Pioneer Days

Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...

When the going gets hard, the hard get going! Learn about persistence, one of the Habits of Mind, with a series of lessons that focus on different groups of people and animals who persisted through adverse times and situations.

November 11th, Veterans Day, is a holiday set aside to honor all those who have served in the military. Here's a resource packed with ideas, activities, projects, and materials that will provide inspiration for ways to celebrate those...

How can an American flag be displayed indoors vs. outdoors? What is proper etiquette for handling the flag? The Girls Scouts of the USA have put together a fantastic packet of information with everything you need to know about the...

Eleven engaging activities make up a story guide that accompanies Dr. Seuss' Hooray For Diffendoofer Day! Scholars design a fictional classroom setting including scary face tests, writing job descriptions, adapting the book into a play,...

I love time capsules. After reviewing elements of pioneer life, your class will create a time capsule that would have belonged to a pioneer in the 1830s. Each person must write a description of each item they would have brought and why...

Augment a unit on the traditions and legacies of Native Americans with an informational packet. With pages that detail the tribal origins of commonly used words, a list of ways that Native American customs influenced American democracy,...

Designed specifically for lower elementary pupils, this is a great biographical research project in which students research a famous American, and then design creative poster boards to help them "become" the famous American they have...

Students participate in a role play activity in which they play an American pioneer moving west. During the role play, they select an occupation and a town to live in. In groups, they use a map to determine the best route to arrive to...

Students examine what it was like to travel west on the Oregon Trail. They develop a list of questions about the trip, explore various websites, and create a story about the experiences of a 19th century family travelling on the Oregon...