Middle schoolers explore water density and design a hydrometer to measure density. This activity is part of Ocean World's home site and excellent resources and links are provided.

Learners examine the value and use of scrapbooks in writing and historic inquiry. They view and discuss online interactive scrapbooks by Mark Twain, and in small groups create a collaborative scrapbook that reflects the time and place...

Click here to download a PDF of this lesson. (2.8 MB) Overview This lesson will enable teachers to use the blues to explore selected topics in African American folklore. Students will learn about some of the African American cultural...

This lesson enables teachers to use blues music to explore the history of African Americans in the 20th century. By studying the content of blues songs, young scholars can learn about the experiences and struggles of the working-class...

Students comprehend the various aspects of the Lewis and Clark expediton. They complete an idea web. Students work in small groups. They recall some important aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition by performing the Corps of...

First graders analyze the events of early American exploration. This is a unit resource for teachers in which there are six lessons about the American Western exploration and expansion. Within each lesson there are objectives, materials,...

Seventh graders examine American policies to relocate Native Americans. In this Native American history lesson plan, 7th graders determine why Native Americans were relocated and investigate their response to the policies as they analyze...

Students read about the life of Jim Thorpe and answer focus lessons about the book.  In this Jim Thorpe lesson, students celebrate the American Indian culture and learn of the hardships Jim Thorpe overcame.  Students find...

Quiz your class with 60 true/false questions pertaining to current events. The focus is on current (2002) events occurring in the United States. Some of the questions appear superfluous and have little educational value.

A well-done and informative presentation, this resource could be used to pique interest in Lousiana's history. This presentation about Poverty Point, a mound created by Native Americans, is a fascinating exploration of this topic. What...

A more thorough presentation on coastal systems would be difficult to find! Detailed diagrams illuminate the offshore, shoreface, foreshore, and backshore zones of  beach. The sources and movement of sediments along the coastline...

Learners develop awareness of occurrences of earthquakes in Illinois and their past and potential future damage, and examine distribution of earthquakes in central U.S. regions.

In this language arts instructional activity, students read information about locating the simple and complete subject of a sentence. Students locate the subject in 16 sentences.

Eighth graders experience the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this Corps of Discovery lesson plan, 8th graders research details regarding the expedition in order to complete a classroom project that requires them to create journals that...

Young scholars research the validity and legality of ownership. Through the use of primary sources, web based and print media research, students become familiar with and evaluate the varying viewpoints regarding the...

For this Missouri worksheet, learners read a detailed 2 page history of the state. Students answer ten true and false questions about the passage.

Fourth graders read excerpts and research the Internet to learn about the expeditions of Lewis and Clark and their impact on the United States. Students fill out a KWL chart as they learn.

Students examine the Lewis and Clark expedition. They develop skills for historical analysis. They locate a variety of geographic features encountered by the expedition, and create a timeline that documents Lewis and Clark on their journey.

Students use yarn to create a timeline of the first Thanksgiving. After a class discussion, they view pictures of artifacts and Native Americans to identify the tools and items present during the first Thanksgiving. In groups, they...

Students discuss what type of information they can gather from bones. In groups, they travel between stations in which they can view photos and listen to actual accounts of finding bones. They focus on the tools available to Native...

Students are given a coin to observe and make inferences about. Using a worksheet, they make two columns to list their observations and inferences in an organized manner. They develop a hypothesis based on one of the inferences and...

Eighth graders work together in groups to examine the earliest civilizations. After reading two stories, they compare and contrast the facts with those stories with other ones they have read. They discuss the different hypothesis on...

Young scholars research Herbert Hoover's life and how he became known as a "Great Humanitarian." Students use images and historic places in their research.

Students explore the impact of William Tecumseh Sherman's actions during the Civil War.