Primary Sources and Not In Our Town

 I've learned about new resources from folks responding to recent posts.

Not In Our Town

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Montana Jewish Project (MJP) giving away free book kits featuring The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate. (They still have kits available. Learn more and find a link to apply here.) In response, retired Billings high school teacher Bruce Wendt wrote to let me know about an exhibit his American Studies students created in partnership with the Western Heritage Center (WHC) on the twentieth anniversary of the 1993 outbreak of racial violence and the formation of the Not in Our Town movement in response. His students created the exhibit after conducting oral interviews and archival research. Bruce shared an article he wrote for the Ohio Social Studies Review on the project, which presents an exciting model of a museum-school partnership. (High school teachers: Could you work with YOUR local museum to create an exhibit?)

Bruce also said that his students' production "is now a traveling exhibit. If any school/teacher wanted to pair it with the book/lesson [The Christmas Menorahs], I would be happy to facilitate with the WHC (and cover transportation costs). If a teacher wanted, I have plenty of free time to come along with the exhibit." Interested? Contact Bruce to learn more and make arrangements.  

Forest Service History 

Tom Petersen with the National Museum of Forest Service History wrote to tell me that educators have created primary source based lesson plans using materials they found in the Library of Congress and at the Forest Service Museum. The lessons are posted here.