Curated OER
Primary Sources in the Classroom: A Gold Rush Perspective
Students develop and hone their historical inquiry and analytical abilities. They draw up a list of 20 essential items they would have to bring to survive one year as a Gold Rush stampeder.
Curated OER
Deportation and Loss
Seventh graders discuss the issues of isolation and deportation as they are related to the Holocaust. After reading a brief passage about deportation and confinement in a concentration camp, 7th graders discuss the feelings involved in...
Curated OER
Analyzing Sources on Imperialism
Ninth graders explore the concept of imperialism. In this imperialism lesson, 9th graders analyze primary sources regarding British imperialism in Africa. Students analyze the sources for credibility as they gain an understanding of the...
Curated OER
Beatrix Potter: Author Study
Students are introduced to the life and works of Beatrix Potter. Individually, they use the site to read about one character in her books and print out a picture. They create a report and share their information with the class.
Curated OER
"Go West, Young Man!"
Young scholars 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 Monroe Doctrine: U.S. Foreign Affairs (circa 1782-1823) and James Monroe
Young scholars read the test of the Monroe Doctrine then list the key points and discuss its central tenets.
Curated OER
The Gold Rush: Guided Writing and Publication
Students read about the Alaska Gold Rush, its characters and the impact on the history of Alaska. They write a response as if they are a Klondike Stampeder in the late 1900s.
Curated OER
Be a River Pioneer!
Pupils 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.
Curated OER
Nationalism
Tenth graders examine the causes and course of World War I. They read and discuss a handout, simulate the formation of a country, design a flag, develop a national slogan, and present their country's information to the class.
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Time Zones in the United States
Eighth graders explore how to use the time zones in the United States and internationally. They use elapsed time to solve problems. Students calculate the time in various places in the United States. They discuss the 6 time zones in the...
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Civil War Research
Eighth graders research different aspects of the Civil War using various multi-media techniques. Students create a report based on their research that includes views of the war from the point of view of the North, South and slaves.
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Lugo Era
Fifth graders learn about the Lugo Era and how they lived by creating some materials that were used during that time. In this Lugo Era lesson, 5th graders use crafts to create items used during that era. They also learn songs and dances...
Curated OER
United States Map Lesson
Students explore basic map skills. In this United States geography lesson plan, students define "country" and "state," locate their state on a United States map, and identify and trace state boundaries defining their state and...
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...
C-SPAN
Presidential Birth Requirement
Every president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen, but the definition of natural-born is not as straightforward as it seems. Secondary scholars examine two points of view surrounding the constitutional requirement and...
Curated OER
World War II - War Comes to Hawaii
Ninth graders use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments. They use tools and methods of geographers to construct, interpret, and evaluate qualitative and quantitative...
Curated OER
Following the Great Wall of China
Students conduct research on the history of the Great Wall of China. They explore websites, complete various interactive activities, read a history of the Great Wall, write an essay, and take an online quiz.
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Angkor What? Angkor Wat!
Students investigate one of the largest religious structures in the world, Angkor Wat, a temple in Cambodia. The temple's place in Southeast Asian history, its history and the migration of ideas of both Hinduism and Buddhism is examined...
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Following the Great Wall of China
Middle schoolers investigate the building of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty and utilize the story of the wall to examine some of the history of China.
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Signs of Change: Tree Rings
Students identify and experiment with dendrochronology (the study of tree rings to answer ecological questions about the recent past) and come up with conclusions as to what possible climatic conditions might affect tree growth in their...
Curated OER
Revising/Editing (3-5): Editing Marks. Part II and Literary Tools. Part II
Familiarize your class with commonly used editing marks. They apply the use of editing marks to a letter and examine different types of literary tools before making a note card resource for the tools. They add their own examples for each...
University of California
The Civil War: Perspective
Confederate soldiers saw the Civil War much differently than their Union counterparts. Scholars analyze the perspective of the Civil War from the viewpoint of various key figures in the fourth installment of an eight-part series. By...
Curated OER
All That Sparkles is Silver!
Learners analyze photographs for information about life in Virginia City Nevada in the late 1800s. In this Nevada statehood lesson, students work in teams to analyze photographs from Virginia City. Learners brainstorm adjectives to...
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Bird Banter
Students listen to examples of common bird songs of birds found in Illinois. As a class, they discover the importance between the differences in songs and calls. They practice making their own bird calls and songs to end the lesson.