Historic preservation, as an illuminator of U.S. history and culture, can be used to support and enhance the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools. In line with the mission of schools, historic preservation involves the maintenance of culture--the sites, structures, and objects that constitute the tangible legacy from the past and reflect…

During the Jim Crow era, separation of the races in public places was either required by law or permitted as a cultural norm. Public school systems across the U.S. south were typically segregated. After 1896, these schools were supposed to adhere to the separate but equal rule established by the U.S. Supreme Court in "Plessy v.…

Soaring mountain peaks, glaciers, deep-blue lakes, and lush forests delight the senses of visitors who drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. The construction of the Going-to-the-Sun-Road, dedicated in 1933, made this experience available to the many visitors who come to the park by car. Building this…

Beginning a journey mid-May 1804, what became known as the Corps of Discovery, under the command of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set out to investigate the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, locate a water route to the Pacific Ocean, and strengthen U.S. claims to the northwest. The 55-member group navigated a variety of terrains and…

The late 19th- and early 20th-century sculptor, Daniel Chester French, spent 34 summers working daily at Chesterwood (Stockbridge, Massachusetts), his summer studio and home. The workplace was designed specifically for creating monumental public structures, works such as the "Abraham Lincoln" that forms the centerpiece of the Lincoln…

This video pack is intended for parents, teachers, librarians, students, and travelers interested in learning about national parklands and how they relate to the nation's natural and cultural heritage. The video pack includes a VHS video cassette on Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, an illustrated handbook with historical information on…

In the 19th century, canal boats pulled along by mules carried much cargo. The canal boat was the family business, their livelihood, and their home. In Ohio, these boats glided gracefully along the Ohio and Erie Canal, heavily laden with lumber on its way north to Lake Erie where it was transferred to a lake freighter and sent to Buffalo (New…

Several hundred thousand people converged on the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) on July 16, 1969, to view the launch of the "Saturn V" rocket that would propel "Apollo 11" to the moon. The engineers and technicians watching their computer screens may secretly have kept their fingers crossed, but at two minutes before launch, a…

The Geography Educators' Network of Indiana's 2001 Exploring and Teaching Institute led 23 educators from around the state on a six day traveling adventure. Participants explored art, literature/folklore, historical sites and archives, physical environments, architecture, economics, politics, and cultures associated with the Underground Railroad…

This collection of eight lesson plans deals with the Petersburg (Virginia) U.S. Civil War battlefield. The lessons tell about slave life and plantation life in the U.S. south, and how the Civil War forever changed this structure. To do the lessons, students read primary source documents that tell the stories of three different soldiers who…

As the steward of the nation's premier historic, natural, and recreational resources, the National Park Service manages 15 unique areas within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each of these sites offers hands-on programs specifically geared to meet the needs of teachers and students. The programs support the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks…

Deep in the rugged coal fields of West Virginia, the rumble of a steam locomotive mingles with the sound of the New River crashing through its steep rocky gorge. With brakes squealing, the train passes a signal and slows for its approach into the town of Thurmond (West Virginia). This lesson plan is based on the National Register of Historic…

This lesson aims to help students understand the impact of the Klondike Gold Rush on the development of Skagway, Alaska, a town which now has a year-round population of only 800 but which hosts half a million tourists annually. The lesson can be used in units on western expansion, on late 19th- and early 20th-century commerce, and on urban…

This educational packet contains information about Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (Republic, Missouri), the site of a bitter 1861 struggle between Union and Confederate forces for control of Missouri. The packet contains the following materials: (1) Educational Group Reservation Form; (2) Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Movement Maps (six…

This educators' guide deals with preparation for and a visit to the historic location of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (Republic, Missouri), the site of the struggle on August 10, 1861, between Union and Confederate forces for control of Missouri. The guide contains the following materials: Educational Group Reservation Form; Educational…