History Time
A Newsletter for Kansas Educators

May 2022
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! We have enjoyed sharing our resources with you throughout this school year. History Time will return in August.

If your summer plans include revamping your curricula, updating classroom activities, or creating new lessons look no further for ideas than the Kansas Historical Society. We have award winning lesson plans, video tours of the Kansas Museum of History and Kansas State Capitol, online primary source lessons, primary sources ready for student research, hands-on materials you can borrow, and much more. So enjoy your summer, but remember we’re here for you when you need us!
HGSS Standard #1: Choices have Consequences.

Introduce your primary students to life on the Oregon Trail through this read-along virtual storybook. Students will listen and read along to a short story about a little girl, Lucy, who travels to Oregon with her family. Lucy's family makes preparations for the trip, says goodbye to loved ones, and experiences numerous hardships throughout her journey on the trail. This video mirrors our in-person Lucy Goes to Oregon guided tour.
Help improve your students’ concentration, decision making skills, spatial reasoning ability, and critical thinking skills by having them play the Nine Men’s Morris board game. Various forms of this game have been played for centuries. An Egyptian temple has the game board carved into its stone, and Civil War soldiers played it on the ground using twigs and stones as markers. Students from intermediate grades and above enjoy the challenge presented by Nine Men’s Morris.
It's Not Too Early,
Reserve Your Traveling Trunk Now
Traveling trunks help you bring Kansas history to your classroom. This series of educational resources was created for anyone who wants a unique and hands-on way to share the rich heritage of Kansas with others. We are taking reservations through June 2023 so book a traveling resource trunk 
now for the next school year.
 
"I love being able to put something from history into the hands of my students. It's amazing. That one arrowhead can hook their attention and help them engage in the lesson better than any other teaching technique I use." - Jill, 7th grade teacher
If students pose questions you can’t answer about the types of food people carried on westward trails we can help! Richard Foss is a food historian who has written about everything from the food of immigrants in California to food in the space program. He is also a recent speaker in our Museum After Hours program. You can find his presentation on “Food on the Westward Trails” in our Museum After Hours archive.
Visitors to Fort Hays State Historic Site in Hays have probably been greeted with a smile by Tammy Younger. Tammy has worked at the historic fort since 1989 and loves her job. She enjoys meeting fellow Kansans, groups of students, and visitors from around the world. The care and maintenance of the four original buildings and the modern visitor center is her responsibility. Tammy actually became a Master Gardener to help share the fort’s story with others. She created an heirloom vegetable garden with varieties listed in Surgeon’s Reports from the 1870s. The garden is still planted each spring. 

Tammy’s favorite event at the fort is Christmas Past, an open house held at Fort Hays evenings over the first weekend in December. Period ornaments decorate Fort Hays, carolers sing, and candle lanterns line the walkways. At that event visitors can enjoy wagon rides, visit the campfire for hot apple cider and fried cinnamon apples, and munch on one of the 1,000+ cookies baked by the local girl scouts. Father Christmas and Mary Christmas even hand out small homemade cloth bags filled with candy.
Tammy is a native Kansan. She loves spending time outdoors and enjoys the beautiful views offered at Fort Hays. She, her husband, and her boxer pup Ziggy love to go fishing at area lakes and ponds. If you are in the area this summer stop by and introduce yourself to Tammy.
This Issue of the Newsletter is
Dedicated to our Director Jennie Chinn
“I am passionate about Kansas history. The state has been at the forefront of many issues important to the development of this nation.”
- Jennie Chinn
Jennie Chinn began her career as a middle school teacher. She served as the KSHS Education Director for over a decade before leading the Kansas Historical Society as Executive Director.

During her career, she authored The Kansas Journey, the award-winning seventh-grade textbook for Kansas history. More than 28,000 students across the state use this textbook to study the state’s history. She was involved in the creation of Read Kansas! lessons and co-chaired the Kansas history curriculum standards in both 1999 and 2004.

Jennie Chinn passed away on April 23, 2022. The staff appreciates her dedication to Kansas teachers and students.
Don't Forget!
Student Photo Contest – The 2022 Happy Birthday Kansas! Student Photo Contest theme will be announced this summer. Watch the website for details.

State Capitol Visitors Center offers guided tours. Self-guided brochures are available for those who want to explore on their own.

State historic sites offer guided tours. Assistance with admission and transportation costs are available at some. Look for a site in your area.
 
Kansas Museum of History provides visual and hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages.
 
A variety of virtual tours, videos, and Nearpod lessons are available to use in your classroom.  
 
Traveling resource trunks are available to borrow. Reserve one now for the school year.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Register for the June 3-18 2022 Kansas Archeology Training Program Field School at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Registration is open through May 31. It is limited by activity each day on a first come, first served basis. Several classes are offered to volunteers including Historic Preservation, Kansas Prehistory, and Geoarcheology. New participants at KATP must take the Principles of Archeology course which follows the daily orientation.

May 6, 2021; 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.; "Nacho" Average PD

Join KSHS Curriculum Coordinator, Austin Williams, and the Kansas Council for the Social Studies to network with social studies teachers in your area. In-person events happening in Topeka, Lawrence, and Wichita. Look for details at kansascouncilss.org.


Shop online at our Museum Store and discover a variety of Kansas made items and historical resources. Members receive a 10% discount in the museum store.
Support the Kansas Historical Society and our educational programs by becoming a member. You will receive a quarterly magazine, discounts on merchandise, and free admission to the Kansas Museum of History and our historic sites.