Highlights Archives
It's That Time Again
Those back-to-school discounts by retailers signal that summer vacation is almost over and it's nearly time to hit the proverbial books. This is also a good time to review what the Wisconsin Historical Society can do for teachers, parents and students. As you look ahead to the school year, here are some ways we can help you connect with the past.
Arrange a Field Trip. Some 25,000 students from more than 50 counties visited the Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison last year to see and touch the real evidence of history. Similarly rich experiences are available all across the state in our nine historic sites. Make history come alive by arranging a visit.
Refresh Your Memory. What are the high points in Wisconsin history, and how do they relate to your U.S. history textbook? Dozens of short summaries of historic events and brief lives of important people are available on our Topics in Wisconsin History page. You might want to start with the Short History of Wisconsin given there.
View Historical Documents. Last year more than a million visits were made to the online collections linked on our Research page. Since then, more than 50 more original manuscripts, rare books, newspaper articles, museum objects, and pictures — totaling more than 10,000 new pages in all — have been added. These new additions give free access to hundreds of eyewitness accounts of everything from 18th-century French explorers to the 1980s treaty rights conflict.
Buy a Book. During the 2005-2006 school year, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press sold 12,507 copies of its publications to teachers, students, and readers of all ages. Check out its current offerings through our online store and watch this space for announcements of new fall books.
Take Part in National History Day. Join the 6,200 Wisconsin students and teachers at 74 schools who already participate. We'll help by hosting workshops (87 teachers came last year) or visiting your classroom to introduce students to National History Day (1,845 heard about it last year). You could join the 330 students who made research trips to the Society library and archives in Madison last year and — who knows? — you could be among the finalists going to Washington, D.C., in June to present their research. Photos and more information are on our National History Day pages.
Look at Old Pictures. Some 7,000 historic images of Wisconsin communities are now available at Wisconsin Historic Images. Is there a picture of your town or school there? Would it help make the past more vivid for your kids or your students?
Plan a Lesson. More than 100 lesson plans based on Wisconsin events and online documents are waiting for you through our Teachers & Students pages.
Look Up a Fact. The online Dictionary of Wisconsin History continues to grow, and now numbers almost 10,000 entries. See what it says about your town, the person your school is named for, or a topic you have to teach or study this fall.
Bring Us into Your Classroom. Do you have a Web site for a class, or a personal one of your own? Grab This Day in Wisconsin History overnight through our RSS feed, and you'll always arrive at class with a nugget of local history to start discussion. Or subscribe to Odd Wisconsin, our blog about strange-but-true stories from Wisconsin's past, and have two or three tales to share each week.
Sign Up for a Workshop or Program. A steady stream of workshops for teachers, genealogists, and collectors, as well as enjoyable programs for the general public, are continually updated on our Events Calendar. These are held not only at the Wisconsin Historical Museum and at the Society's headquarters in Madison, but also at our historic sites around the state. Bring your entire class or family and learn while being entertained.
Ask a Question. At the bottom of each page on our site is a link called "Contact/Feedback" that goes directly to the most suitable member of the Society staff. Never hesitate to pose a question or ask for help. We can usually reply the same day.
Tell a Friend. Do you know a teacher, parent, volunteer, or other person concerned about kids and schools? Click "Email This Page to a Friend" just under the dotted line below, and let them know how we can help.
:: Posted August 23, 2006
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