Explore Minnesota history with videos

Teachers at a recent workshop asked us to include an article about the three videos below. You may have heard of them, but weren't sure how to find them. Here they are. Enjoy!

"North Star: Minnesota’s Black Pioneers" Video

fred jones in race car Learn inspiring stories of African Americans making a significant impact on Minnesota history. Check out video clips and download free lesson plans (grades 6-8 and 9-12). Produced by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT).

"Minnesota: A History of the Land" Video

Explore stories of Minnesota's landscape and people. Topics include clearing land for settlement, the population boom, and effects of a booming WWII economy. Co-produced by TPT and the U of M's College of Natural Resources.

Educators receive a 20% discount. Find out more, download free lesson plans (grades 6-8), and sign up for summer workshops.

"James J. Hill" Video

James J Hill speaking to crowd Get a glimpse into the life of one of the most powerful business figures of America’s Gilded Age. View a film clip. Available online and at the James J. Hill House. Co-produced by TPT and MHS.

Holocaust Exhibits Teach Tolerance

Explore two traveling exhibits from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presented at the Minnesota History Center Museum. These are to replace the originally planned “Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story” exhibit, which arrived at the History Center severely damaged.

The exhibits are appropriate and enjoyable for all students. A free curriculum, "Minnesota and the Holocaust," will soon be available for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Don't miss the accompanying program series, A Minnesota Testimony. Educators may register at the MHS member rate.

The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936

April 15 – July 4

Expose your students to a new way of studying stadium scene at 1936 Olympics World War II. Your lessons will come alive with discussion about racism, politics, and sport. The Nazi Olympics explores ways the Nazi party used these games for propaganda and military training.

"Teachers can approach this exhibit in a number of ways," says History Center Museum Manager Wendy Jones. "For example, Jesse Owens' story can spark interesting discussion. The games gave Owens a world stage to challenge racist assumptions. He was a hero for winning 4 gold medals. But then he came home to a segregated United States, where overt Jim Crow laws prevailed. The 1936 games raised questions about how America treated its citizens."

Museum and museum-plus packages available. Museum-plus classes have the option of doing a lesson with brand-new History Player Fanny Brin, a WWII Jewish civil rights activist.

To book, call 651-297-7258 or fill out our online field trip request form.

Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the

Holocaust

July 20 – October 15

Life in the Shadows depicts the desperation and courage of children who tried to escape the terrors of the Nazis. Artifacts from around the world are featured.

Museum and museum-plus packages available. Museum-plus classes have the option of doing a lesson with brand-new History Player Fanny Brin, a WWII Jewish human rights activist.

To book, call 651-297-7258 or fill out our online field trip request form.

SUMMER TEACHER INSTITUTE--DEADLINE EXTENDED

Secondary teachers, read on. Apply now for our summer history institute, brought to you by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Choose from two sessions: July 10-14 or July 24-28. NEW APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 9.

Experience "Fort Snelling: A Contentious Ground." Explore Minnesota landmarks that played key roles in 19th-century U.S. history. Meet teachers from throughout the country. Hear noted scholars. Then, put it all together and create your own classroom materials.

Your lessons on expansion, settlement, economics, and U.S.-Dakota relations will benefit from sessions at Historic Fort Snelling, Sibley House Historic Site, and the Minnesota History Center Museum.

Travel support and other subsidies provided. For more information, contact Erik Holland at 651-296-8562.

SIGN UP NOW FOR DAY CAMPS AT FT. SNELLING

Summer day camps at Fort Snelling are filling up fast! Let your students' parents know. For grades 6-8. To book, call 612-725-2407.
children at Fort Snelling

"Little House in the Big Fort," August 7-10. Students learn about 19th-century frontier life. They'll sing songs and make crafts that Laura Ingalls Wilder learned.

Civil War, July 31-August 3. Students experience what life was like for a Minnesota's Civil War soldier.

Teachers Corner: My Classroom Idea

Teacher’s Corner

FUR TRADE MURALS

Sixth graders from Norman County's West Elementary (Hendrum, Minnesota) love sharing their knowledge about the fur trade. Last fall, Deb Petersen's class spent two weeks on an art project depicting fur trade history.

student drawing of fur trade

In two groups--boys and girls--students decorated beautiful butcher-paper murals. To describe the scenes, students wrote descriptions on strips of paper.

Do you have a classroom idea you'd like to share with other educators? Please contact us with your idea. If your idea is chosen, we'll send you a free book from the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Latest and Greatest

NORTHERN LIGHTS BLOG

Calling all Minnesota history teachers! The next time you write a lesson, check the new Northern Lights blog. Are you looking for Civil War ideas? Do you create artifact trunks? You're in luck. Other teachers have already posted comments about these topics. Join the conversation.

Or, contribute your own ideas. If you find it useful in the classroom, chances are someone else will, too. Also, be sure to stop by our supplemental resources page. Current entries were recommended by teachers throughout the state.

"MINNESOTA 150" BLOG

Lend your voice. Help us create the Minnesota 150 exhibit, scheduled to open in October 2007. It will feature 150 people, places, things, and events originating in Minnesota that have sparked lasting change. What would you include? Tell us your ideas on the exhibit's blog.

The blog is well-suited for classroom use. Students can participate in informal conversations about a range of topics. Since it changes fairly quickly, the blog can be incorporated as a regular feature in a history class. Try it out and let us know how it works for you.

"We want to hear from as many people as possible as we shape Minnesota 150," says exhibit developer Kate Roberts. "Nominations are coming in steadily, but the blog gives us a way to get in touch with the public. It's an experiment for us, and I hope it takes off."