The Civil War ended in 1865. From 2011-2015, Civil War sesquicentennial events took place around the nation. The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium used the opportunity to feature two exhibits on the critical role that the river played during the Civil War. Both exhibits highlighted contributions to the war effort by the surrounding…

Designed to help Illinois teachers bring local history into the secondary social studies classroom, this manual contains reproductions of 38 county records from the years 1818 to 1880. Each document, which is reproduced in an original and typewritten form, is accompanied by a teacher's guide containing an outline of the historical context of the…

Presents a complete lesson plan examining the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois. Background material covers the African American community in Springfield, as well as the incident. Handouts include a map showing the black neighborhoods in Springfield and a questionnaire concerning moral decision making. (MJP)

The essays and annotations in this publication provide an opportunity for citizens and students to consider not only the history of the Northwest Ordinance but also basic and enduring issues in U.S. political life. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part provides a background to the Ordinance and its passage by the Confederation…

Reviews the legal history of including religion in the curriculum and maintains that religion may have been the most important determinant of human behavior throughout history. Outlines an instructional model based on California and Illinois state histories and includes four themes that structure the model. (CFR)

Presents an excellent lesson plan discussing the repressive racial legislation that remained enforced in Illinois even after the repeal of slavery. Background material also covers the black communities' response to these racist laws. Includes teaching suggestions, handouts, and activities. (MJP)

Encapsulates a complete lesson plan suitable for secondary, U.S. history, social studies, or African American history courses. Begins with a concise overview of the development of a residential and business community among the African Americans in post-Civil War Cairo, Illinois. Includes teaching suggestions, learning activities, and handouts.…

This document consists of six lesson plans and primary source materials on the history of black people in the Illinois cities of Bloomington and Normal. The plans were developed for the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project which concentrates on recovering and recording the history of blacks in those two cities. These pilot editions are…

This volume consists of an annotated bibliography of children's literature about the states bordering on the Great Lakes. The items are grouped by state, and each listing includes suggested learning activities. The states included are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The 95 literature selections about Illinois focus on…

This curriculum considers the social history of Illinois during the years of 1836-1861 by studying Abraham Lincoln's legal papers from his time as a lawyer. Nearly 100,000 documents have been discovered in the archives of local, county, state, federal courts, libraries, and other repositories. The documents include detailed information about the…

Asserts that, although middle school students have rudimentary map skills, they typically dismiss old maps as worthless. Describes the use of outdated and inaccurate maps as instructional resources in social studies courses. Concludes that the approach was valuable and helped students learn about the concept of change over time. (CFR)