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Worksheet
Curated OER

Wild West Book List

For Students 4th - 10th
Are you teaching a unit on the Wild West and need a good book suggestion that ties in? You've just found an extensive book list that includes titles for both juvenile and advanced readers. Each title is about some aspect of the Wild West...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Kit Carson to the Rescue

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
There's nothing like the Wild Wild West! Scholars investigate the American Frontier through the eyes of Kit Carson. To complete the first installment of a three-part series, they use presentations, a short video, and primary and...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Myths of the Wild West

For Teachers K - 12th
Pupils examine the Wild West as it was depicted in films and books. In groups, they compare this information to what it was really like as they find out in books. They also discover the role of the Native Americans in the Wild West to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Landscapes

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cowboy Life

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Travel back in time to the 1800s and research the Old West! Elementary and middle schoolers work with a partner to complete at least four activities from a list provided by the teacher. They use these activities to present their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wild, Wild West, or Was It?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, 5th graders examine the opportunities that the West offered American pioneers. Students watch a montage video and analyze primary documents regarding the topic.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wild, Wild West

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders research the history of the transcontinental railroad. They use advertising propaganda techniques to design and create a poster encouraging people to explore the West by rail.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ride 'Em Cowboy (Buffalo Bill Cody and the Wild West Show)

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research the impact of Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show on the world's view of American western culture. They create a poster advertising the Wild West Show.
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Interactive
PBS

The New West: Interactive Map | A Biography of America

For Students 9th - 12th
Using this interactive map activity, from A Biography of America, explore how the "New West" evolved during the late 20th century, transforming from the wild, untamed Old Rocky Mountain West into a smaller, more accessible "New West."...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who is Who in the Old West?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students consider the backgrounds of those who settled the Old West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students participate in a simulation that requires them to role play miners, ranchers, Native Americans, Chinese, African Americans,...
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Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: The Challenges of The Plains

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Start a whole new life in a land known as the Wild Wild West! Learners analyze maps, personal accounts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, songs, and video clips to uncover life under the Homestead Act. Using their new skills, class members role...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oklahoma! The Cultural Myth of America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners explore cultural myths in America by collecting images and characteristics of stereotypical Americans. They read a primary source document, discussing the views of the author in class. Next, they compare the terms used to...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

West Virginia: Reading Comprehension

For Students 4th - 6th
In this West Virginia reading comprehension worksheet, students read a 2-page selection regarding the state and then respond to 10 true or false questions
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Cattledrives & Barbed Wire

For Students 6th - 8th
In this United States history worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the development of the West. A short answer question is included as well.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Striking It Rich!

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the California Gold Rush. They explore the lure of gold and the Wild West, how pioneers traveled to the West, and the hardships and people they encountered along the way. Activities be authentic, hands-on, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Into the Wild: Settling the South Carolina Backcountry

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders select their own plot of land in the Backcountry to settle in the 1700s in SC.  Students first find a point for settlement and sketch out the best route from the Lowcountry to arrive at the point.  They then draw out a...
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Worksheet
Polk Bros Foundation

John F. Kennedy: Remarks in the Rudolph Wilde Platz, Berlin

For Students 9th - 12th
“Ich bin ein Berliner.” Here’s the full text of John F. Kennedy’s famous address delivered to the people of Berlin on June 26, 1963. The resource could be used as part of a study of Kennedy’s presidency, of rhetorical devices, or as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Buffalo Bill

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars explore the life and times of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley from the Wild West days. They critique their performances on stage and brainstorm various reasons for the shows popularity with Eastern audiences. Each student is...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wild Habitats

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students research and Illustrate the natural habitats of giraffes and other animals imported into ancient Rome. They draw a map of Europe, North Africa, and West Asia and draw the animals that come from each region in their proper places.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hit The Trail

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Young historians research one of the most colorful periods in US History: the cattle drives of the 1800's. They research the three most popular trails, and complete mapping and writing assignments about each one. The instructional...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Factors Contributing To the U.S. Dominance of the Pacific Northwest

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students examine the painting Columbia by John Gast. They discuss the concept of Manifest Destiny and the role of different groups (miners, missionaries, fur trappers, farmers, etc.) in the Americanization of the West. In groups, they...
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Unit Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Aaron Copland: Billy the Kid

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Your class can think about the American Old West as they listen for dynamics, articulation, rhythm, and tempo in the Aaron Copland song, "Billy The Kid." They'll explore how Copland uses music to create an image of life for an outlaw in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students view copies of the 1880 and 1900 censuses and then create and conduct their own census of their homes, comparing all three.

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