Curated OER
"Families and Schools of the Past"
First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.
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Thanksgiving (ESL)
Students investigate a traditional American Thanksgiving. They recreate the first Thanksgiving in the classroom complete with food and appropriate decorations.
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Pilgrims: The First Americans
Fifth graders become familar with the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving through essays about important people of the time. In this Thanksgiving lesson plan, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and write a...
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The Cherokee: Trail Where They Cried
Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.
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In the Future we will all be Mixed Bloods and Mestizoes
Students examine the concept of origin and ethnicity. In this ethnic studies lesson plan, students engage in a variety of interdisciplinary activities including posters, and discussions to better understand our past and future.
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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Students create Thanksgiving menu and pre-dinner blessing or ritual that is sensitive to five different imaginary Thanksgiving guests from a variety of backgrounds.
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Wattle and Daub Using Natural Resources to Survive
Seventh graders create list of materials that family of four would need to live and survive in the forest, identify four natural resources used by Cherokee Indians to build shelter, create poster that depicts Cherokee hamlet in summer or...
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Make Me an Offer
First graders examine the significance of the Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. They become familiar with the features of the Keelboat Nickel reverse and identify trade goods used by Lewis and...
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Walking the Trail of Tears
Students, through the use of examining video clips and Websites, become familiar with the reasons that the settlers wanted the land, broke treaties, and initiated the Indian Removal Act leading to the Trail of Tears.
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Animal Dance
The image Painting of Bear and Sun Dances by Louis Fenno contains an image of a traditional Ute dance. The class will hone their observation skills, as well as their ability to describe in detail, as they take a close look at the piece....
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Exploring the Plant History of Canyon de Chelly
Students research native and conventional plants in Canyon de Chelly and surrounding area. Students collect, draw, and write about a variety of plants through research. In the descriptive writings, students include a brief history of...
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Tribal Termination & Urbanization
Students list the main events in historical sequence of tribal termination and urbanization. They identify a present-day American Indian experience or phenomenon as a result of termination and urbanization and refer to 'Navajo...
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China's Ethnic Minorities
Third graders are introduced to various Chinese ethnic groups. They consider how geography affects ethnic groups and examine artifacts produced by Chinese peoples. They prepare a presentation of their research and artifact interpretation.
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Our Natural Resources
Young scholars discuss key terms used to describe ecosystems and how humans are altering natural resources. They listen to the book, Grandfather's Wisdom, and list the renewable and nonrenewable resources they have used or consumed in...
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Rituals/traditions with Gullah religion
Sixth graders discuss some of the earliest people who lived in each region in order to comprehend how humans interacted with the environmental conditions at that time. They make connections to present-day regions including...
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Numbers In Art
Help develop an awareness of the natural and manufactured environment and relate the subject matter to young learners' lives. The interpretation of the meaning of art is reinforced and its application to self and other audiences is...
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Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
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Traditional Uses of Wood
First graders explore properties of wood used to make cultural items and make a ring and stick game.
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Carolina Gold and the Gullah
Eighth graders investigate the physical geography of South Carolina to explore how it was suited for growing rice. They examine how slave labor contributed to a plantations success and compare Gullah culture from now to the past.
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A Brief History of Los Angeles
Students study the diverse cultures that make up the population of Los Angeles.
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The Power of Journals: Going Beyond the Text
Eighth graders define and use new vocabulary and identify the reasons why Native Americans captured Europeans during the colonial period. They write their own journal entries about the topic and explain the importance of journals as a...
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Westward Ho
Students examine primary sources regarding Western migration. In this Manifest Destiny lesson, students determine why the pioneers moved west and what the trip was like as they examine sources and write journals based on their findings.
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Coming To America
Students investigate the history of America with the help of children's literature. The story is structured as a timeline that begins at the time of Columbus and progresses to the present. The teacher reads the story with the class and...
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Exploring a New World
Fifth graders create a PowerPoint presentation about Christopher Columbus. The integration of technology helps them to be engaged in the subject matter. The basis for the information in the presentation is for students to answer some...