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Using KidPix
Students discover how to use a software program known as KidPix. They create a slideshow noting the differences between rocks and minerals. They share their slides with the class.
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Evaluating an Illinois Earthquake
Students develop awareness of occurrences of earthquakes in Illinois and their past and potential future damage, and examine distribution of earthquakes in central U.S. regions.
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Eloquent Words
Logan’s Lament, a speech delivered by Mingo Chief Logan in 1774, provides pupils with an opportunity to not only study the historical events surrounding the battle between Native Americans and the Europeans for the West Virginia...
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Missing Masterpieces
Learners investigate a fictitious crime involving stolen art masterpieces. They work collaboratively in teams to solve the fictitious crime. Students return the stolen paintings in a Microsoft PowerPoint "portfolio" to their owner. They...
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Cane River Civil Rights: A Native American Perspective
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this civil rights lesson, students examine the civil rights struggle from a Native American perspective. Students analyze documents and write journal entries that...
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4.5: Exploring Uses of Rocks & Minerals
Students, in pairs, use observation skills to identify objects from the past and present in our environment made of rocks and minerals of Illinois.
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Collecting Rocks
Students examine how rocks are formed, used, and how to collect them. They listen to and discuss the book, Let's Go Rock Collecting, sort rock samples, and collect rocks from home.
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Minerals - The Building Blocks of Rocks
Students examine how rocks are composed of different minerals. They analyze rock samples, then examine cookies, sorting out the simulated mineral ingredients from the cookies and identifying the mineral ingredients.
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Our Ever Changing Earth
First graders study ways in which the earth changes due to erosion and weathering in this series of lessons.
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Igneous Rocks
Second graders examine how igneous rocks are formed by watching a video. They create a volcano.
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Contain Yourself: Changes Over Time in the Use of Containers by Native Americans
Students investigate how Native American containers changed over time and how the use of pottery changed their lifestyle. They create a pottery container.
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4.2: Exploring Rocks
Young scholars collect and look at rocks and write down information about them in science notebooks. They make comparisons and sort the rocks according to their properties, and then discuss their findings with their classmates and put...
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Appliqué Bedcover
Learners examine the process of creating patriotic American appliqué designs. They research American patriotic appliqué quilts, list American symbols, and design and create their own paper appliqué designs.
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Ojibwa Sewn Bead Designs
Learners recognize and describe the sewn beading style of the Ojibwa tribe that was influenced by seventeenth-century French floral embroidery and fabric prints imported by the French traders. They adapt and recreate an Ojibwa bead motif.
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Flower Symbolism
Fourth graders identify flowers as symbols in art forms. They focus on the Victorian era and create their own flower design for use in visual art or literary forms.
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Keeping Us in Stitches Activity: Crazy-Quilt Collage Design
Students create collages using the irregular-shaped and sized pieces, decorative stitching, and applied or painted motifs that reflect the Crazy-Quilt style, and explain how and why their design fits into that style.
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Why Would I Owe My Soul to the Company Store?
Sixth graders listen to "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and discuss what it means to owe one's soul to a store. In this mathematics lesson, 6th graders determine what a miner's income was minus his expenses graphing findings in a...
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Activity: Polymer Clay Millefiori Cane Beads
Students show an understanding of how millefiori beads are constructed by making some in several styles in polymer clay. They view images and techniques on a website imbedded in this plan and then attempt to make their own.
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2.2: Sedimentary Rocks
Second graders discuss the geologic rock cycle and work with their group to simulate creating a sedimentary rock. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the sedimentary process and draw the steps of the rock cycle.
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Weaving with Seed Beads on a Bead Loom
Students describe, and try, the process of weaving and demonstrate how Native Americans and others wove beads on a loom to create long, narrow bands for hair and bracelets.
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Iran Hostage Crisis: Reading Primary Documents
Following brief instruction about the Iran Hostage Crisis during Jimmy Carter's presidency, small groups read three-page sections from the diary of hostage Robert C. Ode. They write editorials from the perspective of either U.S. citizens...
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Mussel Anatomy Lesson Plan
Students identify the parts and functions of a mussel. They explain how its physical adaptations help it survive in its habitat. They label the parts as a quiz to complete the lesson.
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Mighty Minerals
Students investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of minerals. They make a list of the uses of minerals found in Illinois. They write a report individually based on their observations.
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Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.