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Preserving History for Illuminating Today's Values and Traditions
Students use the processes of oral history and the latest technology to engage in historical inquiry and the preservation of the past. The work in cooperative groups or individually to discover and capture the past by interviewing family...
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Treasure in the Trash
Students decode archaeological artifacts in order to recreate an event, using discarded objects as a model for real-life artifacts. They apply this model to reconstructing historical or literary events from artifacts they create.
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Kidding Around In The 1980s
Students examine pop culture of the 1980s. In this historical time period lesson, students view a Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s and discuss its similarities and differences to cartoons today. Students work in groups to examine an...
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Treasure Chest
Learners explore Chicago in the fur-trading era. In this Chicago lesson, students discover what life what like during this time. Learners read an historical fiction story about life in the fur-trade era. Students view replicas of...
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If These Objects Could Talk
Students examine American Indian artifacts through historical, cultural and artistic lenses. They explore the philosophy behind the Smithsonian Institute's new museum to honor American Indian history and traditions.
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Of Amulets And Scrolls
Students come to an understanding of the time period covered in the first five books of the Bible by researching and recreating ancient artifacts. They recreate artifacts that represent the people, lifestyles, and culture of people...
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Shipwreck Mystery
Students draw inferences about a shipwreck. In this marine archaeologist lesson, students examine historical and archaeological data to draw inferences about the age and identity of shipwrecks.
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Do You Have a Sinking Feeling
Students determine how marine archaeologists use historical and archaeological data to draw inferences about shipwrecks. Students plot the position of a shipwrecked vessel, and draw inferences about the shipwreck from artifacts that have...
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Immigration History Firsthand
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this immigration lesson, students conduct research regarding Ellis Island and the American immigrant experience. Students use...
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American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...
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The Treaty Trail: U.S. - Clothing That Talks: Meaning and Material Culture
Students investigate the cultures of Native Americans and Euro-Americans through their clothing. In this photograph analysis lesson plan, students observe historic photographs and analyze the style of clothes people wore and how it...
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Social Studies Lesson Plans With Science Connections
There are great social studies lesson plans that can help students make historical connections to science.
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The Ruins of Pompeii: A Window into History
Sixth graders research the history of Pompeii and its destruction. Locate important geographical features of Rome. Gain insight into the past through archaeological interpretation. Synthesize historical information through imaginative...
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Objects of Memory
Learners consider the importance of individual artifacts in memorializing important historic events. They read and evaluate an article discussing the removal of the last steel beam from the World Trade Center site.
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Right About Now… and Then
Students discuss significant figures in music history and read an article about the Smithsonian's Hip-Hop exhibit. In groups, they develop and curate an exhibition of hip-hop music and history using artifacts that represent relevant...
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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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Celebrating Ancestors
Students participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
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One Room Schoolhouse
Young scholars study pictures and artifacts of the one-room schoolhouse. For this compare and contrast lesson,students list similarities and differences in schools of today and one-room schoolhouses. Then young scholars use this analysis...
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Lewis and Clark in Columbia River Country
Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this research skills lesson, students research the death of Meriwether Lewis using forensic evidence presented in primary...
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The Battle of Fort Moultrie
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Revolution lesson, 8th graders examine the Battle of Fort Moultrie and create their own historical narratives regarding the event.
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Conceptualizing an Experiment
Students work together to design an experiment. They discover the origin of a family artifact. They analyze the data and discuss the results. They determine if the experiment is the best way to find out this type of information.
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Exhibiting Tools of the Trade
Students design 'mini museums' that exhibit both historic and current artifacts and information associated with specific professions. They then display and defend their work in class gallery talks and exhibitions.
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Analyzing Civil War Pictorial Envelopes
Students explore the power of political messages contained in visual artifacts and examine the political messages conveyed by the illustrations that appeared on personal stationery used during the Civil War. They create and describe a...
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Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos
Learners create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, learners...