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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Barn Guide to History

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young scholars use the internet to research the history of their local area through the use of barns. In groups, they discuss the importance of the barns in their community and develop an interpretation of the history of various barns to...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Post Office

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this Post Office activity, students read a short text with information about the history of mail delivery in the United States. Students answer 4 multiple choice questions. Note: The word "congress" in question 2 is a proper noun and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing a V-Mail Letter

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the challenges of delivering vast amounts of servicemen mail during World War II. In this historical perspectives lesson, students determine how to solve the problem that the postal service faced during the war and...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

London Mail

For Students 5th - 6th
In this research skills worksheet, students read through the questions related to the London Royal Mail and the history of the post office. Students do independent research to answer 10 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Its All In The Delivery

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the concept of different words and how they are used in specific texts. They develop scripts based upon readings and then design props and costumes to act out the new text. Students read to one another using the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

W. Atlee Burpee and the "Seeds" of Becoming an Entrepreneur

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research the components of W. Atlee Burpee's mail-order business. For this Pennsylvanian history instructional activity, students analyze three business components for Burpee's mail-order business. Students create a plan...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

West Virginia Challenge

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this West Virginia worksheet, learners read ten sentences that give a clue to a place, event or person in the history of West Virginia. Students choose the answer that best fits each clue.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: Fifteen Objects That Changed Postal History

For Students 9th - 10th
Useful information about the history of the postal system and about the changes in postal and transportation technologies that have made the U.S. Postal Service what it is today.
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Handout
Other

Pony Express: History of the Pony Express

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the beginnings of the Pony Express, the requirements to be a rider, and find out why this mail delivery system ended.
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Primary
Other

The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails

For Students 9th - 10th
An exposition by Lysander Spooner on behalf of the American Letter Mail Company entered according to an Act of Congress in1844, asserting that the company should have the right to establish post offices in competition with those of...
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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Pony Express: History and Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
A good article from the National Park Service which recounts the history of the brief existence of the Pony Express. Read about the route, what caused the demise of the Pony Express, and what part of the trail can still be seen.
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Handout
Utah Education Network

Uen: Utah History Encyclopedia: Pony Express in Utah

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides concise historical information concerning the Pony Express in Utah.
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Handout
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: The Story of the Pony Express

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explores the story of the Pony Express, the "speedy" mail service that once connected the Eastern U.S. with the West.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: As Precious as Gold

For Students 9th - 10th
"As Precious as Gold," is an online exhibit from the National Postal Museum which explores the rich history of the Alaskan/Klondike gold rushes. Find stories on extraordinary women, the trails, the Palm Sunday avalanche, the U.S. Postal...
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Graphic
Other

Pony Express Home Station: Pony Express Route

For Students 3rd - 8th
Use this site to view maps of routes on the Pony Express and also read a brief history.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Vmcsf: When the Pony Express Was in Vogue

For Students 3rd - 8th
The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco provides this article from the 1925 San Francisco Newsletter on the Pony Express, the first transcontinental U.S. Mail service.
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Unknown Type
Other

Pony Express Home Station: Pony Express Quiz

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short multiple-choice quiz on the Pony Express.