Lesson Plan Native American Cultures and the Impact of the Boarding Schools 3, 4, 5 Click to download this four-lesson unit.
Video How was North America settled before European colonization? Government and Civics 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
Essay The Civil War and Reconstruction in the American West Elliott West 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ The histories of the Civil War and of the emerging West were tangled together from their beginnings. Although the war was fought mostly in the East, the events that set it off were born of the expansion of the 1840s, and in turn the...
Classroom Resources Cultural Encounters: Teaching Exploration and Encounter to Students Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, World History 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ Some 40,000 years from now, give or take a few millennia, someone, somewhere in the universe may find and listen to the Golden Record, NASA’s attempt to describe Earth and its peoples to anyone out there who might be interested. There...
Spotlight on: Primary Source Davy Crockett on the removal of the Cherokees, 1834 Government and Civics 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ In this letter, written in December 1834, Davy Crockett complains about President Andrew Jackson’s forced removal of the Cherokees from their homes to Oklahoma. Crockett opposed that policy and feared Vice President Martin Van Buren...
Spotlight on: Primary Source Secotan, an Algonquian village, ca. 1585 Art 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ In the 1570s and 1580s, John White served as an artist and mapmaker to several expeditions around the Carolinas. White made numerous watercolor sketches depicting the Algonquian people and stunning American landscapes. This engraving...
Lesson Plan The First Thanksgiving Celebration K, 1, 2, 3, 4 Learning Objectives Students will use literature to gain insight into the lives of the Wampanoag people and their participation in the first Thanksgiving celebration. Students will present information on different aspects of the...
Lesson Plan Differing Views of Pilgrims and American Indians in Seventeenth-Century New England Economics, Government and Civics 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Background Wampanoags Much of what is known about early Wampanoag history comes from archaeological evidence, the Wampanoag oral tradition (much of which has been lost), and documents created by seventeenth-century English colonists....
Lesson Plan The Conquest of Mexico: Past and Present Views World History 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ Introduction The conquest of Tenochtitlan by Hernán Cortez in 1519 is one of the most well-known examples of encounters between Europeans and Americans prior to 1600. Some primary sources that document the event still exist, though...
Lesson Plan The Trail of Tears 5, 6, 7, 8 Historical Background In 1830, under President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act directing the executive branch to negotiate for Indian lands. The act set the tone for President Jackson in dealing with Indian...
Lesson Plan Native American Housing Geography 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Historical Background American Indians (First Nations in Canada) constructed homes to conform to their needs and environment. Housing for some tribal groups was permanent, while other residences reflected the need to relocate, often...
Classroom Resources Study Aid: Cultures of the Americas, 1200 BC–AD 1600 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ Mound Builders (Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River) Key Groups : Adena (500 BC), Hopewell (100 BC) Religion and Culture : Known as mound builders because they buried the dead in large earth mounds, these groups lived in small...
Lesson Plan Pilgrims, the Mayflower Compact, and Thanksgiving Government and Civics, Religion and Philosophy, World History 3, 4, 5 Click here to download this four-lesson unit.