immigration lesson, students conduct research regarding Ellis Island and the American immigrant experience. Students use...
Curated OER
Kill the Indian to Save the Man: Reservations, Assimilation, and Native American Resistance and Persistence in the West
Students investigate the theory versus the reality of US government reservation policy in the mid to late 19th Century by watching a video. They design a time line that shows how the individual tribes surrendered to the reservation...
Curated OER
The Relationships and Cultural Exchanges Between Native Americans and the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver
Students are introduced to the geography of the Columbia River basin and its history. Using the internet, they research the relationships between the Native Americans and the Hudson Bay Company. They also discuss the effects on the...
Curated OER
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Students examine the Lewis and Clark expedition. They develop skills for historical analysis. They locate a variety of geographic features encountered by the expedition, and create a timeline that documents Lewis and Clark on their journey.
Curated OER
Legends of the Fifth
Students explore the the legends and myths of the Orient, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas in this six lessons unit. Different cultures and belief systems of the inhabitants of these areas are examined through storytelling techniques.
Curated OER
"And That's The Way It Is..." Today in History
Students research an event in history from different perspectives. They discuss the characteristics of a nightly news broadcast and create their own based on the history event they researched. They work together to produce this...
Curated OER
The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad#140
Students participation in a simulation of laying the track of Transcontinental Railroad starting from three different locations. They use toothpicks and coffee stirrers to build the rails. They evaluate which group laid the most track...
Curated OER
Moving West with the Forts: Using an Interactive Map
Students discern a map of Texas and it's forts in the early to mid-1800's. From this map they analyze movement from the moment Texas became a state to its involvement in the Civil War.
Curated OER
Oregon City: A Convergence of Endings
Young scholars describe the activities that occurred in the Willamette Valley before the establishment of the Oregon Trail and agricultural settlement and explain the impact that American settlement had on the landscape and native groups...
Curated OER
Nevada Trilogy
Students simulate and plan a trip from St. Louis to the Sacramento Valley as early emigrant parties would have. They list necessary provisions for the amount of time they would spend traveling.
Curated OER
Indian "Buffalo Skin" Writing
Fifth graders identify common Native American writing symbols. They create paper bag "buffalo skins" and on the back, they write stories about Indian life.
Curated OER
"The Life of Crazy Horse" Board Game
Fifth graders read books and conduct Internet research on the life of Crazy Horse. They then use their findings to design a Crazy Horse-themed board game. Students swap and play each other's games.
Curated OER
Hispanic Immigration: America in the Year 2000
Students investigate the underlying reasons for immigration, focusing on five major trends: political, economic, family, career and educational. They examine the immigration of Spanish speaking groups.
Curated OER
Whose Land Is It Anyway?
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...
Curated OER
Making A New Nation
Eighth graders read standard road maps and topographical maps, and examine the lives of pathfinders who opened the trails to the West. They develop Living History presentations, role-playing a character from the past.
OpenStax
Open Stax: u.s. History: The Westward Spirit
From a chapter on America's expansion westward in a history textbook. This section looks at how Americans felt about westward expansion in the mid-1800s, and ways that the federal government promoted migration. Includes review questions.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Westward
Overview of U.S. westward expansion during the 1800s.
Other
Dmwv: The u.s. Mexican War: 1846 1848
Dedicated to the memory of U.S. veterans who fought in the U.S.-Mexican War, this website provides documents, images, maps, and FAQs.
US National Archives
Docsteach: The Impact of Westward Expansion on Native American Groups
In this activity, students will examine the impact of westward expansion and settlement on Native American groups following the Civil War. Students will explore a variety of documents to get a sense of the issues faced by Native...
PBS
Wgbh/pbs: Westward Expansion 1860 1890
Many changes across the country during the westward expansion were features that could be captured on a map. Review this map and select characteristics to be illustrated. Characteristics such as population, major cities, railroads, and...
Read Works
Read Works: Westward Expansion the Oregon Trail
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about traveling along the Oregon Trail during the Westward Expansion. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
OpenStax
Open Stax: u.s. History: Independence for Texas
From a chapter on America's expansion westward in a history textbook. This section looks at Texas's struggle for independence from Mexico, and the relations between Mexico and Texas prior to and after independence. Includes review...