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Teaching American History
TEACHER CREATED LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES FROM THE SUMMER INSTITUTE--2006
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BLACK HAWK: DEFENDER OF INDIAN RIGHTS OR NATIVE AMERICAN TERRORIST?
BLACK HAWK POWERPOINT
Was Black Hawk a Defender of Indian Rights or was he a Native American Terrorist? In Theresa Bartsch's Unit, students learn background information about Black Hawk, as well as court room proceedings, as they plan a defense for or a case against this famous Sauk Indian. Download the powerpoint with its essential questions and activities to have your students debating the issues for and against! Included in the powerpoint are references for you and your students, as well as primary sources and a listing of the state standards that are covered in the unit. |
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THE SAUK, THE FOX, THE BLACK HAWK WAR, AND MANIFEST DESTINY
The Sauk the Fox, and the Black Hawk War of 1832-Documents
Scott Church, AP American History teacher at Guilford, has created this DBQ activity comparing the Black Hawk War with other Anglo-Indian experiences in American History. From King Phillip's War in Massachusetts and Plymouth Colony, to the surrender of Chief Joseph and to Sitting Bull in the late 19th century, there was continuous conflict with the Indians, and the end result tragically follows a pattern. The decimation of virtually all native populations on the continent has been the price paid in fulfilling Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion. Scott's goal for this unit is not only for students to see names and places they recognize by doing this project, but also to see that the actions in the Black Hawk War follow an all too predictable pattern of land confiscation and resettlement or massacre, or both. It enables us to learn about the peoples who inhabited our area before us, and why those same people either emigrated here or later left. To download the powerpoint of the DBQ, see below. |
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THE SAUK, THE FOX, THE BLACK HAWK WAR, AND MANIFEST DESTINY
DBQ POWERPOINT
In Scott Church's powerpoint presentation, students will begin with the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy and learn of the Sauk migration, as background for their understanding of the Black Hawk War. Effects of the American Revolution, the expansion of the nation with the Louisiana Purchase, and happenings in the Illinois territory in 1804, along with a host of other major factors are all highlighted in the presentation, leading up to the inevitable confrontations with settlers in and around the northern Illinois area that our students now call home! |
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SOLDIERS OF THE CIVIL WAR
Jennie Hodgers of Illinois
To find out more about this local soldier who fought in the Civil War, click on the link above. This is only one small part of an outstanding unit on "Soldiers of the Civil War," created by Erika Montoya of Barbour Language Academy for her 5th grade students. The culminating project for the students, as they accomplish a variety of tasks in which they learn about the Civil War, is to create a monument to local soldiers who took part in the war. As students study photographs, newspaper clippings, and other primary source documents, they begin to get an idea of the importance of the struggle, as well as the terrible destruction to property and the horrifying loss of life. Due to the number of documents in this unit, we do not as yet have it up and running on our web site. If you would like a copy of Erika's lesson plans, contact Betsy at Roosevelt. |
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More Civil War Activities!
Civil War Internet Unit
Another set of lesson plans and activities for a unit of study on the Civil War was created by Julie Johnson, 5th grade teacher at Cherry Valley. Click on the link above to view her plans for teaching the Civil War. Julie's plans call for utilization of the Internet and many of the great Civil War websites available for students. |
LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR HISTORY CONNECTIONS II -- SUMMER INSTITUTE 2007 ON IMMIGRATION AND WOMEN
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Immigrants and the Industrial Revolution
Power Point with Lessons and Activities
Created by Judy Vinzant for 5th and 8th grade levels, this PPT with lessons and activities focuses on the historical novel Lyddie by Katherine Paterson. Impoverished and nearly illiterate, Lyddie works in the mills of Lowell, Massachusetts in 1843 to help pay off her family's debts. Living in the company boarding house, Lyddie puts up with slave hours and wages, unwanted advances by supervisors, and horrendous working conditions. Primary documents, charts and graphs, and photos are included for study and comparison. |
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Comparing US Immigration of the Past and Present
Power Point on Immigration
This Power Point with lessons and activities by Chris Ebert is intended for 8th grade and high school. Links are given within the lessons for graphs and charts to use in making comparisons between immigration of the past with that of today. Use the next link (below) to access the US Census Bureau's charts and graphs on foreign-born population. |
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Immigration Debate
Lesson Plan
This is the first of four lesson plans created by Auburn history teacher, Amanda Becker. Students are asked to answer questions concerning immigration and then compare issues of today with those in the late 1800's. |
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Rockford DBQ
Link to DBQ
Using the documents in the power point above, students will be able to analyze primary and secondary documents in order to compose an essay about Rockford's industrial past. |
Rockford History Bingo
Bingo
A fun culminating activity for students following a study of Industry in Rockford!! |
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Social Changes in the Early 20th Century: Immigration and Women's Suffrage
Lesson Plans and Activities
In this unit by Scott Church of Guilford, students will be asked to focus on the two dominant themes of immigration and women's suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th century. Comparisons will be made to the present day, as well as earlier times in American history in reference to both themes. The unit will culminate with the students creating an illustrated story in Power Point which will tell the story of a girl/young woman in Rockford who is the daughter of Swedish immigrants, and who becomes involved in the women's rights movement. In addition to downloading the lesson plans and activities linked above, you will also want to download the following three items: two are Power Point presentations, the first is needed to model an illustrated story, the next to provide necessary information on Swedish immigration in Rockford. The final link contains additional data on Swedish immigration to Rockford. |
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Demonstration Power Point for an Illustrated Story
Demo PPT
This Power Point demonstrates to students what an illustrated story is. In this case, Scott Church has created his own "migration" story to model for students what their final product should look like. |
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America's Little Sweden
PPT on Swedish Immigration to Rockford
Use this Power Point with students to share background on Swedish Immigration to Rockford and the impact the Swedes had on the growth of the city. |
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Creating an Activity Book on the History of Rockford
PPT on Rockford History
This unit on Rockford History was designed by elementary teacher Bobbi Koch for her Montessori students. After studying about the history of Rockford, the children will be asked to create their own "Pocket Book" illustrating the birth of Rockford. Directions for creating this activity book are found toward the end of the slide presentation. |
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Immigration in America
PPT on Immigration
This unit created by Frank Giardono of Eisenhower was designed for 8th grade students, but could be adapted for elementary and high school students as well. Use the links below to find the lesson plans which accompany this presentation on Immigration, as well as information on analyzing political cartoons based on immigration. Several political cartoons are also included in the sheets you will want to download! |
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Immigration in the United States
Lesson Plan
The purpose of this unit on Immigration is to enable students to understand the impact of immigration on our country. Students will be asked to analyze primary source documents to make objective and subjective observations. |
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Analyzing Political Cartoons Based on Immigration
Lesson Plans/Documents
This link will enable you to download the lesson plans and documents for analyzing political cartoons concerning immigration. Not only will students be asked to analyze the cartoons but to interpret their meaning by realizing the persuasive techniques used by the cartoonists. |
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Immigration and Industry in Rockford
Lesson Plans
Designed for 5th grade students, this unit on Industry and Immigration in Rockford was created by Sharon Keena who teaches at Washington. The unit will begin by examining socks and discussing how they were originally made by hand, then by machine, and finally they could be made without seams at the Nelson Knitting Company in Rockford. Discussion will include the growth of industry in other parts of the country as well, but will focus on the role of immigrants whose skills and hard work contributed significantly to industrial success. |
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List of Inventions
Inventions List
Download this list of inventions to use with the lessons above. |
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Unit on Jane Addams
Lesson Plan
In this unit on Jane Addams, designed by Sandi Peterson of Marsh for her 5th graders, students will read about the life of Jane Addams, write journal entries, discuss her contributions, and do a photo examination. Other assessments include creating a board game, writing a poem or rap, doing a Power Point presentation, or creating a 3-fold display. Use the links below to access information on Jane Addams and for a bibliography of sources used for this unit. |
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Introduction to Immigration--a Power Point
Paul Thomas, US history teacher at Guilford High School, created this Power Point to introduce his students to a unit on Immigration. Slides 10 and 29 are motion pictures taken by Thomas Edison and can be accessed by going to the link listed below the Standards and Assessment link. |
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WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
Power Point
An outstanding Power Point presentation created by Scott Church, AP US history teacher at Guilford. Through slides filled with old photos obtained from the Library of Congress's web site, Scott's presentation "Women's Suffrage: a Path to the Ballot Box" takes students from Abigail Adams's remark to husband John of "Remember the ladies..." through a "century of change." References are made to the first endowment of a school for girls in 1821, the opening of the first coeducational college (Oberlin) in 1841, through the days of Seneca Falls, the strides taken by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, to the successful ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920 and the right to vote! The Rockford Connection is also evident with slides on Jane Addams, Ellen Starr, and Julia Lathrop, outlining their contributions to the women's movement and reform. |
LESSON PLANS FROM SUMMER INSTITUTE 2008
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Labor Conditions in the Slater, Lowell Textile Era
These lesson plans on Labor Conditions in the Slater, Lowell Textile Era were created for 5th-8th graders by Sharon Keena, 5th grade teacher at King Elementary. Through these lessons, students will come to understand the problems workers faced in the textile industry at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Using documents, students will be able to identify the problems workers faced in New England from 1790 through the 1820's. |
Lowell As It Was
This is the book, "Lowell As It Was and As It Is," written from the company perspective, available here in Pdf format. There is an index in the text, but especially useful for the lesson plans above will be "Hours of Labor," "Comfort and Health," and "Moral Police." |
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ROCKFORD REVISITED...and to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street!
Rockford Revisited
West (now Washington!) 7th grade teacher Deb Johns has designed lessons and activities that focus on Rockford's history through the study of its old buildings with a compare and contrast, as well as a study of its former inhabitants with a cemetery study. |
| PowerPoint slideshow containing photographs of early Rockford. |
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LINCOLN: A LEADER FOR THE AGES!
Lincoln Power Point
Enthralled with the Lincoln lore acquired on his trip to Springfield in June, Lincoln Middle School teacher Jim Webb has put together a unit on our 16th President. Included in his packet of activities are a brief informational power point on Lincoln's life, a webquest for students, several reproducible sheets on terms and another set for use with historical documents, as well as a culminating activity--an online Jeoparpdy game on Lincoln! Click on the link above to view the power point, and on the links below for the other activities in Jim's unit. |
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A STUDY OF ELLIS ISLAND, PERSONAL FAMILY IMMIGRATION, & HISTORY
Immigration Study Unit
Upper elementary Montessori teacher Bobbi Koch has designed an outstanding unit on the study of Ellis Island and Personal Family Immigration. Included in her packet of materials are lesson plans for "Coming to America," vocabulary study and research, a virtual tour of Ellis Island, and a Family Immigration Scrapbook project. Students will be asked to interview an elder family member using a list of generated questions and will also research surnames and attempt to locate a family crest--or create their own! As a culminating project, students will write a paper (narrative, descriptive or persuasive) either telling a friend back in the old country what life is like in America or persuading them to emigrate. |
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ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND POLITICAL CARTOONS
Political Cartoon Activity
5th grade teacher at Beyer, Dawn Granath, has put together a unit of study on Abraham Lincoln which helps children learn about our 16th President's life as well as about differences in opinions. Click on the link above to access a lesson on Lincoln and political cartoons. The links below are lesson plans which access prior knowledge regarding Lincoln and an activity in which students create a time-line of Lincoln's life. |
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MORE LINCOLN!
Learning about Lincoln
Vit Stravinskas, 5th grade teacher at West View, has also created a unit of study based on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Clicking on the above link will take you to a set of lesson plans on our 16th President, while the link below will take you to the culminating activity, Abraham Lincoln Jeopardy! which is played by two teams with a bit of a different slant! |
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INVESTIGATING THE NOVEL "FEVER" THROUGH PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
FEVER Mini-DBQ
Approaching her first year of teaching 5th grade at Brookview, Kim Ball has created an outstanding Mini-DBQ which seeks to answer the question: Why did so many people die during Philadelphia's 1793 fever epidemic? Students will read Laurie Halse Anderson's historical fiction novel "Fever 1793," then investigate the historical aspects related to the epidemic through the study of primary and secondary documents. They will also be asked to analyze the poem "Pestilence." Complete with a hook and "bucketing" activities, this unit of study will work well with 5th as well as middle grade students. |
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CAN YOU PICTURE THIS?
"Picture This" Power Point
As the Art teacher at Rolling Green, Kathie Bridges integrates artistic expression with the study of US history. Click on the link above to view her Power Point "Can you Picture This?" which focusing on paintings of the Great Depression era and specifically the Dust Bowl scenes. Below you will find the explanation of Kathie's Mini DBQ and the lesson goals. |
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