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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing a Nation

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine the major events and inventions that changed American families and communities.  In this US History lesson, 11th graders analyze various documents dealing with the changes.  Students create a project on an event...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Manifest Destiny

For Students 5th - 6th
In these manifest destiny worksheets, students read the definition for manifest destiny and its appearance in America in the 1840s. Students learn about the Homestead Act and study a painting of a depiction of manifest destiny.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Industrial Revolution

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the time period of the Industrial revolution in American history.  In this American History lesson, 8th graders read the chapter on this time period.  Students create a presentation on this time period to teach...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heritage: Seeking Land or Gold

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write a persuasive letter home defending their decision either to settle in Utah and farm the land, or to go on to California to seek gold. They analyze a problem, make a decision, and write a letter defending their choice.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking at Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders review information on Lewis and Clark by using a variety of resources. With partners, they travel between stations researching different information based on the expedition. They check each others work and share it with the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hispanic Immigration: America in the Year 2000

For Teachers 9th - 11th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Riding a Stagecoach in the 19th Century

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research the differences between traveling on a stagecoach and wagon trail in the 19th century. In this historical lesson, students discover the uses of stagecoaches and wagon trails in the 19th century, then decide which one...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be Specific, Go West To The Pacific

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Fifth and sixth graders follow Lewis and Clark from St. Louis to the Pacific and back again. They read online journal entries made by Lewis and Clark to gather information. The official Lewis and Clark website is used by learners to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mormon Era

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students learn the history of the Mormons and are able to explore items made during the Mormon era by creating their own by hand. In this Mormon Era lesson, students create covered wagons, can lanterns, candles and sourdough bread as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery issue and view North versus South around 1850s

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students critique actions based on information from both sides of the argument. They analyze impact of slavery on both sides. Students recognize governmental attempts at pacifying the situation. They examine sources and critique them and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Chapter 3 – Antebellum Innovation, Politics, and the Jackson Administration

For Students 8th - 12th
The inter-war Antebellum Era was a fascinating time in U.S. History! In this textbook response worksheet, historians read assigned textbook pages regarding the topics and respond to 46 short answer display questions regarding the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making A New Nation

For Teachers 8th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing the Past to the Present

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders work in pairs and read a primary source artifact. They create a PowerPoint slide that will be part of a "museum" presentation for the rest of their class. Students select artifacts from a group of digitalized artifacts...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Holes

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students distinguish between primary and secondary sources when researching on the Internet and evaluating historical records. They recognize important features of a primary source such as the type of document, who created it, what is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis lesson, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in the war. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration into an Urban Industralized Northeast: 1879-1914

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study how three ethnic groups were introduced to urban, industrialize, northern cities. They examine how these groups were greeted and accepted be the 'native born' Americans and how successful they were in assimilating with...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Cells: Structures and Processes

For Teachers 5th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery Issue And Views North Versus South Around 1850s

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders compare and contrast the opinions of northerners and southerners about the issue of slavery in the 1850's. They study how the legislation that was enacted by Congress addressed the issues. As they investigate, they create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Route 66 And Population Patterns

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students investigate the geography located along Route 66. They research how the population patterns change in certain areas along the highway. Students use the information in order to form hypotheses about how and why the population...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"I've Been Working on the Railroad" - Federal Land Grants and the Construction of the Illinois Central Railroad in Mid-nineteenth Century Illinois

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders, in groups, design a self-sufficient community. Groups present the communities they've designed. They compare and contrast the communities presented. They research the theories of Johann Heinrich von Thunen online and...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Legends of the Fifth

For Teachers 5th
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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Story Telling: Chill Out

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore story telling. In this story telling instructional activity, students listen to classic campfire horror stories and prepare a storyboard organizer for an original scary story. Students share their story with the class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How We Got to Kansas-Nebraska

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the causes of the Civil War. In this lesson plan on slavery students use primary sources to examine the evolution of the issue of  slavery and in the American political system. Students will then write a follow-up essay...