#HistoryTime
A Newsletter for Kansas Educators

December 2020
Virtual Classroom - John Brown and the Fight Over Slavery in Kansas
This month's Virtual Classroom features John Brown and the Fight Over Slavery in Kansas.It is for middle and high school students.

This Nearpod.com lesson can be teacher led or self-paced for students. Using primary sources, students learn about the "Bleeding Kansas" conflicts due to the implementation of Popular Sovereignty. Interactive quizzes and open-ended questions provide students the opportunity to evaluate abolitionist John Brown's role to end slavery. Students will then interpret symbols representing this time period using artist John Steuart Curry's mural, Tragic Prelude.

On January 29, 2021 Kansas will celebrate its 160th birthday! The year 2021 is also the bicentennial of the Santa Fe Trail. Traditionally, the Kansas Historical Society offers Kansas Day events for schools and the public at the Kansas Museum of History, the Capitol, and several historic sites. While it is not possible to celebrate in person this January, resources are being made available to help you create your own Kansas Day experience.

Beginning on December 1, activities, lessons, and videos will be available at kshs.org/Kansas Day in the Classroom. More resources will be added throughout December and January so be sure to check back often.

Make and Take
People who helped create the state of Kansas left a record of what Kansas meant to them in the design of our state flag. Students can learn about Kansas in 1861 by completing the state flag activity. As an extension, have students design a new state flag with symbols and images that represent Kansas today. Send them in and we will share them online.
Curriculum Corner
The holidays are a great time to teach cultural diversity. In Read Kansas! lesson P-16 “Holidays in Kansas,” students will explore customs related to holidays and ceremonies celebrated by eight different culture groups in Kansas. Crafts and recipes included.
New Virtual Tours
Are you missing field trips? We are too! The Kansas Museum of History is currently closed for in-person visits. However, we are pleased to offer guided virtual tours on many of the same topics offered previously. These live tours are broadcast using Zoom or Zoom Webinar. Tours may be viewed on one screen by a group, or students may sign in individually from remote locations.

Our staff can tailor each tour to meet your needs in 30- to 60-minute tours at $30 each. Tours require a reservation made two weeks in advance. Register online at kshs.education@ks.gov or call 785-272-8681 x415.
Don't Forget!

December 15 is the deadline for submitting entries for the Happy Birthday, Kansas! Student Photo Contest.
Traveling Resource Trunks are available to borrow. Some are adapted to use virtually.
Shop online at our Museum Store and discover a variety of Kansas made items and historical resources.
Consider giving a membership to friends and family during this holiday season. Members of the Kansas Historical Society receive free admission to the Kansas Museum of History and our 16 historic sites and discounts on merchandise.