magnifier
Teach PA History
magbottom
 
Lesson Plans For Teachers
33 results

57 Varieties of Interdependence
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This elementary school level lesson looks at Henry J. Heinz, his beginnings in the food processing industry, the key questions that drive the creation of products and services, and the concepts of specialization and interdependence as they relate to business.

Dangers in the Workplace   
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

In this high school level lesson students will analyze the working conditions that existed in the Pennsylvania steel mills at the beginning of the 20th century. Students will act as members of the Pennsylvania State Legislature and, through a gallery walk, examine photographs and personal statements of steel workers about the dangers that existed in the steel mills. They will work in small groups to write a Workman's Compensation Law for Pennsylvania and then write individual letters to their constituents, explaining the need for worker safety legislation during the Progressive Era

The Birth of the American Cowboy and the Western Genre


Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; Health and Physical Education; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

The cowboy is one of the most quintessential American icons. From where did this hero come? It is unlikely that one would answer, "...from the inspiration of an upper class Philadelphian." This middle school lesson will explore the Pennsylvania author who created this literary figure so important to our national identity, uncover historical documents related to his inspiration, examine examples of his most celebrated work, and discover several traits of the western genre of literature.

Carbondale: The Biography of a Coal Town
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Mathematics
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974

In this series of four lessons students use a brief history of the growth and decline of the anthracite region in the state to create a photograph and map "peak shaped" time line. The students will learn map and photo analysis strategies to "read" photographs and maps and use information from the brief history to match and write captions for the pictures. Then they will categorize each photograph and map into one of the following categories; beginnings, peak, and decline and place them accordingly on the time line for a visual depiction of the rise and fall of the anthracite industry.

Discovering and Covering the Battle of Homestead
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This high-school level lesson explores the pivotal events of the Homestead Strike of 1892 from multiple perspectives. Using newspaper articles, cartoons, sermons, magazine covers, etchings, letters, and sworn testimony, the class will analyze four group perspectives and write an objective news article as a culminating activity.

Edible Coal Mining
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Ecology and Environment; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Science and Technology
Historical Period: New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present

Bituminous coal has been, and still remains, a crucial part of our daily lives–but do we ever think about it? It is a main source of electricity and has been used to fuel the manufacture of iron and steel. It also has played a part in the production of various items you may not associate with coal such as paint, plastics, rocket fuel, dishes, bricks, perfume, or even vitamins. Students will gain an appreciation of the many uses of bituminous coal and explore ways that this important resource is extracted from the ground. Students will then have the opportunity to create land formations displaying different types of coal mines using edible items.

Football at Carlisle Indian School: A Tool for Assimilation?
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

In 1879 an experimental school was established in Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Pratt. Its purpose was to assimilate Native American children into American society. In this middle level lesson students will use a variety of primary sources to identify the goals of the Carlisle Indian School, to determine the effectiveness of its football team in promoting the school's assimilation policies, and to identify ways in which the media stereotyped players from the school on the field.

Ida Tarbell: Hysterical Woman vs. Historical Facts
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

Investigative journalism became a movement at the turn of the century when magazines began publishing articles exposing corruption in politics and business. Ida Tarbell, writing for McClure's Magazine, was one of the premier writers in this genre as she took on John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. This lesson will ask students to examine the writings of Ida Tarbell and political cartoons of the era. They will compare circumstances at the turn of the century with government actions against monopolies today.

Invention Convention: Becoming Pennsylvania's Next Great Inventor
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History; Science and Technology
Historical Period: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

In this elementary lesson students will learn about several Pennsylvania inventors and analyze primary sources about their inventions. Then, using an "Inventor's Kit," students will create their own unique invention and simulate the patent process by making a detailed drawing and written description of their inventions.

John Wanamaker and his "New Kind of Store"
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This high-school level lesson focuses on the retail evolution from the early dry goods stores to Wanamaker's "New Kind of Store," the department store. Students will explore the history of John Wanamaker and his first true department store, the experiences of the "shop girls" who worked in such stores, and the role of advertising in making Wanamaker's a success.

Kill the Indian, Save the Man!
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

This high-school level lesson explores assimilation as it was adopted by Captain Pratt and his experimental Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Students will read background information about the controversial school and study interesting primary materials (student letters and photographs, community newspaper article, excerpt from letter to the Commissioner of Indian affairs, and an enrollment tally of Indian nations at the school). Through these sources students will uncover how assimilation was instituted in school policy and some of the resulting benefits and consequences. Students will ultimately "assimilate" this information in an essay responding to one of several quotes.

Lattimer Massacre: What's Beneath the Surface?
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

Students will analyze ethnic and labor issues surrounding the Lattimer Massacre to determine how the event contributed to the growth of unions. Students will role play to simulate the fact that "coal miners in both the anthracite and bituminous regions proved adept at organization as well as strikes, as they formed hundreds of small local assemblies with the problems of their trades."

Life in a Coal Patch
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History
Historical Period: New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present

In this elementary lesson students will explore daily life in a bituminous coal patch through many photographs and oral histories of the people who lived there. As a class, students will use these resources to create one poster describing life in a coal patch town. Then using the poster to inform their writing, students will also create a short story imagining themselves to be a part of a coal mining family in one of several historical situations.

The Most American Thing in America: The Chautauqua
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Arts and Humanities; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

This lesson explores the cultural and educational phenomenon of the late 19th century- early 20th century Chautauqua movement and its role in Pennsylvania. Students will examine photographs, postcards, advertisements, and programs of various Chautauquas to determine the movement's activities and purpose. In addition to an interpretation of primary sources, students review and use concepts from the Progressive/Populist era to plan their own Chautauqua.

The Most Dangerous Woman in America? The Mock Trial of Mary Harris "Mother" Jones
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

In this middle school lesson students will participate in a mock trial simulation in which they will argue the character of Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and the effect she had on others. Students will include Jones' labor strategies in Pennsylvania (various coal mine strikes; the March of the Mill children of 1903; and the Great Steel Strike of 1919) in the mock trial to decide if Mother Jones should speak freely on behalf of workers' rights or be locked up as America's "Most Dangerous Woman." Students will use images, letters, and excerpts from Mother Jones' autobiography to decide her fate.

Oil and Its Everyday Uses
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Science and Technology; Mathematics
Historical Period: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

Students will explore the properties of oil through an oil viscosity investigation. They will hypothesize, experiment, collect data, graph, average, and finally draw conclusions about oil. Through video, pictures, teacher demonstrations, materials found on the Internet, the students will be draw conclusions on how oil has changed our everyday lives. Next, in cooperative groups the students will research oil and the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania. The unit will then be summarized by students presenting their research findings orally and in writing.

Oil: Impact of a Resource
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Geography; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

Probably no other natural resource has had the impact on both American society and the modern world as did the discovery of how to extract and refine petroleum. The story of this process, which shaped our modern world, begins in Pennsylvania, in Venango County at Drake's Well. This lesson explores the early development of the oil industry.

Onomastics (Ono-what?) of Baseball Team Names and Mascots: What's In a Name?
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974

In this lesson, students will learn the meaning of the word "onomastics." Referring to onomastics, students will learn about the origin of 3 baseball team names - Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Athletics, and Philadelphia Phillies. Students will then create team names and mascots for their own class, supporting their decisions with a clear explanation of the value of their choices.

The Outrage of Ordinary Men: Pennsylvania's Role in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

In this high school lesson students will learn about The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 through analysis of several primary sources documents from the time period. The students will participate in a hearing simulation to determine the cause of the violence that occurred during the strike

Palmer Raids: Reasonable Reaction or Hysterical Hype
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

In this high school level lesson students will analyze the causes of and reaction to the First Red Scare in America through examination of political cartoons, photographs, and written statements from key individuals, including Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. Students will express their own opinion about the reaction to immigration by the federal government and the American public in a newspaper editorial.

Patchtowns: Big Industry, Little Towns
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945

The phenomenon of the coal company town will be studied, showing the advantages and disadvantages for both the company and the employees.

Pennsylvania Boxing : Living the American Dream
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present

This lesson plan focuses on several Pennsylvania boxers and considers the important ways in which factual and fictional accounts of boxers in the state have interacted to create a unique boxing history. The lesson then asks students to make a connection between the individual life experiences of these boxers and their boxing careers and to see their experiences in light of the American Dream.

Pennsylvania's Iron Furnaces: Forging the Industrialization of the Nation
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History; Mathematics
Historical Period: Colonization and Settlement - 1601-1760; New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

In this upper-level lesson students will identify key concepts of the industrial revolution and use those concepts to analyze the industrial advancement of Pennsylvania's iron industry. By completing a case study of iron furnaces from two different time periods and analyzing images of the iron industry, students will be able to identify the industrialization process at work.

Persistent Paths: Trails, Tracks, and Turnpikes Across the Alleghenies
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Geography; History
Historical Period: Worlds Meeting-Beginnings to 1600; Colonization and Settlement - 1601-1760; New Nation - 1761-1800; Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present

Students will discover that Native American paths were the blueprints for modern transportation routes throughout Pennsylvania, and in particular, in crossing the Allegheny Mountains. They will analyze a series of maps to determine geographic barriers associated with crossing the mountains and will establish how Native Americans and later travelers overcame these barriers. Journal entries from a traveler will be read and analyzed to provide a first hand account of what it was like to travel across the Allegheny Mountains in the early 1800s. A historical overview of transportation will be provided and students will discover how geographic features provided the foundation for Native American paths, as well as modern transportation routes.

Religious Communities: 19th Century Harmonists
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: History
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

The Second Great Awakening saw religious revivals sweep through the United States during the early decades of the 19th century. Pennsylvania had and still has several notable examples of various religious communities. The lesson will compare various communities to the Harmonists of Old Economy.

Roebling and Suspension Bridges: A Thread of Steel
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History; Science and Technology
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This middle-level lesson will use both historical documents and scientific procedure for students to explore the legacy of the Pennsylvanian engineer John Augustus Roebling and the workings of a suspension bridge.

Show Me the Money: Labor/Management Issues in Professional Baseball
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History; Mathematics
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928

This high-school level lesson plan explores how a restrictive labor market affected player salaries and led to the rise of a player union. Students will compare 19th century baseball player salaries with the salaries of working people during that time period, read and analyze the contrasting statements of John Montgomery Ward and baseball owners, and then, debate and evaluate the merits of both the player and management positions. As a concluding assignment students will compare the salaries of union and non-union employees.

Site and situation: Right Place at the Right Time
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Economics; Geography; History
Historical Period: Expansion and Reform - 1801-1855; Civil War and Reconstruction - 1856-1876; Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; The Emergence of Modern Pennsylvania - 1901-1928; The Great Depression and World War II - 1929-1945; Post-WWII Pennsylvania - 1946-1974

Choosing the correct site for the location of a settlement or manufacturing facility can be crucial to the success of the venture. This lesson leads students through the process of using maps to evaluate the site and situation for the location of the Pennsylvania Railroad shops. Students will also evaluate the success of the selection by analyzing growth of population and manufacturing in the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. Further evaluation will be made of changes that have occurred with the pullback and abandonment of the railroads.

W. Atlee Burpee and the "Seeds" of Becoming an Entrepreneur
Grade Level: Middle School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; History; Science and Technology
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This middle level lesson looks at three components of a successful mail-order business: mail service, quality products, and effective advertising. Students analyze these aspects of the W. Atlee Burpee seed company and apply their knowledge to create a business plan of their own.

Water, Water Everywhere: The Johnstown Flood
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Ecology and Environment; Geography; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

Students will develop presentations focusing on the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Through research they will learn the history of this event, including the economic and environmental impact, and societal effects of the flood.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Economics; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

In this high school lesson students will have the opportunity to explore competing theories of wealth and social responsibility, as expressed in the late nineteenth century. Through examination of primary sources, students will develop an understanding of varying approaches to the problem of wealth. Afterward, they will express their own interpretations and propose solutions to the questions raised through written, verbal, and creative expression.

Whoo-oo! Whoo-oo!
Grade Level: Elementary School
Discipline: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; Geography; Health and Physical Education; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900; Contemporary Pennsylvania - 1975 to Present

Generations of Pennsylvanians were raised to the whistles, and later, the horns of railroads. Railroad whistles play an important role in safe travel. In this elementary lesson, students will study and practice basic railroad whistle sounds and explore the issue of personal safety around railroads.

Working Where the Sun Never Shines
Grade Level: High School
Discipline: Civics and Government; Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening; History
Historical Period: Development of the Industrial Pennsylvania - 1877-1900

This high school lesson focuses on the working conditions faced by individuals who worked in the coal mines in southwestern Pennsylvania during the mid-eighteenth and nineteenth century. Students will have the opportunity to analyze photographs, newspaper articles, petition letters, and other documents that give evidence to the poor working conditions faced by miners. Once students uncover these working conditions, they offer their own solutions to these concerns and then turn their attention to examine how miners and labor unions in history addressed those working conditions.

Back to Top