Discover the people, places, events, and ideas of Iowa history. Explore hundreds of articles, images, videos and websites. Create your own story of Iowa as you go to unexpected places and search the past and present. Travel down side trails and uncover artifacts as you explore your Iowa pathway.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Diagram/Illustration, Interactive, Lesson, Primary Source, Reading
This website provides local Iowa history, lesson plans, fun facts, resources and a timeline of Iowa history. The lesson plan’s collection includes land and built environment, native people, migration and interaction, organization and communities, work and folk life.
Material Type: Full Course, Lesson Plan, Primary Source
The Iowa Digital Library features more than a million digital objects created from the holdings of the University of Iowa Libraries and its campus partners. Included are illuminated manuscripts, historic maps, fine art, historic newspapers, scholarly works, and more. Digital collections are coordinated by the Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio.
Material Type: Primary Source, Reading
The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation mission is to educate Iowans with a focus on youth regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. This website was created to be a resource for those who want to teach agriculture to Iowa students. One of their goals is to build trust of users by being a credible site.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Homework/Assignment, Interactive, Module
Agriculture: the science, art, and occupation of raising crops and livestock for food, fiber, and fuel. Learning Fields was created to help 3rd to 5th graders and their educators learn how agriculture has changed through the years in Iowa. This website includes how livestock, crops, people and power have affected our lives.
Material Type: Primary Source, Reading, Simulation
Market to Market is a part of the Iowa Public Television. The website includes videos of feature stories and market analysis by analyst Ted Seifried. In addition, there is Market to Market in the classroom where there are videos on business, technology and science of agriculture.
Material Type: Primary Source, Reading
We are committed to preserving and promoting the state’s history and encouraging a public conversation about the story of Iowa. Our mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of Iowa history among the state’s students, scholars and general public. We have established a number of programs designed to heighten public awareness and interest in Iowa history, expand educational opportunities in Iowa history, and make this history more widely available. This site is committed to maintaining and nurturing the history of Iowa and its story. They have numerous programs to increase public interest and understanding of Iowa history. Their goal is to create more educational opportunities and make Iowa’s history more available for the public.
Material Type: Primary Source, Reading
The Geographic Alliance of Iowa (GAI) was established in 1991 with the support of the National Geographic Society (NGS). GAI is composed of K-12 teachers, college and university professors, personnel from a variety of other educational endeavors, and citizens, all of who are concerned with improving geographic instruction in Iowa. As the only entity in Iowa specifically devoted to geography education, the mission of the Geographic Alliance of Iowa (GAI) is to help ensure K-12 graduates are geographically literate citizens. To achieve this mission, the GAI provides resources and expertise to improve the geographic literacy of Iowa students. With a particular focus on K-12 education, including pre-service teachers, the GAI provides exemplary professional development opportunities that follow accepted best practices and offers a clearinghouse of accessible, high quality, standards-based curricular materials.
Material Type: Lesson Plan
The Iowa Women’s Archives holds more than 1100 manuscript collections that chronicle the lives and work of Iowa women, their families, and their communities. These personal papers and organizational records date from the nineteenth century to the present. Together with oral histories, they document the activities of Iowa women throughout the state and beyond its borders. The Iowa Women’s Archives is open to the public.
Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Primary Source, Reading
Iowa celebrated its 150th anniversary of statehood in 1996 . [Photo by Dorothy Dvorachek] Meskwaki Singers and Dancers of Tama perform on the grounds of the state capitol at the 1996 Festival of Iowa Folklife. As part of that celebration, some 150 Iowa musicians, craftspeople, storytellers, radio announcers, farmers, cooks, doctors, basketball players, teachers, scholars, and state officials participated in the Smithsonian Institution’s Festival of American Folklife on the National Mall of the United States in Washington, D.C. They demonstrated various aspects of Iowa’s cultural traditions to more than 1.2 million visitors, and received a great deal of media attention—generating some 600 newspaper articles and 50 television and radio segments. This living exposition of Iowa’s cultures was remounted on the State Capitol Grounds in Des Moines in August 1996. Over 85,000 people visited this Festival of Iowa Folklife. In addition, the festivals generated an Iowa Public Television documentary, Iowa Folks ...
Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan
Experience agriculture hands-on by visiting one of Silos & Smokestacks’ 117 partner sites. Learn about the history and rich culture of farming in America, get up close and personal with livestock and animals, or discover new and amazing innovations in the agriculture industry! Silos and Smokestacks is one of the 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and are affiliated with the National Park Service. Their mission is to tell the story of American agriculture and its significance to the world through activities and partnerships.
Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Primary Source, Reading
Teaching and Learning Iowa History represents a unique way for community members, teachers, and university students to join in the same learning experience with similar goals and curiosities. Whoever you are, we're glad you're here!
Material Type: Full Course
This website details the migration patters in and out of Iowa over the last two centuries. Includes the history of Latinos in Iowa.
Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Primary Source
Information and photos of teaching methods and devices in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of students desks and devices in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of Toys and Games used by children at home and in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of children's outdoor chores on the farm from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of girls' indoor chores at home on the farm from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of evolution of music in Iowa Schools from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
Information and photos of atlases and maps used in Iowa Schools and the community from 1870-1950 from the Collections of the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt
Material Type: Lesson, Module, Primary Source
