Curated OER
Reading Trees: Understanding Dendrochronology
Learners examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.
National First Ladies' Library
Will the Real Pocahontas Please Stand Up?
Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...
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Jamestown Fort: Finding History
Students identify artifacts discovered from the exploration of the Jamestown fort in order to help them create a short fictional account about the lives of Jamestown's first inhabitants. For this history lesson, students research the...
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Kiskiack: Changing Architectural Landscape
Young scholars compare and contrast the changing Native and English colonial architectural landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries. Students research and evaluate how economic technology, and the environment reflected cultural changes...
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Freedom to Worship
Fifth graders read the biographies of seven colonists and determine their position on the freedom of religion. They conduct a panel discussion of seven personalities and debate the religious freedom in America.
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Tobacco Road
Students use court records to learn that tobacco was used a source of currency in early Delaware history. Students choose something in their culture to use as currency instead of money.
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Good Intentions...?
Students research and write an essay describing historical events surrounding the Canadian government's treaty with Aboriginal peoples. They examine the motives behind treaty documents and government acts to determine whether government...
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Puebla Patterned Pots
Sixth graders examine and discuss the characteristics of tin glazed earthenware pottery of Colonial Mexico. They design and create their own Talavera-style plate by applying the concept of radial symmetry.
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The Colonies: An Adertisement
Students explore the early colonies of American settlements. After researching important characteristics such as land, politics, economics, and educational opportunities, students create their own advertisement for one of the colonies.
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The Original Layout of the Town of Deerfield
Eleventh graders explain that elements of the early settlement of Deerfield can still be seen in the town layout and in some of the early 18th century houses which survive. They read and analyze historical maps and analyze a drawing of...
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Farming the Southern Colonies
Seventh graders investigate the basis for farming choices in the early colonies by using group research and discussion. Each group researches a topic that they write about and present to the rest of the class.
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John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Short Essay
Students review John Lawson's writings to discover the impact they had on emigration to America. Using the writings, they analyze the influence of them and review the early settlement of the colonies. They write their own essay sharing...
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South Carolina's Constitution
Eighth graders explore the definition of political culture. After viewing a movie, 8th graders discuss how the political culture of the 1600 and 1700s is reflected in early drafts of the South Carolina constitution.
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The History of Thanksgiving Day
Third graders study the history of Thanksgiving. In this holiday lesson plan, 3rd graders read about the history of Thanksgiving, complete vocabulary activities, and write a journal entry from the point of view of someone who lived...
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What Lies Beneath
Students conduct Internet research on the history and archaeological excavations at historical Jamestown. They explore various websites, and develop a Powerpoint presentation to present to the class.
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The Demise of Copper's Trading Power
Eighth graders evaluate statistical equations. They examine data from archaeologists at Jamestown, complete statistical equations using the sets of data, and graph the results.
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Presentation of Pilgrims
Students are given a category to research (clothes, life before the New World, the voyage, etc.) about Pilgrim life. s Students, in groups, create presentations using software program such as PowerPoint.
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"What Do You Mean?" How Language Changes Over Time
Students examine words used at Jamestown in 1607. They predict what the words meant in 1607, write sentences using three of them, then analyze the sentences after they have read the actual definitions of the words.
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How To Think Like An Archaeologist
Students take a field trip to historical Jamestown. Using artifacts given to them, they must identify them and discover who would have used them and for what purpose. They create a database to organize the information and share it with...
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Practical Experiment in Colonization
Young scholars examine the effects that cultural background and specific historical events have upon the development of a colony. They research the colonies to design their own.
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What is the history of rice in the United States?
Fifth graders become familiar with the history of rice and create a board game. In this rice lesson, 5th graders understand the history of rice through the playing of a game. Students use vocabulary words related to the history of rice.
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Runaway Ads
Fourth graders distinguish between primary and secondary sources while creating an underground railroad presentation. In this underground railroad lesson, 4th graders research the underground railroad using copies of primary and...
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Battering Through the Seasons
Students define bartering and barter to investigate supply and demand. In this bartering lesson, students read A New Coat for Anna and recall how they exchanged merchandise in the story. Students complete a sequential graphic organizer....
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Defining moments from the past with lessons for a post-9/11 world...
Young scholars examine extension ideas concerning 9/11, Defining Moments. They analyze a variety of Supreme Court cases, the U.S. Constitution, Mass Media Interpretations, Racism, Immigrant groups and U.S. geography. Many questions are...