Battle of Little Bighorn - US History

This lesson examines the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, fought on June 25-26, 1876. Students will learn about the key events, causes, and consequences of this pivotal battle between the U.S. Army and Native American tribes. Activities include video analysis, timeline sorting, guided reading, and writing PEEKA paragraphs. The lesson concludes with a discussion on the significance of the battle and its impact on U.S. history.

Lesson Content and Activities:

Introduction:
Discuss the Battle of Little Bighorn and its significance in American history.
Introduce today’s keywords: Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne.

Video Task:
Watch videos on the Battle of Little Bighorn and write a short summary of the events.

Timeline Activity:
Sort the timeline cards into the correct chronological order of the battle’s key events.

Primary Source Analysis:
Read and analyze primary sources related to the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Complete guided reading activities.

Causes and Consequences:
Categorize and sort evidence into causes and consequences of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Relay Activity:
Work in groups to relay information about the events of the battle using a diagram with icons.

Guided Reading Activity:
Complete guided reading activity, subtitling each paragraph and noting key facts.

Storyboard Activity:
Create a storyboard for a video game featuring the Battle of Little Bighorn, focusing on the environment, characters, and actions.

Writing Task:
Write two PEEKA paragraphs explaining two consequences of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Peer Assessment:
Read through a partner’s paragraphs, highlight each PEEKA section, and provide feedback.

Class Discussion:
Share and discuss the PEEKA paragraphs.

Recap Quiz:
Participate in a recap quiz to reinforce key points from the lesson.

Resources:
Video links on the Battle of Little Bighorn
Timeline cards
Primary source documents
Guided reading text
PEEKA paragraph guidelines and planning sheet

From a series of over 50 lessons made by Wolsey Academy on the history of the United States. They provide a thorough foundation of knowledge in this vital period of world history and provide an excellent foundation for all future study. Each lesson looks to focus on a range of historical skills and exam techniques to equip students with knowledge and transferable research, analysis and study skills.
To find the complete bundle search on the Wolsey Academy website.

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