Browse lesson plans

Changing communities: Past vs. future

In this lesson, students will learn about the geographical, political, and technological issues that have influenced change in mountain communities using oral histories by Madison County residents. They will learn about the history of road building in the North Carolina mountains and the relatively recent decision to connect two halves of interstate highway in Madison County. They will compare and contrast the negative and positive changes that road construction has brought to the region, and listen to oral histories of locals who have experienced both good and bad effects.

Format: lesson plan

The Great Depression: Impact over time

In this lesson students listen to oral history excerpts from Stan Hyatt from Madison County and evaluate how the Great Depression affected one North Carolina family over time.

Format: lesson plan (multiple pages)

Interstate highways from the ground up

This lesson gives students a first-hand opportunity to hear about the planning and effort it takes to build a highway by through an oral history of a North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) resident engineer.

Format: lesson plan (multiple pages)

Where have we been? Tracing family through a timeline of national history

In this lesson, students are introduced to examples of how wars and technological developments have impacted the movement of people throughout United States and world history. Using a timeline, students will begin to connect historical events with the people they impacted. They will then investigate where their families fit into history in both time and place.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Social Studies)

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Connecting oral history to geography: The changes of Madison County

In this lesson for eighth grade social studies, students read about the history of Madison County and listen to associated oral histories. They then draw conclusions about the changes over time in the county and relate those changes to changes in their own... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

Provided by: UNC Libraries