National Endowment for the Humanities
On This Day With Lewis and Clark
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
Curated OER
History Detectives
Fifth graders investigate the significant events in America's history. Students listen to a variety of books based on significant historical events in America. Students divide into 6 groups, each of which is responsible for researching...
Curated OER
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Students study westward expansion. In this US history lesson, students describe the adventures and hardships faced by the explorers known as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Students write a report to the President about the journey...
Curated OER
Graphic Organizing: Early American History
In collaborative groups, young US historians sort cards (each labeled with a single early American event or issue) according to which of the first four presidents was leading the country at the time. Learners copy the events onto a...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: Illinois
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
Curated OER
Grade 8 Unit 4
Eighth graders analyze aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation, in terms of its physical landscapes and political divisions, and the territorial expansion of the United States during the terms of the first four presidents.
Curated OER
Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy
Sixth graders explore agriculture as it relates to crops over the course of a series of historical events. They read and create a timeline of the 50-year increments that depict important cause and effect events. Students then use...
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.
Curated OER
The Expansion of The United States, 1846-1848
Young scholars interpret historical maps,identify territories acquired by the United States in the 1840s. Also they identify states later formed from these territories. The primary sources for the lesson are the maps found in the...
Curated OER
Thomas Jefferson
Students explore the accomplishments of world leaders. In this Thomas Jefferson lesson, students list the accomplishments achieved by Jefferson and read his epitaph. Students then write epitaphs for recent world leaders or celebrities.
Curated OER
Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy
Students continue exploring the history of Oklahoma Agriculture in this lesson. They trace several historical migrations to the state of Oklahoma. They simulate the customs and conditions of a chosen migration. Vocabulary and resource...
Curated OER
Agriculture: Oklahoma's Legacy
Students explore the history of Oklahoma agriculture. They listen to the story "The Story of Oklahoma Agriculture." They are then divided into groups where they act out one or more of the events in the story. Students draw pictures ot...
Curated OER
"Go West, Young Man!"
Students examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.
Curated OER
The Industrial Revolution
Eighth graders examine the time period of the Industrial revolution in American history. In this American History instructional activity, 8th graders read the chapter on this time period. Students create a presentation on this time...
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
See Our Collection
First graders classify plants and animals based on their characteristics using examples from the westward journey of Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery.
Curated OER
Corps of Discovery
Middle schoolers assess their knowledge of the Corps of Discovery through a written pretest, follow the journey of Lewis and Clark on the internet, record data on events, dates, places, people, animals, distance traveled, and geographic...