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Lives of Native Americans and Settlers
Students assess the effect of contact between the Native Americans and Europeans after 1492. They explore the lives of the early European colonists and the Native Americans living along the East Coast of North America. Lesson contains...
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The West "The People": The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Fourth graders become familiar with the conditions facing the members of the Expedition in the early 1800's, as well as the causes and consequences of the Expedition. They describe the conditions of the land in the 1800's and during the...
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At Home On The Range
Young scholars explore the history and domestication of the Bovidae family and their importance to our prairie ecosystem. Using a map of the United States, students located the American Great Plains. They complete worksheets and...
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At Home on the Range
Students discuss the American bison. In this social studies lesson, students discuss the history of the American bison and graph the decline of the bison population.
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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Learners work in groups to imagine, research and simulate a dinner party involving an author, a fictional character, and a significant historical figure as dinner guests. The activity uses Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and the time...
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Settling Nroth America: Improvisation and Playwriting
Students map the classroom by marking the movement of the first Americans' migration from Alaska down into North America. To improve their skills in map-reading and sense of direction, students identify physical features of the map and...
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Explorers of the Mighty North
Students access the Internet to research the journey made by Rear Admiral Peary and Matthew Alexander Henson to the North Pole. They locate the North Pole on maps and globes. They present oral reports to classmates on their research.
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Early Native Americans
Fourth graders locate on a globe where the land bridge was. They describe the progression of nomadic people into North America.
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Role of Slavery in Early Arkansas Settlements
Young scholars investigate slavery in the development of pre-Civil War Arkansas. They study the influence of the French, Spanish, and American settlers on the establishment of slavery and create a timeline of events associated with events.
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Water Features of Virginia
Students locate and identify water features important to the early history of Virginia. Thye recognize where most cities developed and locate and label the rivers on a Virginia wall map.
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Religious Freedom
Sixth graders examine the religious issues of the early settlers in the New World and the current issue of separation of church and state. They discuss a list of colonial laws from the 1600s, participate in a class discussion, and in...
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Lift and Drag: Principles of Flight and the Soaring Imagination
Students construct models of early gas balloons and gliders. In this balloon and glider lesson, students create models of early gas balloons and gliders, discover how the forces of lift and drag effect aircraft in flight, and put on...
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Tennessee Activity
In this Tennessee activity, students read a selection about the history of Tennessee, then complete a set of 10 true/false questions.
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European Exploration, Trade and Colonization
Students complete many activities including mapping, reading books, and Internet research to learn about European exploration. In this European lesson plan, students study geographical mapping, trade, and colonization.
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Jackie Steals Home
Students read articles relating to Jackie Robinson's breaking of the racial barrier in professional baseball. This leads to a deeper exploration of racism in the United States. They use a variety of worksheets imbedded in this plan to...
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Colonization
Students explore why the Americas attracted Europeans, why they brought enslaved Africans to their colonies, and how Europeans struggled for control of North American and the Caribbean.
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Nebraska: Using Pictures
Students create a scrapbook about Nebraska history focusing on Post Office murals. They choose their favorite murals and write a story to go along with the mural. In groups, students present their murals to the class and visit the...
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Water: to the Last Drop
Middle schoolers research how water played an important role in US history. In this social studies lesson, students make a mock newscast from one of the events they researched. They present their newscast to the class.
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Gold Rush Abolitionists: How different was the role of Spanish-speaking blacks under Mexican rule from the role of English-speaking blacks under U.S. rule?
Students determine how Spanish-speaking blacks and English speaking blacks were treated differently. For this emancipation lesson, students compare the Mexican and American rules regarding slavery.
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Controversial Columbus
Seventh graders examine the controversial role of Christopher Columbus. In this Christopher Columbus lesson, 7th graders determine what Columbus was like and what his motivations were as they research print and Internet sources.
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Exploration and Settlement of the American Southwest
Students scrutinize the Zuni Pueblo Revolt in this seven lessons unit on early Spanish explorers in the American southwest. The discovery of the Spanish missions, the search for the seven cities of gold, and particular geological...
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The Search for the Northwest Passage
Third graders listen to lectures and research the motivations and history of the Spanish, French and English explorers searching for the Northwest Passage to India. They trace routes on maps and consider how these explorers helped shaped...
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The Deadly Arctic Expedition
Young scholars view a documentary of an Arctic expedition. In 1913, Arctic explorer and scientist, Vilhjamur Stefansson put together a crew of seamen and scientists to explore the Arctic. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and...
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Cycles of Change and Growth in the Mormon Trek: Contra
Fifth graders examine the contributions of Native American Indians, explorers, and Utah's pioneers. They play a "what if" game to illustrate cause and effect.