#HistoryTime
A Newsletter for Kansas Educators

April 2021
April is traditionally a very popular month for school groups across Kansas to visit the Kansas State Capitol for our guided historic and dome tours. Since tours are currently not available during the health crisis, consider taking your class on a virtual tour with these video resources:

Join Governor Laura Kelly on two virtual tours of the Kansas State Capitol. One is for elementary students, and the other is for middle and high school students. Take a journey up 296 steps to the top of the Kansas State Capitol Dome. Or learn about the history of the Kansas State Capitol and some of its most notable features with this 10-minute C-SPAN special.
The Kansas Capitol is a beautiful and historic building. Help your students get excited about learning about it with this simple story starter activity. After virtually visiting the building, murals, statues, Governor’s office, and the Legislative chambers, the students will use this “fan” to record informational sentences based on their feelings or thoughts. 
This month's Virtual Classroom features "Where is Kansas?" This Kindergarten lesson is comprised of three Nearpod lessons that can be teacher led or self-paced for students. The lesson is a virtual adaptation of our Read Kansas! lessons P-1: Living in Kansas Today, P-2: Where is Kansas?, and P-3: Kansas Symbols Bingo. Students will learn how to find Kansas on a map and how to write the word "Kansas." Students will learn to recognize the difference between rural and urban environments. Students will be introduced to eight Kansas symbols through short expository texts that are read to students.
April is Kansas Archeology Month.

Archeologists use a variety of skills to learn about the people of the past. This trunk allows sixth through eighth grade students to practice using those same skills. Students will classify pottery sherds, use observation and inference skills to examine the footprint of an excavated Wichita grass house, date the layers of a stratigraphy model and the artifacts it contains, and read ethnographic materials to gain insight into the meaning of artifacts.
Educators' Resource Fair:
Monday, August 2, 2021, 5-8 p.m.
Back by popular demand, the 7th annual teacher resource fair will be held outdoors on August 2 at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka. Museums and cultural organizations from the Topeka area will offer many new and free resources for the classroom and online. Fantastic and numerous door prizes are included, but you must be present to win. For the most up-to-date information follow TAME, the Topeka Alliance of Museum Educators on Facebook.

Questions? Contact Dené Mosier or Lois Herr.

Will your district permit fall field trips?
Please answer yes or no or you can email us with specific information.
Yes
No
Don't Forget!
Many State Historic Sites will open for the 2021 season in mid-April. Look for a site in your area.

Virtual Classroom lessons using Nearpod.com are available on Kansas history topics at no charge.
Traveling Resource Trunks are available to borrow. Some are adapted to use virtually.

Virtual Tours of the Kansas Museum of History are available. Live tours may be viewed by groups or from individual remote locations.
Shop online at our Museum Store and discover a variety of Kansas made items and historical resources.
Support the Kansas Historical Society and our educational programs by becoming a member. You will receive a quarterly magazine, free admission to the Kansas Museum of History, and our 16 historic sites, and discounts on merchandise.