Curated OER
Study History through Journal Keeping
Journal writing can be a fun way to bring history to life. Upper graders read a series of journals from the time of the westward expansion, specifically the pioneer journey along the Oregon Trail. They compose an ongoing journal from the...
Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
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
School Museum
Fourth graders research individuals who contributed to the history of Illinois, and what school was like at that time. They compare schools of various times.
Curated OER
Integrated Project
Middle schoolers participate in a project that integrates Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In groups, they write a proposal for their project and complete the necessary steps to create and design it. To end the lesson, they are...
Curated OER
African-Americans in California's Heartland
Middle schoolers read and view video about the pioneers moving west. For this African American pioneer lesson, students become familiar with the problems faced by the pioneers and African-American pioneers. Middle schoolers complete...
Curated OER
The Heritage of a Pioneer Quilt
Students discuss and view how the first quilts were made. They compare modern quilts to ones of the past. They create a quilt pattern by using math and creative thinking.
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
Lesson: Ginger Brooks Takahashi: Powerstich: A Forum for Community-Building
This is a great way to build community in your school, experience process-based art, and explore the critical-thinking process. While quilting as a class collectively (just like a quilting bee) pupils listen to poetry and prose of a...
Curated OER
Westmoreland Trail
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the Westward expansion of the U.S. They play the computer game, Oregon Trail III, read primary source documents, conduct Internet research, write diary entries from the pioneer viewpoint, and...
Curated OER
Economic Choices for Exploring the Fronteir
Fourth graders explain the hardship of economic limitations in Westward Expansion . They describe the effects of fluctuations in supply and demand. They put themselves in the place of pioneers hoping to build a homestead.
Curated OER
The Student Cafateria as the "Leafy Chestnut Tree"
Students examine the difference between "news" of earlier periods, and "news" as we know it today. They then go out into the school common areas and analyze news from the perspective of word-of-mouth storys and discuss what they can...
Wish for the Future
Wish for the Future
What would be your class's ideal world 30 years in the future? What about 100 years? Use a series of activities to discuss globalization, sustainability, scientific contributions to society, and the global community of which your...
Curated OER
The People of Kansas: Who Are They and Why Are They Here?
Students examine the settlement patterns of the Kansas Territory. In this Kansas history lesson, students analyze primary documents from the pioneers in the territory. Students write letters or perform skits that feature their findings.
Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Students examine how the events that took place during the time of the Westward Expansion affected the pioneers and Native Americans through the seven lessons of this unit. Enhancements in transportation over time are also a part of the...
Curated OER
Life On The Oregon Trail
Students investigate the concept of the Oregon Trail. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The class divides into different groups to take a different aspect of the research. Then the groups present the findings to the...
Curated OER
Food Time Line
Fourth graders make a timeline to include the immigrants of 1880-1910. Then, in groups, they research foods consumed, purchase, and serve it to the class.
Curated OER
Water-The Liquid Gold
Learners investigate the necessity of water for the survival of plants, animals, and people. They explore the affect that water has on human and natural environments through literature, field trips, and discussions.
Curated OER
Plant Hormones
Students identify different plant hormones and explain their function in plant development. In this biology lesson, students investigate how IAA affect root growth. They study the history of auxin discovery.
Curated OER
Coins In Space! (Creative Writing)
Young scholars practice creative writing. They write an imaginative story in which quarters escape from the space shuttle and ends up in the hands of an alien. Students brainstorm ideas, write a draft, revise, and edit their composition.
Curated OER
Visual Pictures of the Buffalo National River
Students create art in a Buffalo National River unit. In this Buffalo River art lesson, students create woven rugs, make baskets, create pottery bowls, build log cabins, and construct tipis. They create a bulletin board where the...
Curated OER
"Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson
Students create paper quilts of their own using the isometric grid that tessellates the plane or the fraction quilt square.
Curated OER
Sheikha Lubna
In this famous leaders worksheet, students read a passage about Sheikha Lubna and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...
Curated OER
Airplane Propeller
Students examine the different kinds of propellers and their functions. In this airplane lesson students build a hand made propeller.