Irish Immigration
Students will learn about the Great Hunger in Ireland and understand the need for emigration to the United States.  Students will also learn about the conditions the Irish immigrants faced in America during the mid 1800s, which led to their success and integration into the American society. They will accomplish this through the examination of primary source documents.

Battle of New Orleans
In this lesson, students will gain an understanding of historical perspective by considering the points-of-view of different participants of the Battle of New Orleans. When posed with the task of determining whether Andrew Jackson deserves to have a statue erected honoring his victory, the students will assume the perspective of an historical point-of-view and contribute to a classroom review board who will determine if the honor is due Jackson based upon the evidence.

Commodore Perry
This lesson focuses on the expedition of Commodore Matthew Perry and the opening of Japan to the West.  Students will utilize mapping skills, as well as the historical culture of Japan compared to their own culture.  The idea of good character will be emphasized throughout the lesson, as exemplified by Commodore Perry’s diplomacy.

German Immigration
In this lesson students will learn about the risks immigrants took to come to a new country and identify the benefits that came with those risks. 

Louisiana Purchase
In this lesson students will learn about the Louisiana Purchase, new states that entered the Union as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, the Federalists opposition to the purchase and the political impact on American relations with European powers.

Robert Fulton
In this lesson students, will be introduced to the Industrial Revolution by watching a short, animated video on www.brainpop.com. (Please note that this site requires a paid subscription. If your district does not have a subscription, the teacher should sign up for a free 14 day trial period. All computers should then be able to access the site.)  During the video, students will begin to complete a graphic organizer which has already been started for them. Next, working with a partner, students will research an Industrial Revolution era invention and present it to the class as a poster.

The Mexican War
In this lesson students will view a PowerPoint to learn about Manifest Destiny and how this philosophy influenced the United States participation in the war with Mexico.  Students will work in cooperative groups to create a timeline identifying the events leading up to the war with Mexico, and ultimately the Civil War.   Students then use a map to identify slave states and free states before the war with Mexico, and expostulate as to the reasons the North was against the war with Mexico.

The Mexican War PowerPoint

Cinco de Mayo
In this lesson, students will research the historical and cultural origins of Cinco de Mayo using a Unitedstreaming video clip and play computerized “Jeopardy” based on the information learned.

Cinco de Mayo PowerPoint

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