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
Bringing the Past to the Present
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...
Curated OER
Holes
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...
Curated OER
"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War
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...
Curated OER
Immigration into an Urban Industralized Northeast: 1879-1914
Young scholars 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...
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
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
Route 66 And Population Patterns
Young scholars 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...
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
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...
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
Story Telling: Chill Out
Young scholars explore story telling. For this story telling lesson, students listen to classic campfire horror stories and prepare a storyboard organizer for an original scary story. Young scholars share their story with the class.
Curated OER
Reconstruction Word Search Puzzle
In this social studies learning exercise, students look for the words in the puzzle that are related to the theme of the word search. Spelling skills are worked on.
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
Introduction to Mining in Utah
Students come up with a definition of mining together as a class. They take notes and explore how three mining towns in Nevada were begun.
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.
San Diego State University
Sdsu College of Education: Westward Movement
A group of organized lessons provides ideas for teachers when planning a unit on westward expansion in the US. Some activities include planning what to pack in your wagon, learning what obstacles were faced, mapping, and more.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Us History: Westward Expansion and Economic Growth
US History learning module on westward expansion and economic growth. Interactive multi-media resources, assignments, projects and assessment.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural
After the Civil War, westward expansion continued to increase, as migrants moved to the west in search of economic opportunities. In this video, Kim discusses the social and cultural effects of increased migration to the west, including...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Westward Expansion: Social and Cultural
A quick comprehension check over Westward expansion: social and cultural development.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Westward Expansion: Economic Development
A quick comprehension check over economic development during Westward Expansion.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Settling the West: Westward Expansion
During this instructional activity, learners will have the opportunity to experience the westward expansion through literature and the Internet. By creating a brochure and a slideshow presentation, students will become aware of the...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Homesteading: Dreams and Realities
After reading this section from a chapter on "Westward Expansion", students will be able to identify the challenges that farmers faced as they settled west of the Mississippi River and describe the unique experiences of women who...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Chinese Immigrants and Mexican Americans
Like Native Americans, Mexican Americans and Chinese immigrants suffered harsh consequences due to relentless westward expansion by whites in the nineteenth century.
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Impact of Expansion on Chinese Immigrants and Hispanic Citizens
As white populations moved westward in the 19th century, Chinese immigrants and Hispanic Americans faced racism and discrimination and were unable to compete on an equal basis for land. Eventually, both groups settled into urban areas...