Native American and US Goverment Fight Over Land

7th grade, diane wiess rhodes, indians, kansas, land, primary sources, seventh grade

Diane's lesson is designed to help students understand the tension over land ownership in Kansas. Students will create a newspaper detailing events that created conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. government and settlers and then will articulate their opinion of this infringement.
 

Family History Project

7th grade, geography, immigrant, immigration, jim scott, kansas, seventh grade

Jim's lesson is designed to help students understand that population growth of Kansas territory was directly influenced by emigration from eastern and southern states.

 

Traveling the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails

7th grade, chad adkins, kansas, kansas history, oregon, primary sources, santa fe, seventh grade, trail

Chad's lesson is designed to review the purpose of the Santa Fe and Oregon Trail. Students will also expand their knowledge of each trail and put a plan together for a trip on each trail. This plan will include a packing list for their wagons. The students will use primary sources to help form their plans and packing list.
 

Speech discussion & Venn DIagram

discussion, graphic organizer, seventh grade, small group, speech, venn diagram

Daniel has his students compare and contrast two different speeches - FDR's address to Congress in 1941 and George W. Bush's speech to the nation in 2001. He then leads a discussion using a simple Venn diagram to help students grasp similarities and differences.

Handouts:

Video:

Kansas Railroads, Gandy Dancers and Hands-On Learning

7th grade, artifact, bill woodward, kansas, railroad, seventh grade, video

Bill uses a short video clip of railroad workers to introduce the practice of creating and maintaining Kansas railroads. Students use spike mauls and sledge hammers to drive spikes into actual railroad ties.

Handouts:
Railroad articles, resources and maps

Video:

Kansas Characters Chautauqua

7th grade, chautauqua, kansas, seventh grade

As part of their final presentations, seventh graders share information about their Kansas characters - Chautauqua style.

Handouts:
Kansas Chautauqua Assignment and Rubric