History Time

A Newsletter for Kansas Educators

November 2022

Make and Take:

Making Hardtack

The diet of Kansas soldiers from the Civil War through World War I included hardtack. Making it is a way to pique students’ interest in the Civil War or introduce Veterans Day, but its value as a teaching tool goes well beyond that. The recipe is an opportunity to incorporate technical reading into a history lesson. Using flour milled in Kansas is a great segue into a discussion about wheat production in the state known as the breadbasket of the world. Bring STEM into your classroom with studies of food preservation and nutrition. During the Civil War some Kansas soldiers experienced scurvy due to their diet. “The scurvy is very bad at camp now, not less than 75 cases being reported and all for want of a proper diet . . .”

What is Indigenous Corn?

Almost every student has eaten corn and has a solid understanding of what corn looks like today. Indigenous corn, however, possesses unique qualities that are long gone in today’s varieties.  Preserving foodways is an excellent way of maintaining cultural practices throughout history. Explore HGSS Standard #4, societies experience continuity and change over time, with this fascinating look into the cultural and nutritional significance of traditional Indigenous corn.

Standards Based Activity:

American Indian Homes in Kansas

Standard #5: Relationships among people, places, ideas, and environments are dynamic.

Are your students learning about American Indians this month? The museum's American Indian Homes tour is now available on Nearpod.com as an interactive lesson. Students learn about the environment, view the inside and outside of a tipi, grass lodge, and earth lodge, and complete interactive worksheets.

Students will be able to answer the essential question: What natural resources did American Indians of long ago use to build houses in Kansas? This lesson is free and available on your schedule.

Meet Our Staff: Sarah Bell,

Director of the Kansas Museum of History

Sarah Bell is the new Director of the Kansas Museum of History, overseeing the education and museum divisions. Sarah started as the museum director in late September but has worked at the historical society in several different roles over the last decade. While Sarah is not a native Kansan, she has lived in the state for the past 12 years and has grown to really appreciate the rich and complex history of Kansas. Her favorite Kansas history topic is women’s suffrage and other reform movements from the late 19th century. Sarah is also on the Speakers Bureau for Humanities Kansas and loves traveling throughout the state and presenting to audiences on women’s history. Sarah has her Masters in Museum Studies and PhD in History, both from the University of Kansas. In her free time she enjoys going on walks with her family, baking for friends, and reading.

What is the Value of Artifacts

Beyond Exhibition?

As we close the current Kansas Museum of History exhibits in preparation for renovation, many people have asked about the artifacts being removed from the museum’s exhibits. Do we get rid of them? The short answer is NOOOO!

The long answer is that artifacts are part of the Kansas Historical Society collections. Researchers gain knowledge by studying the collections. Exhibits are only one way to share that knowledge by placing the artifacts into historical and cultural context.

Artifacts, such as this scarificator, give life to the past for students. What is this? How does it work? What does it tell us about medicine in the 1800s? Consider the difference between studying bloodletting tools used by a doctor who treated soldiers during the Civil War and reading about health care in the 1860s. Both are important ways of learning about the past. But which would impact your students more?

Don't Forget!

Educational videos on Kansas topics created by us for use in your classroom.

Read Kansas! are available free of charge for primary, intermediate, middle, and high school students while supplies last.

The Kansas Museum of History is closed for renovations. Although the museum is not available for field trips, our staff is here for you.

A variety of virtual tours, videos, and Nearpod lessons are available to use in your classroom. 

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. Look for a site in your area.

Traveling resource trunks are available to borrow. Reserve one now for the school year.

Student Photo Contest entries are accepted through January 9, 2023.

The Darkest Period: The Kanza Indians and Their Last Homeland