1875 - 1899    Activities and Lesson Plans

Click below for printable lesson plans and activities by module.
Trial of Standing Bear The Dawes Act Susan LaFlesche Picotte High Falutin’ Beef Roots of Progressivism Solomon Butcher Photos

This page contains links to all the activities and lesson plans for the 1875-1899 unit, targeted at 4th, 8th, and 12th grade levels of achievement.

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  Click here for a printable Resources document with worksheets to help students evaluate primary sources, artifacts, etc.

All activities and lesson plans are based on the Nebraska Department of Education Academic Standards for Social Studies and History and occasionally for cross-disciplines as well. The activities and lesson plans correlate and link back to the materials contained in "nebraskastudies.org".

TRIAL OF STANDING BEAR
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
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*		   BACKGROUND ACTIVITIES  
4-8
ACTIVITY 1: Who Was Standing Bear? ESSAY
 Introduction
4-8
ACTIVITY 2: Where Was Indian Territory? MAP ANALYSIS
 Ponca Trail
of Tears
8
ACTIVITY 3: Why Were the Ponca Willing to Move? DISCUSSION
 Broken Promises
12
ACTIVITY 4: Follow the Ponca Trail of Tears MAP ANALYSIS
 Ponca Trail
of Tears
12
ACTIVITY 5: Standing Bear Photos PHOTO ANALYSIS
 Story of the Ponca
The Trial
  PONCAS DISLOCATED & ARRESTED ACTIVITIES  
4-8
ACTIVITY 1: Who Were Prairie Flower, White
                Buffalo Girl, & Bear Shield?		 WRITE A PARAGRAPH
Ponca Trail
of Tears
Arrested
8-12
ACTIVITY 2: Standing Bear & Family PHOTO ANALYSIS
Arrested
4-8
ACTIVITY 3: Pre-Trial Questions DISCUSSION
Military Response
The Trial
12
ACTIVITY 4: Compare & Contrast Trails of Tears DISCUSSION
Ponca Trail
of Tears
12
ACTIVITY 5: Standing Bear & Sergeant Rice DISCUSSION
Arrested
12
ACTIVITY 6: General Crook DISCUSSION
Military Response
  THE TRIAL ACTIVITIES  
4-8
ACTIVITY 1: Identify Participants DISCUSSION
The Trial
La Flesche Tibbles
4-8
ACTIVITY 2: Trial Re-enactment ROLE PLAY
The Trial
4-8
ACTIVITY 3: Judge Dundy Decision WRITTEN DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
The Reaction
12
ACTIVITY 4: Clothing Comparison PHOTO ANALYSIS
The Trial
12
ACTIVITY 5: Standing Bear's Farewell WRITTEN DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
The Reaction
  DECISION & REACTION ACTIVITIES  
4-8
ACTIVITY 1: Standing Bear's Release WRITTEN DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
The Decision
12
ACTIVITY 2: Standing Bear &
                Habeas Corpus		 WRITTEN DOCUMENT
ANALYSIS
The Decision
4-8
ACTIVITY 3: Who Was Henry L. Dawes? DISCUSSION
Dawes Act
12
ACTIVITY 4: Heavy Blow or Vindication of
                an Oppressed People?		 WRITTEN DOCUMENT
ANALYSIS
The Reaction

THE DAWES ACT
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
D
A
W
E
S		 8-12
The Dawes Act
LESSON PLAN: Students will analyze the pros and cons of the Dawes Act and its implications for Native Americans, and evaluate the Federal Government's Indian policy during the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century by analyzing primary documents, maps, letters, etc.
The
Dawes
Act

NOTABLE NEBRASKAN: SUSAN LA FLESCHE PICOTTE
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
P
I
C
O
T
T
E		 4
Susan La Flesche Picotte
LESSON PLAN: Students will locate electronic sources on Susan LeFlesche Picotte, identify and interpret primary and secondary sources about her, and evaluate generalizations based on supporting evidence.
Susan
La Flesche Picotte

HIGH Falutin’ BEEF
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
*
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B
E
E
F
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*		 8
Style of Ranching: Need for Infrastructure & Branding
LESSON PLAN 1: Students will explain the differences between open range and enclosed ranching and the advantages and problems of each system of ranching.
Ranching
Styles Change
12
Economics of the Early Beef Industry in Nebraska
LESSON PLAN 2: Students will summarize the impact of the Industrial Revolution in America on the cattle industry and will analyze the role of government on the economics of the Nebraska Sandhills in the late 1800s.
‘Up Breeding’ Cattle
BEEF Lesson Plans from Other Timelines
1850-1874
Beef Moves
to Nebraska		 1900-1924
Reforming
Beef		 1925-1949
Beef Goes
Modern		 1950-1974
Beef
State		 2000-2024
Nebraska Beef
Goes Global

ROOTS OF PROGRESSIVISM
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
R
O
O
T
S		   ACTIVITIES  
8
ACTIVITY 1: Political Campaign CREATE CAMPAIGN MATERIALS
Roots
8
ACTIVITY 2: Political Caucus GROUP PRESENTATION
Roots
8
ACTIVITY 3: Songs for Progressive Beliefs WRITE A SONG
Roots
8
ACTIVITY 4: William Jennings Bryan PHOTO ANALYSIS
William Jennings Bryan

SOLOMON BUTCHER PHOTOGRAPHS
GRADE
LEVEL		 LESSON PLAN
/ACTIVITY		 STORIES
P
H
O
T
O
S		   ACTIVITY  
8
ACTIVITY 1: Solomon Butcher Photos PHOTO ANALYSIS
Solomon Butcher, the Sod House Frontier
Click below to access Activities and Lesson Plans
from all the eras on nebraskastudies.org.
Pre-
1500		 1500
to
1799		 1800
to
1849		 1850
to
1874		 1875
to
1899		 1900
to
1924		 1925
to
1949		 1950
to
1974		 1975
to
1999		 2000
to
2024

 



















































Click below for a listing of individual activities, grade levels, & related stories.
Trial of
Standing Bear		 Dawes
Act		 Susan
La Flesche		 High Falutin’ Beef Roots of Progressivism Solomon Butcher Photos