Monday, December 19, 2016

California Gold Rush PowerPoint Presentation

This fantastic, visually-engaging PowerPoint lesson resource includes 16 slides that cover everything your students need to know about the California Gold Rush!


Each slide features a picture, map, or graphic to help your students focus. The notes are simple and easy to follow, while also being a comprehensive overview of the California Gold Rush.

Specific topics, people, and events covered include:

•  Sutter's Mill
•  Trails and routes to the West
•  49ers
•  Chinese immigrants
•  Samuel Brannan, J.A. Folger, & Levi Strauss
•  Statehood for California
•  The Comestock Lode
• ... and more!


This is a truly excellent resource for teaching about the Gold Rush and will definitely help your students understand all of the key concepts!

Thanks for looking!

PS: You can download this PowerPoint along with hundreds more for ALL of US History when you become a member of StudentsofHistory.org. That gives you immediate access to lesson plan resources for the entire year of American History - from Columbus arriving through the attacks on 9/11!

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Civil War Task Cards

This is a fantastic set of 25 task cards related to the US Civil War and Reconstruction! Each task card features a question or statement that students must analyze and answer on an included response sheet.


Topics covered include battles like Gettysburg and Antietam, generals such as Sherman, Lee, and Grant, along important events, speeches, and more!

Students love to work on these while moving around the room to different stations or in pairs or groups at their desks. It is a great way to break up a lot of information.

This download includes 24 short response task cards and one longer response task card in which students analyze a quote. A worksheet for students to record their answers is included along with an answer key for your convenience.

★  You can find more great resources for teaching about the Civil War by clicking here!

Thank you so much for looking!

PS: You can download all of these Task Cards along with hundreds more resources for ALL of US History when you become a member of StudentsofHistory.org. Joining gives you immediate access to lesson plan resources for the entire year of American History - from Columbus arriving through the attacks on 9/11!

Sunday, December 11, 2016

World War 1 Reading on Christmas Truce Lesson Plan

This magical, true story from World War I tells of the famous Christmas truce that took place between German and British soldiers in 1914.


The 1 page article begins with the background to the event before explaining how and why it came to be that both sides emerged from their trenches to celebrate the Christmas holiday together.Following the article is a set of Common Core-aligned comprehension questions and an activity in which students create postcards to send home telling about the event.

Also included are ideas on a song to feature in class along with the lesson and another article about the last survivor of the Christmas Truce reflecting on the event.

Thank you for looking and Happy Holidays!

You can also find a Complete World War I Unit here with over 2 weeks of resources on the Great War including PowerPoints, projects, interactive notebooks, and more!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Civil War Battles PowerPoint

This is a fantastic, visually-engaging PowerPoint that covers the resources of both the North and South, essential knowledge about each Civil War battle, and the results.


After starting with a warm up, each slide uses fantastic images, and easy-to-follow notes to cover everything students need to know about the Civil War based on state and Common Core Standards.

All of the following Civil War battles and events are covered in the presentation:

  • Resources of the Union & Confederacy
  • Fort Sumter
  • Bull Run
  • Shiloh
  • Antietam
  • The Emancipation Proclamation
  • Gettysburg
  • The Gettysburg Address
  • Appomattox Court House
  • Effects of the War
  • And more!


This resource can also be downloaded at a discount as part of the Civil War and Reconstruction Unit Bundle. This bundle includes not just more PowerPoints, but interactive notebook pages, digital Google Drive resources, review games, primary sources, and more!

Thanks for stopping by!

PS: You can download this PowerPoint along with hundreds more for ALL of US History when you become a member of StudentsofHistory.org. That gives you immediate access to lesson plan resources for the entire year of American History - from Columbus arriving through the attacks on 9/11!