These lesson plans include those developed by the staff of KSHS and other Kansas teachers. All of these lesson plans emphasize the use of primary source materials, most of which are from the collections of the Kansas Historical Society and can be found in Kansas Memory. The Read Kansas! curriculum lessons are also linked from this page.
Elementary lessons
• Read Kansas!
primary
• Read Kansas!
intermediate
Middle school lessons
• Read Kansas!
middle school
The Territorial Kansas Online lesson plans below address
specific requirements of the
Kansas Curricular Standards for Kansas and United States History. The lessons plans incorporate documents from this web site.
This Guilty Land (Grades 6-8)
Students investigate John Brown's complex personality and controversial actions in Kansas Territory.
Rights and the Wyandotte Constitution (Grades 6-8)
Students explore the fundamental civil rights granted to Kansans under the state's constitution, the Wyandotte Constitution.
Dear Wife & children every one (Grades 6-8)
Students use one of John Brown's letters to examine his role in the 1856 Battle of Osawatomie.
Popular Sovereignty and the Lecompton Constitution (Grades 6-8)
Students examine the debate over the Lecompton Constitution as a way to understand the implementation of popular sovereignty in Kansas Territory.
The People of Kansas: Where did they come from and why did they come? (Middle and High School)
Students seek to understand the origins of emigrants to Kansas and many reasons they settled in the territory.
The People of Kansas: Who are they and why are they here? (Middle and High School)
Students study the settlement experience through first-hand accounts of pioneers to Kansas Territory.
Town Development (Middle and High School)
Students explore town development and how it was affected by the conflict over the extension of slavery into the territory.
Sectionalism and the Kansas-Nebraska Act (Middle and High School)
Students examine the impact of popular sovereignty on the creation of Kansas as a state.
Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty, and Secession (Middle and High School)
Students investigate the sequence of national events that resulted in the Civil War.
Kansas History (all grades)
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/history/index.html
Other Fun Games and Activities:
Play the Kansas Symbol Game
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-symbols-game/11515
Kansas Trivia - Test your knowledge with these Kansas trivia questions in PDF format at easy, medium, and difficult levels. Separate PDF files contain the answer pages.
http://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-trivia/15057
Play Junior Detective - We are on the trail of some famous Kansans. Track the clues and see if you can solve the mystery!
http://www.kshs.org/p/junior-detective-series/16507
Play the Amelia Earhart Game - Test your knowledge of Amelia Earhart, a famous Kansan. She was one of the most famous women aviators. She spent much of her childhood living with her grandparents in Kansas. She was always adventurous and eager to show her abilities.
http://www.kshs.org/p/amelia-earhart-game/16475