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Teacher submitted lesson plans

These lesson plans include those developed by the staff of KSHS and other Kansas teachers. All of these lesson plans emphasize the use of primary source materials, most of which are from the collections of the Kansas Historical Society and can be found in Kansas Memory

Submit your own lesson plans

We invite teachers to submit lesson plans that use primary sources from our collections. Use this format to submit your lesson plan for consideration. For further information or to submit your lesson contact kshs.education@ks.gov.

Elementary lessons

Community Landmarks

Explore Your Community: Topeka Landmarks (3rd Grade) by Nicole Houser, Pauline Central Primary, USD 437.

This lesson focuses on identifying historical landmarks within the community of Topeka, Kansas.  Students will use primary and secondary source materials and virtual tours to learn about Burnett’s Mound, the Kansas State Capitol, the Charles Curtis House, Cedar Crest, the Brown vs. Board of Education site, and the Great Overland Station and will apply their knowledge by working in small groups to create a tourist advertisement for Topeka landmarks in the form of a poster, a brochure, or a commercial.

 

Chase County Courthouse - Page Chase County Courthouse (3rd grade) by Carrie Riggs, Chase County Elementary, USD 284, Strong City, KS.  Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson is designed specifically to introduce students to the Chase County Courthouse, but can be used as a model to help students identify and understand why a site is a landmark in any area. Students will read expository text looking for main idea and supporting details.  They will use a graphic organizer to compile these details.  The students will then use this graphic organizer to write a summary of the text.  This lesson includes a field trip to the Chase County Courthouse and is designed to take three class periods.

 

Civil War Monuments of Southeast Kansas (5rd grade) by Mary Kilcher, Pittsburg.  Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson is designed to teacher students how to participate in public service.  The students will examine Civil War monuments in Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties in southeast Kansas.  The students will locate factual information from images of these monuments.  Through a field trip to these monuments the students will subjectively examine these monuments using a rubric.  This will give students experience in the nuances of fact and opinion.  This lesson and field trip encourages cooperative learning.  The students will draw the conclusion that building, maintaining and examining monuments is a civic responsibility.  This lesson is presented as a pre and post field trip learning opportunity.  It should take two class sessions and one field trip.

Famous Kansans

Monroe School in Topeka, Kansas - Page A Famous Kansan and a Famous American (1st grade) by Audra Gragg, Rochester Elementary, USD 345, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop, 2012. This lesson will introduce the children to one famous Kansan and one famous American.  Both of them struggled with segregation and used nonviolent means to help end some of the injustice both in Kansas and America.  The students will also learn to use primary and secondary sources to compare and contrast these two people.  It can be completed in two class periods.

 

Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis Notable Kansan:  Charles Curtis (4th grade) by Jennifer Tillberg, Soderstrom Elementary, USD 400, Lindsborg. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop, 2011.

This lesson will give students the opportunity to explore primary and secondary sources related to Charles Curtis' life.  Then, by reading an article about Curtis, students will prove or disprove their inferences made during the study. The lesson plan is intended to cover two to three days.

 

 

 

Statehouse statue, Topeka, Kansas - Page Pete Felten:  Kansas Sculptor (4th grade) by Traci Henning, USD 489, Hays. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson is designed to introduce primary sources through artifacts, to teach students about a famous Kansan, Pete Felten Jr. from Hays, Ks, and to recognize his contribution to both the Hays community and Kansas.  The lesson will take approximately two weeks to complete.  Follow up activities may include a presentation from Pete Felten and a bus tour of his local creations.

 

Kansas inventors and Innovators (4th grade) by Terry Healy, Woodrow Wilson School, USD 383, Manhattan. Developed for Kansas Historiacl Society at the Library of Congress, Midwest Region Workshop, "It's Elementary:  Teaching with Primary Sources", 2012.

This lesson is designed to teach students about inventors and innovators of Kansas.  Students will read primary sources about Jack St. Clair Kilby, Clyde Tombaugh, George Washington Carver, and Walter P. Chrysler.  Students will use a document analysis sheet to record information before developing a Kansas Innovator card.

 

Life Then and Now

Who, What, Where, When, Why (Kindergarten) by Nancy Fusaro, West Indianola Elementary, USD 345. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this less is for students to learn the difference between making a comment and asking a question, and learn to use questions to get information.  Students will answer and ask questions about historical photographs in order to understand how things change over time.

E.J. Pyles' reservoir, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas - Page I Need Technology in Kansas  (Kindergarten) by Amy Dobbins, Whittier Elementary, USD 500, Kansas City.  Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson helps students identify technology in the past from primary source photographs, discuss how it compares to the present and explain how it meets or met people’s needs. Students will also identify a technology in the present which helps fulfill one of the categories of human needs. They will then draw an original picture and explain how this technology makes life better.

 

Henry Ford"Innovations and Automobiles" (2nd grade) by Rose Meyers, Indian Hills Elementary, USD 437, Auburn Washburn School District, Topeka, KS. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson is to explore the impact of automobiles and the innovations that have changed them over time. It also shows how automobiles have changed our lives.  There is a PowerPoint presentation that accompanies this lesson--Innovations and Automobiles.

 

Kansa Indian school boys - Page Daily LifeThen & Now (2nd grade) by William Schmelzle, Valley Falls Elementary, USD 388, Valley Falls.  Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson is to have students recognize and understand the similarities and differences between their daily (modern) life and the daily lives of people in the past.  The students will use primary sources to compare and contrast the daily lives of students in schools/learning (Plains Indians, a pioneer, and modern day student). The lesson can be completed in three class periods.

 

Valley Falls Public School, Valley Falls, Kansas - Page Kansas ClassroomThen & Now (2nd grade) by Mary Williams, Meadow Lane Elementary, USD 233, Olathe.  Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson introduces students to classrooms of the past.  students will use photographs to compare and contrast classrooms in the twentieth century and today.  Students will read diary entries written by a student and a teacher in the late 1800's to understand point of view.  Students will write a diary entry from a teacher or student perspective for a specific time period.  This lesson is designed to take two class periods of about 45 minutes.

 

Tennessee Town Kindergarten, Topeka, Kansas - Page Kansas SchoolsThen and Now (2nd grade) by Courtney Otter, Sunset Hill Elementary, USD 497, Lawrence. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson allows students to use primary sources to find out what schools were like in early Kansas.  Students will use photographs as their primary source to compare and contrast early schools and their own school.  Students will use a Venn diagram to record their findings.  They will have opportunity to work in small groups to share information and practice their listening skills.  Finally, they will demonstrate their knowledge by completing a writing project. The lesson is designed for three days.

 

Children at their desks, Cimarron, Kansas - Page School in the Past and Present (2nd grade) by Mollie Wold, Chase County Elementary, USD 284, Strong City. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson helps students to compare their school with those of the past.  They will use photos and an actual visit to a one-room schoolhouse to learn about schools of long ago.  They will write a journal entry of their visit to the school. This lesson is planned for three days including the trip to the one-room schoolhouse.

 

Comparing My Life to Pioneers and Plains Indians (2nd grade) by Jodi Berthelsen, Walnut Grove Elementary, USD 233. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson is to have students identify the similarities and differences of their daily life to the daily life of a Plains Indian and a pioneer child focusing on family and home, education, transportation, and daily responsibilities.  Students will select photographs to represent each category for the present day, Plains Indians, and pioneers.  They will create a daily life collage for each and write a brief descriptive caption under the photographs.  This lesson can be completed in three class periods.

 

Kansas: Home, Sweet Home! (Grade 2), Tisharra Hale, Hope Street Elementary Program, USD 501, Topeka, KS. Developed for Kansas Historical Society at the Library of Congress, Midwest Region Workshop, 2012

This lesson reinforces the concept of now and then. Students compare a dugout (type of shelter) constructed by early settlers in Nicodemus, Kansas to their own homes. Using that information, they will discuss the concept of enduring through adversity by comparing hardships they encounter today with ones encountered by those early settlers. The students complete the lesson by cutting 3 items from magazines that would have made the settlers’ homes more comfortable and efficient. This lesson is designed to take place over 3 days (45 minute lessons) but can be adjusted to fit the teacher’s needs.

 

 

Indian Communities (3rd grade) by Tammy Haught, Whittier Elementary, Kansas City, Kansas, USD 500. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson is designed to teach students about four different Indian tribes that settled in Kansas.  Students will be expected to examine, analyze and create a diorama of a typical tribal community.  Students will compare and contrast the different Indians tribes through the use of primary and secondary resources.

 

Great Plains Indians  (4th grade) by Lindsay Henderson, Cottonwood Point Elementary, Overland Park, USD 299. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

Students will learn about the Plains Indians.  They will be focusing on buffalo as their natural resource.  They will then look at different items Indians used the buffalo for such as clothing, homes, and tools.  Students will then discuss whether or not buffalo were considered a renewable or nonrenewable resource.  The students will write a persusasive letter to the governor from the point of view of an Indian persuading him to stop the buffalo hunters from killing the burfalo, or from the point of view of an Indian buffalo hunter to continue to hunt the buffalo.  The students will look at a winter count of a Native American story, the create a winter count of their life.

 

Miami County agricultural and mechanical fair - Page Kansas County Fairs through the Years (4th grade) by Linda Wiersman, Sunflower Elementary School, USD 368, Paola, KS. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson allows the students to work with primary sources.  Several primary sources are presented that give clues to the experience of attending a county fair over one hundred years ago.  This lesson helps the students find clues in the primary sources.  Using the primary sources, students will compare and contrast local entertainment from the past to the present.  In addition, students will successfully demonstrate the acquired knowledge orally and in written form.  The lesson is presented over a three-day time frame and contains differentiation and extensions to meet the individual needs of the learners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas Census 1855

Lives and Livelihoods in Kansas in the 1800s (4th grade) by Karen Ward, Sunflower Elementary School, USD 497, Lawrence. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson focuses on the life of the individuals that lived on a Kansas family farm.  By examining different 1855 Territorial Kansas censuses students will come to the conclusion that most settlers during this time were farmers.  Students will also read three different diaries from early pioneers.  Students will practice finding facts and making inferences about the roles and duties of various family members within the pioneer family.  This lesson is designed for four class periods.

 

Slave Auction

Making Inferences about History Using Primary Sources (5th grade) by Nena Pierce, Concordia Middle School, USD 333, Concordia. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2012.

The purpose of this lesson is for students to look at parts of primary sources in order to make inferences and draw conclusions.  They will learn the history is someone's story about the past.  It can change through interpretation and the discovery of new facts in the form of primary resources.  Students will work in groups to make inferences about a primary source and learn about the interpretation of history.  This is a set of three 45-60 minute lessons.  The lesson plan can be suited to fit multiple grade levels and curriculum subjects.

 

Civics and Government

Saluting the flag

The Pledge of Allegiance (1st grade) by Donna Blattner, Pawnee Heights, USD 496, Rozel. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson teaches students that the Pledge of Allegiance is a national symbol. Students will discuss ways of saying the Pledge of Allegiance, develop vocabulary, and use word recognition strategies to locate words.  This is a thirty-minute lesson with an optional extension activity.

 

 

Capitol, Topeka, Kansas - Page Who's the Boss? (Kindergarten) by Kim Bruening, McEachron Elementary, USD 501, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

Students will learn through primary sources the chain of command that we all must live under.  Students will consider rules and laws starting with their homes and then moving to the school, city, state, and federal government.  They will discuss the rules in each form of government.  Students will then think about rules they believe should be in effect at their home or school, and write proposals for those rules to be presented.

 

 

“Who’s Your Mama? OR Who’s Your Leader in Your Family, School, State and the United States of America?” (Kindergarten) By Mary M. Good, Skelly Elementary School, USD 490, El Dorado, KS. Developed for Library of Congress Midwest Region “It’s Elementary: Teaching with Primary Sources” 2012

This lesson provides opportunities for students to compare leaders and their responsibilities in various situations from the child’s own home to President of the United States. Students will compare and contrast leadership skills by taking a rigorous look at qualities of leadership. Students will learn questioning skills as they have the opportunity to hear the duties and obligations of such leaders as the school principal, superintendent, and city mayor. As they progress through the interviews, the students will develop charts that show the responsibilities of each and draw a picture of each person. Finally, students will enrich themselves by noting their own leadership qualities and successfully demonstrate those consistently. The lesson is planned for two weeks but may vary depending upon availability of interviewees.

 

United StatesKansas children in Colonial era costumes Symbols--The American Flag (1st Grade) by Carlin Smith, PaulineCentral Primary, USD 437, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize the students with common symbols of the United States, specifically the American flag.  They will study primary sources to learn how the flag has changed over time.  Students will also learn flag etiquette and various places that flags are commonly flown.  As an end product the students will create an American flag with their own written description to accompany it.

Weather

Tornado, Topeka, Kansas - Page Kansas Weather (1st grade) by Elizabeth Weber, Irving Primary Center, USD 365, Garnett. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the different weather that occurs in Kansas.  The lesson will show students pictures of past weather events in Kansas.  It will also have students make observations about the current Kansas weather.  The lesson is divided into five sections that can be taught over the course of five or more days.

 

 

 

Civics and Constitution Day

Alexander Hamilton's notesThe Constitution in a Box (5th grade) by Rene' Appelhans, Highland Park Central, USD 501, Topeka.  Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012. 

This lesson uses primary resources that will help the students learn about the Constitution of the United States.  Learning is presented in a mystery/clue format that involves cooperative groups.  Each group will be given none clues to use in discussing and making predictions related to the mystery item.  when all groups have made their prediction of the mystery item, the teacher will reveal what the mystery item is (Constitution of the United States).  A self assessment of the lesson is provided for students to record their learning.  The activity is designed to last 15 to 30 minutes.

 

The Constitution, Say What? (5th grade) by Orella Hosack, MarshallConstitution Elementary, USD 389, Eureka.  Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

By discussing classroom rules, the students will learn that rules are a vital part of our world.  This will lead to the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of the land. By using dictionaries to find synonyms for difficult words, the students will work to restate the Constitution in more easily understood words without losing the original meaning. The students will rewrite the Constitution in their own words, while learning the difference between primary and secondary sources.  This lesson will also work well for a Constitution Day lesson for upper elementary and middle school students.  It is designed as a seven day plan, but it can be modified to fit your needs.

 

Wyandotte Constitution - 1Constitutions for One and All (4th grade) by Kimberly Bayless, McCarter Elementary, USD 501, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson is designed to supplement the annual celebration of Constitution Day.  Students will work with partners and in teams of four to compare and contrast Articles 1-3 of the constitutions of the United States and Kansas.  Students will use text versions of both constitutions to find details of each article.  Then students will compare and contrast the constitutions.  The lesson is designed to take one class period of approximately 45 minutes.

 

Washington's home Mount Vernon

 

Founding Fathers (5th grade) by Denise Robison, Junction Elementary, Turner USD 202, Kansas City.

This lesson is designed to help students identify important Founding Fathers of our country and their contributions.  Students will choose a Founding Father to research using primary sources, the Internet, books, etc., and create clues from primary sources, artifacts, household objects to present a "Life in a Box" activity.  The lesson is intended to take three days with an assessment on the fourth.  It also may be expanded to include important persons in the early history of Kansas. Rubric for presentation and Founding Father Powerpoint are also available.

 

Signing the ConstitutionOur Government  (4th grade) by Kristin Kneisler, Lyndon Elementary, USD 421, Lyndon. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson is to give the students an overview of the Constitution and how it relates to the government.  The students will also learn how the government works together to run a nation using the Constitution.  They will also learn the functions of the branches of government. To relate this concept to state government the students will compare and contrast the principal buildings of each branch.  In the end groups of students will develop a presentation which will illustrate their knowledge of the three branches of government.  These lessons are set up for 45 minute sessions for approximately six days.

The Times, anno, 1793

The Timeline of the Constitution (5th grade) by Rita Hinck, Whitson Elementary, USD 501, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress/KSHS Workshop 2012.

This lesson uses images to help students become familiar with some of the important events in America’s history which led to the writing of the Constitution of the United States. Using  primary and several secondary images students will learn how to “read” a picture and draw conclusions.  Reading the image will be conducted through an activity called “magic eye.” Students will create their own timeline to put these events in order. This lesson will take between 45 to 60 minutes, depending upon the time allowed for discussion and research.

Trails

Wolf River ford, Kansas TerritoryDaily Life on the Oregon-California Trail (4th grade) by Rochelle Rey, Pauline South Intermediate School, USD 437, Wakarusa. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson is designed to teach what daily life was like for people traveling the Oregon-California Trail.  Students will learn the hardships faced by travelers and what supplies were necessary for the trip. Students will view pictures and read journal entries written by people traveling the trail during the late 1800s and then create their own journal entry as if they were traveling on the trail.

Why Did People Travel on the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails?

(4th grade) by Teri Fulton, Whittier Elementary, Kansas City, Kansas, USD 500. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The purpose of this lesson will be to have students understand that people traveled through Kansas in the mid-1880's using the Santa Fe and Oregon/California trails for specific purposes. The student will be able to identify the trails on a map using geographic skills and make critical decisions while viewing photographs and drawings of the time period.  Finally, the student will be able to identify the main idea of the lesson and write about their findings.  This lesson will take one class period of approximately 60 minutes.

Daily Life on the Santa Fe Trail (4th grade) by Randi Arensman, USD 437, Auburn-Washburn, Pauline South Intermediate. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

The lesson is designed to be part of a unit to compare and contrast the Oregon-California and Santa Fe Trails.  The students will complete the Read Kansas! lessons I-6 Trade and Travel on the Overland Trails and I-7 Life on the Trails.  Then students will focus on the hardships on the Santa Fe Trail.  Finally the students will create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two trails and write a paragraph to show which trail he/she would choose when traveling to the West.  The lesson is designed to take five class periods but can be adjusted to meet individual needs of the classroom and the students.  Suggestions for modifications for special education students and extensions for higher level learners and gifted students are included.

Cowboys and Cowtowns, (3rd grade) by Judith Brown, USD 327, Ellsworth/Kanopolis. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson teches students about the history of Kansas cowtowns and the role of the cowboy in Kansas history.  Students will learn about the cattle drives, the cowboys who worked them and the end goal of reaching the railheads to sell cattle and ship them to other parts of the country.  They will use both primary and secondary sources to gather information.  They will retell the information by drawing pictures that represent the cowboys and their equipment.

Middle school lessons

Civics and Government

Stele of Hammurabi's CodeLaws and Rights: From Code of Hammurabi to U.S. Constitution (6th grade) by Carrie Weber, Midland Trail Elementary, USD 202, Turner. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

Students will study primary and secondary sources related to the formation of laws and rights of people through both the Code of Hammurabi and the U. S. Constitution.

 

 

 

World Maps

Comparing World Maps (6th grade) by Muffy Fehr,  Iola Middle School, USD 257, Iola.  Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This lesson will teach students that maps have changed over time with the acquisition of geographic knowledge of the world through exploration.  Students will review background knowledge related to maps and then compare a modern day world map with maps from earlier times.  Students will work in small groups and be assessed individually.  This lesson will take one 49-minute class period, but can be adjusted as needed. Resource table

Statehood and the Civil War (1854 - 1865)

John Brown - Page Struggling for Kansas (7th grade) by Midge Schmitz, French Middle School, USD 501, Topeka. Developed during the Library of Congress Midwest Region/KSHS Workshop 2011.

This research based lesson is designed to familiarize students with some of the people who participated in the struggle for equality in Kansas.  It will help the students to understand the concept of popular sovereignty as it relates to the settlement of Kansas Territory. The students, by comparing and contrasting, will gain an understanding of the dispute over Kansas entering as a slave vs. anti-slave state.  The culmination of the group research will be multi-media presentations.

 

$200 Reward! for runaway slaves - Page Underground Railroad (7th grade) byJulie Nemechek, Olathe School District.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress:  "Not Just Flyover Country: Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", 2016.

No overview submitted.

 

 

 

 

Territorial Kansas lessons from Territorial Kansas Online

The following lesson plans were originally prepared by the Education and Outreach Division, Kansas State Historical Society for Territorial Kansas Online. The standards cited in the pdf form of the lesson plan were those from the 1999 Kansas State Standards. On this preview of the lesson we have made every attempt to match them to the 2013 Kansas Standards for History, Government and Social Studies and the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy.

This Guilty Land investigates John Brown's complex personality and controversial actions in Kansas Territory.

Rights and the Wyandotte Constitution explores the fundamental civil rights granted to Kansans under the state's constitution, the Wyandotte Constitution.

Dear Wife & Children Every One uses one of John Brown's letters to examine his role in the 1856 Battle of Osawatomie.

Popular Sovereignty and the Lecompton Constitution examines the debate over the Lecompton Constitution as a way to understand the implementation of popular sovereignty in Kansas Territory.

The People of Kansas: Where did they come from and why did they come? seeks to understand the origins of emigrants to Kansas and many reasons they settled in the territory. This lesson plan also correlates with People of Kansas:  Who are they and why are they here?

The People of Kansas: Who are they and why are they here?  studies the settlement experience through first-hand accounts of pioneers to Kansas Territory. Some of the primary sources used in this lesson are the same as those in "The People of Kansas:  Where did they come from and why did they come?"

Town Development explores town development and how it was affected by the conflict over the extension of slavery into the territory.

Sectionalism and the Kansas-Nebraska Act examines the impact of popular sovereignty on the creation of Kansas as a state.

Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty, and Secession  investigates the sequence of national events that resulted in the Civil War.

 

Kansas: To the Stars through Difficulty (1865-1890s)

Demise of BisonThe Demise of the North American Bison (Middle School) by Lucinda Evans, Topeka School District, USD 501. Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

Buffalo also known as North American Bison roamed the Great Plains in huge numbers and supported the Native American culture of the Plains.  Buffalo hunting for profit and for sport became important to the economy and the culture of the post Civil War Plains.  In this lesson students will discover the daily life of someone who chose to hunt buffalo for a living in the 1870s near Dodge City, Kansas. The lesson is a multidisciplinary lesson that incorporates history, science, math and language arts. There is a PowerPoint, Home on the Range: Demise of the North American Bison that accompanies this lesson. This lesson is designed to take four days.

Buffalo hides in Dodge City, Kansas - Page

What Are the Positive and Negative Effects that the Westward Movement Had on the Native Americans of the Plains and Early Frontiersmen on the Buffalo Herds by Jayme Secrest, Greeley Elementary, USD 365, Greeley, KS. Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

This lesson allows the students to work with primary sources.  Several primary sources will be presented that will give the students some clues on how the buffalo herds impacted the Native American's of the plains and the early Frontiersmen.  Using primary and secondary sources, students will compare and contrast how the buffalo impacted both positively and negatively each group.  In addition, students will successfully demonstrate their knowledge of what they have learned orally and in written form to explain why the buffalo played an important role int he westward movement.  This lesson is presented over a two day class period, but can be expanded according to student needs.

Exodusters in Floral Hall, Topeka - Page Immigrants and Immigration to Kansas (7th grade) by Tracy Light, Topeka School District, USD 501. Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to a variety of immigrant groups that settled in Kansas and the reasons for their immigration.  It will go further in depth and use primary sources to help students compare and contrast different groups.  This lesson will help the students with cooperative learning by working with partners and groups, and participating in class discussions.  Students will practice close readings, interpreting photos, graphs, charts, and documents.  This lesson is designed to take place for 1-2 weeks, however it can be adjusted to meet your timeline.

"Mr. G. Hopper, Kansas" - Page Overcoming Hardships on the Plains: Using Humor to Cope with Disaster

(Middle School) by Donna Johnson, Dodge City Middle School.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress:  "Not Just Flyover Country: Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", 2016.

This lesson uses one set of primary source documents to give students an understanding of the real devastation caused by grasshopper plagues.  It uses an additional set of primary source documents to demonstrate how Kansas settlers sometimes used humor to cope with disaster.  The students will evaluate and analyze all documents to identify specific examples of the ways farmers responded to the devastation they faced as a result of grasshopper invasions.  Based on their analysis, they will use creative writing skills to author their own letter, poem. or newspaper article. They will also create original art which illustrates their written work.  The lesson is designed to be completed over two or three class periods. Graphic organizer for "Excerpts of Primary Sources--Grasshopper Invasions (Day One and key)

Map of foreign settlements in KansasSettling Kansas (7th grade) by LeAnn Rottinghaus, Rock Creek Junior/Senior High, USD 323, St. George. Developed during the Security Benefit/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2010.

Students will understand the pull factors that brought immigrants to Kansas, where groups of immigrants settled, and how propaganda influenced immigrants to come to Kansas.  The lesson uses primary sources from Kansas Memory and is written for three class periods.

The Sand Creek Massacre: Comparing Primary Sources

Colonel John M. Chivington to Major General S. R. Curtis - Page (7th-8th) grade by Kathy Harrell, 8th grade Social Studies, Tonganoxie Middle School.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016. 

The students will be familiar with the events preceding and during the Sand Creek Massacre after reading an expository text (from The Kansas Journey, by Jennie Chinn).  Students will then analyze two primary source accounts from eye-witnesses to the event using the SOAPS strategy.  One account is a letter from Colonel John M Chivington to Major General S. R. Curtis, December 16, 1864.  The other is an affidavit of John Smith, an United States Indian Interpreter, to the U. S. Military Court dated January 15, 1865. Students will then write a short account of the event from the point of view of one of the Native Americans involved in the incident.

 

The Sand Creek Massacre (8th grade) by Patti Winkler, 8th grade Social Studies, Hocker Grove Middle School, Shawnee Mission School District.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

This lesson focuses on the Sand Creek Massacre that occurred on November 29, 1864 in eastern Colorado. The lesson uses five primary source documents (newspapers and a letter, affidavit, and testimony given to a military commission) to analyze and evaluate the impact of the actions by the United States military on Native Americans. Students will use graphic organizers to collect evidence from the sources to use when writing a summary of the event. The lesson is written for two to three class sessions but can be adjusted to meet individual classroom needs.

 

Which Senate Committee Report Do We Believe?

(8th grade) by Becky Jones, Logan Junior High.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

This lesson focuses on the reasons "exodusters" left the south after Reconstruction.  Using the Senate majority and Minority Reports from 1880 as a starting point, students will participate in a philosophical chairs discussion defending the Senate Committee's reasoning behind the stands they take in their reports on "The Causes of the Removal of Negroes From the Southern States to the Northern States." This lesson is designed to take four or five class periods, but can be adjusted to meet individual class schedules.

 

Progress and Reform (1860s-1920s)

Getting Involved When You Can't Vote: Kansas  Women Reformers and Civic Englagement without Voting Rights

Mary Elizabeth Lease - Page (7th grade) by Elizabeth Troxell, USD 497, Lawrence.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

Like nineteenth-century women in Kansas, seventh graders cannot yet vote, but have many opinions on current issues. By examining the lives and work of Carry Nation, Kate Richards O’Hare, and Mary Elizabeth Lease, students will first evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches to civic engagement taken by Kansas women reformers outside of the voting booth. Students will then apply that knowledge to an expression of their own belief about their society.

 

Women's Suffrage: Arguments from Both Sides

The Awakening(7th grade) by Audrey Goebel-Hall, Topeka Public Schools.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

This lesson familiarizes students with the ideas of the women's suffrage movement and the anti-women's suffrage movement.  Students will begin the lesson by holding a class discussion to analyze a political cartoon about the spread of women's suffrage across the United States of America.  Then, working with a partner, students will analyze two documents about women's voting rights.  Each student will complete a graphic organizer using prior knowledge, inference, and contextualization skills to analyze these documents.  As an individual assessment, students will analyze another political cartoon and make connection between the passing of women's suffrage and women's equality in politics in today's world. this lesson is designed to take three days.

 

Good Times and Bad (1920s - 1940s)

A Promise for Better Kansas Living (7th grade) by Cher Greving, Logan Junior High, USD 326.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

By the early 1930s, Kansas and the country were experiencing difficult economic hardships.  Almost one-fourth of the country's population was without a job.  Franklin D. Roosevelt used "The New Deal" as a campaign tool.  The New Deal promised to provide government support to help the public with financial assistance.  FDR also promised to help support the farmers, which helped him, gain votes among the nation, especially in Kansas.  In this lesson, students will research and report on a project that was of benefit to Kansas under FDR's New Deal.

 

Kansas and a Changing World (1950s-2000s)

After School DesegregationSecond grade students at Monroe School, Topeka - Page

(7th grade) by Nancy Michele Rowley, Wichita Public Schools, USD 259.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

Most student’s schema of segregation are the photographs and stories of segregation and Jim Crow laws of the deep South, however segregation looked different in Kansas in the 1940’s and 1950’s than in the South.  This lesson is designed to address that difference, as well as fill in the gap in events between legal desegregation of Topeka schools after Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education in 1954 and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s.

 

"The More Things Change -- The More Things Remain the Same" Do You Agree or Disagree?

Changes in Pittsburg

(7th grade) by Nancy Torgler, Harmony Middle School, Blue Valley School District.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016.

This activity was designed to transition students from the learning of the 7th grade geography curriculum taught during first semester to the Kansas history curriculum taught during second semester.  It could also be used as a review of Kansas history closer to the end of the year.  Using an extensive study of cultures from around the world as a spring board, students will learn about the impact of events which changed the culture, of both Kansas and America, through the analysis of different architectural housing styles found throughout the territory and state of Kansas.  Students will work with a variety of photos and news clippings to develop a chronologically ordered timeline.  The initial activity could take 1-2 days.  The extended activity will take approximately one week to complete the research project and technological presentation.

High school lessons

Nationalism and Imperialism (1800-1910)

Great Railroad Strike 1886The Great Railroad Strike of 1886: A View into the Struggle of Laborer vs. Boss of the Late 1800's (11th grade) by Joe Hirsch, Rural Vista Junior/Senior High, USD 481.  Developed for "Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: "Not Just Flyover Country:  Exploring Kansas History through Primary Sources", Johnson County Community College/Kansas Historical Society Workshop 2016. 

The late 1800’s was filled with turmoil between people in charge and the laborers. Dubbed the “Gilded Age,” this was a time when the “common worker” banded together to show their bosses that they stood together for better work conditions and pay. This lesson focuses on the Great Railroad Strike of 1886 and how it not only affected the nation but Kansas as well. It also puts it all in context of the mood of the time period.