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Texas Treasures
Students explore the meanings of the word "treasure," and examine the use of clay in the construction of buildings in San Antonio, Texas. They examine clay artifacts, and watch a video about pottery artist, Harding Black. Students then...
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Poverty Point Earthworks: Louisiana's Ancient Inhabitants
Learners research the prehistoric earthworks site at Poverty Point, Louisiana. They compare the Louisiana artifacts and structure to the remains and knowledge of other ancient cultures. They present their research to the class.
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Oil: Impact of a Resource
Students discover the history and method of oil production. In this natural resource lesson, students investigate early oil production. Students discuss the challenges of turning natural resources into safe products.
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders use Internet to examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas, and write journal entries from point of view of 17th Century French settler, French or Spanish explorer, or Native American whose land was taken.
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Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work is Done
Students determine how Americans enjoy leisure time. In this 20th century America instructional activity, students research primary sources to study how Americans gained leisure time during the century and what they did with it.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. In this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in Cuba,...
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Jamestown: A Brief History
Eighth graders investigate the history of the United States by researching Jamestown. In this archaeological lesson, 8th graders attend a field trip to historical Jamestown in Virgina to discover key figures that formed our country....
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Living in the Oak Woodlands: Early People of the Jewett Mine Area
Students examine the archeology and native peoples of the Jewett Mine area of Texas. Using a map, they explain the economic patterns of the native groups and how the geography of the area affected activities. They compare and contrast...
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A Visual History: Industry, Society, and Social Mobility in Hartford
Eleventh graders examine the industrialization of Hartford. For this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze pictures in Hartford. Students participate in a gallery walk of artifacts.
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Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
Learners explore the human experience. In this business ethics lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the American natural disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries and the implications they presented.
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The Myth and the Reality: Pioneering in the Midwest
Students examine the myth and reality of settlement in the Upper Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
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Why Not Come to North Amercia?
Students examine the motives for French expansion into the New World, they evaluate primary source documents to determine who, what, when, where and why.
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The Grand Adventure of Lewis and Clark
Students take a closer look at the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this Louisiana Purchase lesson plan, students discover tools used by the men as they explored the land. Students also read excerpts from The Incredible Journey and America...
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End of the Line: What Happened to the Blue Ridge Railroad?
Sixth graders study the westward expansion and the role of railroad construction to the expansion. In this railroad history lesson, 6th graders complete KWL activity for the topic. Students view a PowerPoint about the growth of railroads...
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Plants in Texas: Then and Now
Seventh graders discuss continuity and change, identify various plant materials, and compare and contrast ways in which early people used plants in Texas in prehistoric times with ways that modern man in Texas uses plants today.
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Predicting the Past
Students study how archaeologists record the past. They discuss archaeology and artifacts. They view a list of artifacts discovered by Marquette at the Illinois Village and answer questions regarding them. They complete a test about...
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Archeological Pow-Wow
Students, in groups, examine the use of artifacts and fossils to study people, plants and animals from the past.
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Inventions over Time
Sixth graders examine inventions, such as spear points and bows and arrows, and discuss their importance in human cultural development. They compare these early inventions with modern ones and determine the impact of science and...
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'Song of the South' a racist tune?
Students read the information about the movie "Song of the South" and watch some of the clips. They write their reaction to the proposal to re-release the movie. Students consider whether it would matter if the studio adds an...
Ocean Explorer
Looking for Clues
Upper graders become "shipwreck detectives" by studying the debris field from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea which took place in the 700s. A website is accessed that gives specific information about the debris field, and pairs of...
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Primary and Secondary Documents for Colonial Times
Students investigate the Colonial Era by completing a template on their computers. In this U.S. History lesson, students discuss the differences between primary and secondary sources and identify several different sources as one or the...
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Spiro Mounds; Oklahoma's Past Indian History
Students create an understanding of Oklahoma's past.
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Everything Was Up to Date in 1628
Young scholars examine the life and lifestyles of New England colonists in the year 1628, and then investigate what life was like in their own area during the same time period. After watching segments from the PBS history series,...