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Analysis of Newspaper Articles
Students investigate journalism by researching a list of articles. In this story analysis lesson, students read several current event articles and answer a list of study questions as a group. Students summarize the article and share the...
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Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
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Immigration Accounts: Vincenzo Iovine, an Italian Immigrant, and Lino Paul, a Sudanese Immigrant
Young scholars compare immigration experiences in America in historical and modern times. In this immigration lesson, students read and discuss the accounts of an Italian immigrant to the United States in the past and an account from a...
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Diversity Grade 12
Twelfth graders explore injustices that natives of Canada want rectified. In this diversity lesson, 12th graders discuss former Canadian policies that were morally objectionable. Students discuss how the past indiscretions should be...
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Western-Genre Films
Students watch westerns and analyze them. They identify the plot, characters and the sounds in the film. They research icons of the American west and prepare a presentation. They share their presentation with the class.
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Exhibiting Tools of the Trade
Students design 'mini museums' that exhibit both historic and current artifacts and information associated with specific professions. They then display and defend their work in class gallery talks and exhibitions.
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Whose Buffalo?
Seventh graders examine how the Plains Indians vied with white commercial buffalo hunters for the millions of Great Plains buffalo. They create an illustrated broadside supporting the interests of either the Indians or the commercial...
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders use Internet to examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas, and write journal entries from point of view of 17th Century French settler, French or Spanish explorer, or Native American whose land was taken.
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Pipeline
Students read and discuss essays about Alaska Native cultures. They discuss changes that have occurred in Alaska over the last 50 years.
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What is an American?
Young scholars investigate how the definition of being American has changed over the years using online primary source documents.
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Career Development (Career Exploration)
Eighth graders identify and describe career opportunities in a changing society
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Inventions of the 19th Century
Students explore inventions that have been created since the nineteenth century.
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Levi Coffin on Trial
Students are introduced to Quaker beliefs about slavery and actual statements of conviction about slavery by Levi Coffin. They explore the federal laws about returning escaped slaves, specifically the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
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Ecoregions of Texas
Seventh graders discuss why hunter-gatherers might have favored certain areas in which to live. In pairs, they research specific regions to examine in depth. Students present their eco-region vegetation findings (in this case Central...
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Dawn by Elie Wiesel
Students have a better comprehension of the personal struggle of a survivor and the events which led to the establishment of the sovereign nation of Israel. They recognize the historical context for the events of the book. Students...
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War In Iraq Comparison
Fifth graders use the internet to research the Silver Star given to those who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Using the information, they write a short report on one of the recipients of the Silver Star. In groups, they visit a...
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Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
Young scholars explore the human experience. In this business ethics lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the American natural disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries and the implications they presented.
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Gathering, Recording, and Presenting Data
Sixth graders use the local newspaper to find and discuss examples of uses of statistics and the ways in which the information is presented. They create and represent their own set of data showing how students get to school each day.
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Architecture: The Badge of Identity for Our Society
Students prepare a "camera's-eye" view of the local architecture and then analyze their findings from an historical perspective.
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Tracing Our Own Family Pilgrimages
Pupils observe a world map and are introduced to vocabulary like: cities, continents, rivers, lakes, and oceans. They discuss the names of the cities they live in and locate them on the map; then using a colored pushpin indicate: the...
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African Americans: 1800 - 1870
Students explore living and working environment of both slave and free African Americans from places throughout the United States.
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Immigration
Fifth graders write a 2-3 page essay explaining the problems of refugees in the world today. They explain where in the world this is happening, why the refugees are leaving their homeland, where they are going, and what happens to them...
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Understanding Primary Sources
Students analyze Russell Lee's photo essay as a sign of segregation in Texas. They consider the differences between primary and secondary sources and how historians use these sources.
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Work and Play: Today and Yesterday
First graders investigate the concept of play and work. They use primary and secondary resources in order to find the information of comparing the concepts in the context of the past to present day. Students brainstorm to find the...