In the early nineteenth century, lighthouses in the United States were considered inferior to tho
Life on the Water
Grade Range: K-4
Resource Type(s): Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted:
5/21/2009
For hundreds of years, seacoasts, rivers, lakes, and canals have had a big impact on the ways America has changed as a country. By using this OurStory module from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, children and adults can enjoy exploring lighthouses and the maritime history of the United States together through children's literature, everyday objects, and hands-on activities. Focused around Keep the Lighthouse Burning, Abbie, a work of children's literature about a teenage girl who becomes a hero by running her father's lighthouse during a storm, the module includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings for further exploration.
National Standards
Historical Thinking Standards (Grades K-4)
Standards in History (Grades K-4)
Topic 2: The History of Students' Own State or Region
3A: The student understands the history of indigenous peoples who first lived in his or her state or region.
3B: The student understands the history of the first European, African, and/or Asian-Pacific explorers and settlers who came to his or her state or region.
3C: The student understands the various other groups from regions throughout the world who came into the his or her own state or region over the long-ago and recent past.
3D: The student understands the interactions among all these groups throughout the history of his or her state.
3E: The student understands the ideas that were significant in the development of the state and that helped to forge its unique identity.
United States History Standards (Grades 5-12)
Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
2: How the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed the lives of Americans and led toward regional tensions
3: The extension, restriction, and reorganization of political democracy after 1800
4: The sources and character of cultural, religious, and social reform movements in the antebellum period