Curated OER
A Trip Back in Time
Pupils investigate the pioneer experience in the 1800s. They view and discuss the images on the Missouri quarter, read a story about pioneer life, complete a worksheet, and create a booklet-form time capsule of pioneer items from the...
Ballet Austin
The History of Modern Dance
The evolution of modern dance, and the dance history of many of the key figures in the development of this uniquely American form, are the focus of a 13-page packet that includes photos of revolutionaries.
Crabtree Publishing
Remarkable Lives Revealed
Six lessons make up a unit all about biographies. Scholars read about a remarkable life while taking notes and identifying characteristics of the biographical genre. Readers examine the tale's obstacles, accomplishments, and sequence of...
Curated OER
Read All About it
Learners create and publish a newspaper that reflects and explains pioneer and medieval societies. They become newspaper writers for a specific time period. They adopt a holistic approach to exploring community life in medieval and...
Curated OER
Long, Long, Ago
Students discover details of pioneer life. In this history instructional activity, students examine artifacts and play games from pioneer times.
Briscoe Center for American History
Mary Maverick and Texas History - Part 1
What's the difference between a diary and a memoir? Young historians explore the ramifications of this question as they learn how to use primary source materials to gain an understanding of life on the Texas frontier.
Briscoe Center for American History
Mary Maverick and Texas History - Part 2
To conclude their investigation of the life of Mary Maverick and to demonstrate their ability to analyze primary source documents, groups use the SOAPS questioning method to examine Maverick's account of events in early Texas history.
Briscoe Center for American History
Applying the SOAPS Method of Analyzing Historical Documents
Young historians use the SOAPS (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject) method of questioning to determine the historical value of primary source documents. The third in a series of five lessons that model for learners how...
Curated OER
Pioneers Find Fun
Fourth graders investigate pioneer Studentss games. They research various games, play a pioneer game, and in small groups, create their own original pioneer game to teach to the class.
Curated OER
Everyday Objects: Eskimo Life
Students describe the pioneering work of researcher Edward W. Nelson and identify everyday objects that aid in understanding a culture. In this everyday objects lesson, students conduct their own research into everyday objects by...
Curated OER
Johnny Appleseed
Students investigate Johnny Appleseed. In this cross curriculum literacy and U.S. history instructional activity, students listen to Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg, and dictate important events in his life as the teacher writes them...
Curated OER
Impact of Westward Expansion on Indigenous Populations
Students study the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. They create a diorama of a Native American scene, write imaginary letters as a pioneer child reflecting on his/her experiences, and create story sticks that...
Curated OER
Medical Pioneers
Learners use research skills to take notes over fifteen current medical innovators or innovations. They prepare a PowerPoint presentation over their chosen fifteen medical innovators and innovations. Students show a correlation between...
Curated OER
Family Life
Students investigate the lives of families in two different centuries. They compare the 1600's to the 1800's. Students write an essay about the differences and how they developed in history. Special attention is paid to the external...
Curated OER
Pushing the Boundaries: The Pioneer Spirit
Eleventh graders recognize how social reform occurred at the turn of the century. Through a debate, 11th graders determine advantages and drawbacks of traveling west using original sources and descriptions of the attitudes, beliefs, and...
Curated OER
Keeping the Pioneers Warm
Fourth graders are introduced to some of the history and background of the art of quilt making by 19th century pioneer women. They use tagboard shapes to design, construct and display quilt squares.
Curated OER
A Pioneer Journal
Fourth graders take on the persona of a pioneer boy or girl. They write a fictional series of journal entries describing, from a child's view, some of the events, hardships and adventures of the trek west
Curated OER
Pioneer Farm Cooking
Students explore pioneer farm life and the types of cooking and ingredients available. They recreate a pioneer version of a sno-cone and discuss why crushed ice was used more often than snow in this recipe.
Curated OER
Fluency Passages, 3rd Grade
What would it be like to travel in a covered wagon? Learn about the life of a pioneer with a short informational reading passage. Kids read four paragraphs about traveling in a covered wagon and how it is different than traveling today,...
Curated OER
Going West
Young scholars examine the lives of early pioneers who traveled west for better opportunities. They listen to story "Josafina and the Story Quilt", and discuss hardships encountered by traveling families. Students then complete research...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Eighth graders explore the components of the Westward Movement in the United States. Understanding the past and the linkages it has to the present is the intended goal of this seventeen day unit.
Curated OER
Centennial: A Day in the Life of Children
Students compare and contrast a day in their lives with a day in a child's life in history. They identify studenT responsibilities and the rights of students throughout history.
Curated OER
Crossing the Oregon Trail
Students become familiar with the sacrifices that the migrants endured crossing the plains to the west. They experience some of the problem solving that the pioneers faced and pay the natural consequences of their choices.
Curated OER
Amelia Earhart: Aviation Pioneer
Students explore social practices and technological advancement of the 1920s and 1930s and relate this to modern life. They explore the events of Amelia Earhart's life and her poetry. They write their own poetry.