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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pioneer Life

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a three-week unit about Laura Ingalls Wilder and pioneer life. They research the topography of Michigan in the 1870's, conduct Internet research, write journal entries, participate in polka and waltz dancing, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer Values in Willa Cather's My Antonia

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Included in this resource are a variety of activities to do while reading Willa Cather's My Antonia. The activities, which range from mapping out Nebraska to writing activities about pioneer living, are all designed with one guiding...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Life in a Sod House: Get a Sense of It

For Students 3rd - 12th
In this history of Nebraska worksheet, students read information about pioneer life in a sod house.  Students conduct 4 experiments where they use measurement skills and observational skills to imagine the size, light levels, smell of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Pioneer Living

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research pioneer life. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders read the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and discuss what life was like for early pioneers. They research pioneers and show what they have...
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Lesson Plan
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area

Life as a Pioneer

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students examine historical documents and research why early pioneers settled on the Iowa prairie. They review maps, describe the impact of railroading, describe life in pioneer times, and identify the effects of drought, prairie fire,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer Life: Food

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Students investigate the types of food the pioneers ate, and how they prepared and preserved their meals. They explore websites, view video diaries from PBS Frontier Life, read recipes, and complete a crossword puzzle.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Find the Main Idea: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

For Students 7th - 9th
An excerpt from Willa Cather's O Pioneer's! provides learners with practice in finding the main idea and supporting details in a narrative. As readers record the bleak details on the included graphic organizer, they can conclude that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moving West With Pioneers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read a book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder to examine the hardships that were endured by pioneers traveling during the Westward Expansion of the US. They predict, summarize and participate in literature circles. They visit...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frontier Life Story

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore American frontier life. In this history lesson, students participate in a series of activities that challenge them to discover what pioneer life was really like.
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Headin' West! The Life of a Pioneer

For Teachers 5th
Students explore the life of a pioneer and the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny and pioneering. Students complete activities, maps, writing and reading to experience pioneer life. Handouts and worksheets are included...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go, West, Pack Light!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the hardships related to pioneer life and the Wagon Train. They listen to an excerpt from the book "Little House on the Prairie," and discuss the hardships faced by pioneers travelling west. In small groups...
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Worksheet
K12 Reader

Analyzing O! Pioneers

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Readers of O! Pioneers are asked to cite evidence from a paragraph of Willa Cather's novel to support an analysis of Alexandra Bergson, the personal qualities she possesses, and how these qualities will help the Bergson family after her...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival Challenge: Would You Make It?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students face a challenge. In this survival lesson, students discover the hardships faced by the pioneers who moved west and see if they would survive a similar situation. They discuss essential items they need to survive and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pioneer America: Journey West

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders experience pioneer life on the Oregon trail. In this pioneer lesson, 4th graders research the reasons for moving west and what life was like on the trail. They create a map, complete an oral presentation, and write about...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young scholars explore life as a pioneer in the late 1890's. In this appreciation of history lesson plan, students read excerpts from My Antonia. Young scholars create presentations about life and culture in Nebraska.  Students write an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Trip Back in Time: Missouri quarter reverse

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
I love time capsules. After reviewing elements of pioneer life, your class will create a time capsule that would have belonged to a pioneer in the 1830s. Each person must write a description of each item they would have brought and why...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Moving West

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons West!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The first pioneers faced many obstacles on their journey west. Middle schoolers read different historical fiction texts (ideas are provided), make connections, and complete a detailed packet (included). Reading guides, journal ideas, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Donner Party

For Teachers 3rd
Who is the Donner Party? Find out why this group of pioneers lives in infamy. A lot of information is provided in this resource, but you will have to copy and paste the text to acquire the handouts. Learners will look at primary sources,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Long, Long, Ago

For Teachers K
Students discover details of pioneer life. In this history instructional activity, students examine artifacts and play games from pioneer times.
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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

African American Pioneers in Aviation

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Bessie Coleman. William Powell. Willa Brown. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While these names may not be familiar to many Americans, they are African American pioneers in aviation history. Class members have an opportunity to research the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frontier Life Story

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students undertake a similar (but not quite as drastic) adventure as that of Frontier House as they explore the day-to-day realities of frontier life through a Laura Ingalls Wilder story, and reflect on which time period suits them...

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