Intended as a local history unit for secondary students in southwest Missouri, materials in this packet focus on a major battle in the Civil War. After reading a narrative and examining maps of the area, students study the impact of the battle on Missouri history, learn more about the environment and cultural history of the area, and develop an…

Designed to aid K-12 teachers in preparing a unit on the West, this paper summarizes the role of black cowboys in the Arizona territory and provides strategies and resources on teaching the subject. Section 1, an introduction, contains a list of unit objectives and discussion of instructional methods and techniques. Sections 2 through 8 contain…

An eighth grade social studies unit on Maryland studies contains three sections of material. In the first section, a two-column chart matches grade-level objectives to specific activities presented in the next section. A content outline is divided into sections of presettlement history, the early and late colonial periods, pre-Civil War…

Designed for use in Iowa elementary schools, this unit introduces students to Iowa's Amana Colonies. Four lessons cover the history and cultural heritage of the colonies, daily life in historical times, daily life in modern times, and the colonies as a corporate museum. Throughout the lessons, emphasis is placed on the values and organization of…

Readings and activities in this elementary school unit are designed to introduce students to Amish culture. Specific reference is made to the Amish communities in Iowa. Four lessons focus on the history of the Amish in the United States, Amish family life, community life, and customs (such as clothing and occupations) in modern Amish communities.…

The USS Constitution, one of the original three frigates in the U.S. Navy, celebrated its 190th anniversary in 1987. To commemorate this event and to study the naval history of frigates, five exercises were created that detail the history and focus on the USS Constitution. The exercises begin with a fill-in-the-blank test that teaches students…

The Omaha Platform tells us a great deal about the objectives and character of the Populists. In this unit, the platform is converted to a problem format that U.S. history teachers can use to promote critical thinking skills in finding relevant information and evaluating inferences. (RM)

Suggests that popular ballads are a way of introducing eighth graders to an historical period and giving them special insight into history through the emotions expressed in the lyrics. Illustrates by describing the use of Joan Baez's song, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," in a Reconstruction era unit. (SJL)

Designed primarily for sixth grade students, this 2-week learning packet on Alaska can be adapted to grades 5 and 7. Material is divided into three sections. Following a discussion of how and when to introduce this unit, the teacher section contains a brief summary of each of the unit's seven lessons. The student section contains readings and…

Resource materials to help students understand the important role labor has played in U.S. history are cited in this annotated listing. The majority of the items cited are intended for secondary students and the general reader; however, some materials for elementary students are also included. The bibliography begins by describing 63 activities…

This teaching unit, one of a series of eight, describes home front activities from the perspective of one business and can be used to supplement class discussion of World War I. It can be used in one or two class periods of U.S. history, world history, sociology, economics, or business. The unit consists of a teacher's folder with accompanying…

This unit of study, one of a series of eight, provides a method for students to study U.S. history through reviewing the advertising of specific periods to learn about customers, styles, language, and interests of specific eras. The advertising of the past chronicles everyday people and everyday life. Advertising is used to examine five periods in…

This study unit, one in a series of eight, gives students examples of: (1) how a major business began in the mid-nineteenth century; (2) why and how individuals joined in financing and sharing in the growth of such a firm; and (3) how trademarks and brand names were adopted as a symbol that a firm stood behind and took pride in its goods and…

U.S. history is an ideal subject in which to inculcate skepticism and to teach critical thinking skills. High school students who read and analyze rival interpretations of history come to expect that there is more than one viewpoint to most historical topics. Sample lessons are presented. (RM)

An elementary social studies unit on slavery for Afro-American History Month. (Editor/SJL)