Plan ahead for the Civics Bee

The Mansfield Center is partnering with the National Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the 2026 Montana Civics Bee for middle school students. Students who participate will strengthen their civics, writing, and public speaking skills, and form friendships with other young leaders along the way!   

 A brief overview of the Montana Civics Bee:  

• 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students must submit a 750-word (max) essay proposing their ideas for improving their community by February 3, 2026.
• Top-scoring essays will be invited to participate in a regional bee in Kalispell, Helena, or Miles City in spring 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes. Finalists from each regional bee will be invited to compete in the Montana State Civics Bee in Helena in early summer 2026 for the chance to win cash prizes at the state level. Here are the contest dates:
  • Miles City Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, March 28^th 
  • Helena Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, April 11th
  • Kalispell Regional Civics Bee: Saturday, April 25th
  • Helena State Bee: Saturday, June 6^th

The winner of the State Bee will be sent on an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, DC to compete in the National Civics Bee in fall 2026 for the chance to win $100,000 towards college.  

To apply, visit the National Civics Bee webpage and create an account to access the application portal. 

Even if you don't plan on having students compete in the bee, it's worth checking out the resources the Mansfield Center has gathered, including this list of Civics Resources for Teachers and essay writing guide and prompts. Having students identify a problem, describe the steps they would take to ameliorate it, identify the support they would need to bring their idea to life, and then connect their solution to founding principles and civic virtues sounds like an amazing assignment, whether you bring students to participate in the bee or not. 

Reach out to Kate Koenig at kate.koenig@mso.umt.edu with questions! 

Free PDs from Digital Inquiry Group (formerly known as SHEG)

Longtime readers will know how much I admire the Digital Inquiry Group (which used to be known as the Stanford History Education Group). I LOVE their resources (which are free, but registration is required). They include: 

• Reading Like a Historian Lessons, that engage students in historical inquiries that teach them "how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading."  
• Printable posters. My favorite is their Historical Thinking Chart, but they also have posters that focus on specific skills: Close Reading, Sourcing, Contextualization, and Corroboration.
• Over 140 examples of what they call History Assessments of Thinking (HATs), "easy-to-use assessments that measure students' historical thinking." Using HATs throughout the year is a great way to measure student growth with specific historical thinking skills.

I'm also a fan of their professional development. Through January 5, they are offering several FREE asynchronous online courses, all of which focus on digital literacy. If you complete a course and send me your certificate of attendance, I will award you renewal units (one unit per course hour.)   

2025-2026 NHD MT Elementary Teacher Training Program

 There's another great opportunity on tap from National History Day in Montana, this time for fourth and fifth grade teachers!

Thanks to funding from the Montana 250 Commission, National History Day in Montana is recruiting Montana teachers of grades 4-5 to join a cohort that will receive training in historical research & argumentation, primary source analysis, and the National History Day project model. Participating teachers are expected to have their students complete National History Day projects by the end of the 2025-26 school year. Apply here by December 1.

Requirements:

1. Complete Bi-Monthly PD Series (10 renewal units)
   • 1 hour each
   • Attend live or watch recording (2 weeks to watch the recording)
   • Successful applicants will receive recordings for sessions that have already happened.
2. Meet for 1 individual coaching session with NHD Elementary Teacher Mentor Hali Richmond, 4th Grade Teacher in Sunburst.
   • Followup coaching available on-demand. (1 renewal unit)
3. Have students complete History Day posters by the end of the 25-26 school year.
   • Posters must focus on topics in Montana history and relate to the 2026 NHD Theme, "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”
4. Select 2 winning posters and submit 2 winning posters to NHD MT co-coordinator, Melissa Hibbard (nationalhistorydaymt@gmail.com) by the end of the school year.
   • Winning posters will be exhibited at the 2026 Montana History Conference in Billings, Montana, where a grand prize winner will be selected.
5. Exhibit winning posters at a community institution
   • This could be your public library, community center, or local museum, etc.
6. Submit 1 elementary teaching resource for the NHD Teacher Portal.

Learn more about the Elementary Division Contest here. 

Benefits:

• $250 stipend upon completion of all requirements
• 11 renewal units
• Access to NHD Teacher Resource Portal
• Ongoing mentorship from NHD coordinators, NHD Teacher Mentors, and fellow NHD teachers.

Best of, High School Edition

 In earlier posts, I sent information about your colleagues' favorite elementary and middle school lessons. Here are your high school colleagues' answers (with notes from me in brackets) to the same prompt:

• "Describe the best Montana history or IEFA lesson or project or resource you taught this year--the one you will make time for next year no matter what" and
• "Describe a great teaching strategy that you'll be incorporating into next year's classes."

Mary Zuchowski from Frazer recommends material from the Digital Inquiry Group. [I concur! They have great lessons that engage students in historical inquiry and others that teach students how to evaluate online information. They have posters you can download for your classroom on sourcing, corroboration, and contextualization and an area of their site devoted to assessments that gauge students' ability to interpret historical evidence. And it’s free if you register.]

Sage Schuett from Yellowstone County wrote: "I liked using this OPI lesson [Comparing Use of Land by Different Groups] when introducing how different peoples settled in different regions in world history this year." She also said that she opens each class with a "daily question, sometimes a riddle, most times a recollection question from a lesson in the unit to help with recall and understanding big ideas. Students answer on the same paper for 2 weeks then turn it in. It is extra credit that makes it easy for them to get some small points across the semester that add up. And students that don’t write down the questions and answers are still part of the discussion when students share their answers!"

Vicky Nytes from Superior taught parts of the Montana Women's Legal History Lesson Plan: "I adapted the lesson and mainly focused on creating a timeline. While we didn't spend as much time on this as intended it led to great conversations and my students were quite surprised about some of the answers. It was a great review for my Dual Enrollment 11th graders."

She also recommends Silent Conversations for less talkative classes. "Students create a question or talking point on a piece of paper based on an assigned source. They pass them around the room. Students have to respond to the question/comment in front of them and add their own. This continues for a certain length of time or until everyone has responded to all comments. It allows students who don't typically like to share an opportunity to share their thoughts on the assigned materials."

Michelle Meyer from Victor provided a link to a lesson that she created as part of an "Educating for American Democracy" seminar: "Hellgate Treaty of 1855: Introduction to the Removal of the Salish from the Bitterroot Valley."

Lea Whitford, an Instructional Coach in Browning, wrote: "I enjoyed sharing the Women's History Month resources provided. It inspired me to create a similar resource specific to our area and Tribe. As I shared this out it was interesting to see how the classroom teachers added to and adjusted it even more for their classrooms." [I'm pretty sure she shared Resilience: Stories of Montana Indian Women. This booklet collects essays originally written for the Montana Women's History website. It is a useful companion to the lesson Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things. You can find all MTHS women's history lessons here.] 

Anonymous answers included: 

The PBS documentary on the late Malia Kipp [Native Ball: The Legacy of a Trailblazer] has teacher resources that helped open up discussion about contemporary indigenous issues. Will definitely show the doc again!

I highly recommend making the time for the Native Filmmaker Initiative Film Club offered by Big Sky Documentary. This is a powerful engaging resource for all students at all grade levels.

In-depth, ongoing PD for teachers grades 6-12

Want to engage your class with student-driven research projects using primary sources? Want to promote more historical thinking and critical analysis? Want to engage your students in standards-based learning?  

National History Day in Montana and the Montana 250 Commission are looking for 15 Montana teachers to join an exciting professional development cohort that will begin in April 2026 and continue through April 2027. 

Participants will attend all-expenses paid workshops in April, August and October 2026, and participate in ongoing virtual trainings. By the end of the program, they will have earned a $1,000 stipend and $500 in classroom materials, 39 renewal units, and gained access to excellent FREE professional development.

Introduction to National History Day

Bozeman, April 24-25, 2026  

• Learn the ins and outs of NHD and serve as a judge at the Montana state NHD contest.
• Participants will be reimbursed for mileage and hotel. Instructions for booking will be provided. 
• Substitute reimbursement will be provided. 
• Earn 12 renewal units.

Historical Thinking through Student-Driven Research

August 11-12, 2026, Great Falls

• Learn how to introduce your students to historical thinking, research and argumentation.
• Participants will be reimbursed for mileage and hotel.
• Earn 12 renewal units

Ongoing Virtual Support and Trainings

• Attend optional monthly (virtual) mentorship check-ins to provide updates on progress and receive support during the 2026/2027 academic year.
• Attend at least three webinars from NHD’s Revolutionary Ideals webinar series. Webinars can be joined live or watched via video.
• Earn 3 renewal units

Argumentation, Reasoning, and Evidence: Constructing a Historical Argument

October 15-16, 2026, Billings

Now that teachers have launched the National History Day research projects with their students, this workshop dives deeper into  historical argumentation, developing thesis statements, and organizing historical arguments. Teachers will also discuss the importance of revision and model best practices for effective feedback.

• Participants will be reimbursed for mileage and hotel.
• Earn 12 renewal units.

Participant Expectations

• Complete all post-program surveys to provide feedback to the program.
• Engage students in the National History Day process during the 2026/2027 academic year. Teachers may engage students through an academic course, an extracurricular activity, or an academic advisory. Students will complete projects and attend an entry-level regional contest in spring 2027.
• Respond to inquiries in a timely manner and communicate any challenges to the program staff.
• Allow the use of their name and image (photographed or videotaped) in materials (printed brochures, social media, short-form videos) and press releases shared by NHD, its affiliate programs, and/or the Montana 250 Commission.

Participant Benefits

• A stipend of $1,000. This will be payable in two installments. The first half ($500.00) will be paid after the workshop in August 2026, and the second half ($500.00) will be paid after the teacher brings students to compete in an NHD contest in spring 2027 and completes the final feedback survey. 
• A classroom supply budget of $500.00 (teachers will select the items they wish to purchase for their classroom). The request process will be coordinated in fall 2026.
• Mentorship in the form of assistance from team members from the NHD National Office and the NHD in Montana program to answer questions, review materials, and provide advice.
• Thirty-nine renewal units.

Questions? Please contact Melissa Hibbard at melissa.hibbard@mt.gov or 406-444-4741.

Apply here by January 9. 

Creating Historical Documentaries

Have you heard about National History Day--the standards-aligned academic program for grades 6-12 that engages students in research topics related to an annual theme? If you are curious about the program, you can learn more from their website, or contact NHD co-coordinator Melissa Hibbard, who will be happy to answer any questions. 

Even if you aren't having your students participate in National History Day, you might be interested in this two-hour online training, designed to teach educators how to help students create historical documentaries. 

Here's the scoop, taken mostly from the press release: 

NHD is partnering with KQED and PBS Learning Media to help educators understand and use short-form video and video editing software to assist students in creating historical documentaries and student-created video content to bring the past to life and help make sense of complex historical topics. 

To coincide with the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the release of Ken Burns' new upcoming documentary, The American Revolution, educators are invited to a training to explore how student-created history documentaries can help your students share their voice, knowledge, skills, and creativity in coordination with the PBS Learning Media Youth Challenge on the American Revolution.

What educators will do during this workshop:

• Explore ready-to-use curriculum using National History Day’s 2026 theme of Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History and the Revolutionary Era as a case study
• Practice video pre-production strategies
• Start a sample mini-documentary you can use as a model with students

What educators will leave the workshop with:

• Guidance to assist students on their National History Day documentary projects
• Modifiable curriculum and resources in English and Spanish for PBS LearningMedia’s The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge (hosted by KQED)
• No-cost access to web-based video editing tools
• A copy of the presentation deck to modify and use with students
• A PDF letter of attendance–verifying 2 hours of attendance. Submit this to Melissa and she'll get you an OPI Renewal Unit certificate. Or submit it directly to your administration. 
• Ongoing facilitator support for technical and classroom implementation questions, as needed

This workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Here is the link to the information page with the link to register for the workshop.

 P.S. If you teach American history, do make sure to check out the PBS Learning Media Youth Challenge on the American Revolution--whether or not you attend this training or have any interest in National History Day. It sounds really cool.

P.P.S. Check out some of the videos Montana students made last year for National History Day!  

Funds for Field Trips

 As many of you know, we are on the verge of opening the new Montana Heritage Center, with twice the exhibit space and entirely new exhibits. The museum opens to the public on December 3, we begin offering tours on January 2, and we've started scheduling field trips. 

Even better, we've started awarding travel grants to schools! Through a generous grant from Montana Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Montana Historical Society (MTHS) kicked off the first round of the History and Travel Grant to fund forty-six applicants across twenty-two counties.

These funds offset travel costs to Helena for public, private, and homeschool collectives from across the state. Funding is awarded to schools who will travel more than fifty miles (one way) to Helena and is based on a formula that includes:

• distance to Helena
• number of students
• type of transportation

The second wave of funding is open, and MTHS is currently accepting applications until Monday, January 4 at 5 PM.

Award letters, invoices and tax information will be send to teachers and business office staff by Friday, January 16. Grant awards will be sent as checks to your school business office by Friday, February 13.

If you don’t require grant funding to travel, and you would like to reserve a date to visit the Montana Capitol, Original Governor’s Mansion, Homeland and Charlie Russell Gallery, our staff can book your fieldtrip today.

To apply for the grant, or to schedule fieldtrips, please complete this form. 

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Montana History and Civics Grant, or general fieldtrips, please call Darby Bramble at 406-444-2412 or email Darby.Bramble2@mt.gov.

Free Book Kits

Chanukah Book Kit Application 2025

The Montana Jewish Project is once again giving away book kits focusing on the anchor text, Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate. The picture book is based on a 1993 episode in Billings. After members of a hate group threw a rock through a Jewish family's window during Chanukah, the community organized in opposition. Over 10,000 Billings residents displayed pictures of menorahs in their windows as an expression of solidarity with their Jewish neighbors. The event sparked a larger movement called Not in Our Town.

We included the book and a lesson plan in our hands-on history footlocker Coming to Montana: Immigrants from Around the World. (Information on ordering the footlocker can be found here.)

The Montana Jewish Project adapted our lesson plan for their book kits, which also include a copy of the picture book, a menorah, candles, gelt (chocolate coins), and dreidels (special tops that Jewish children play with at Hanukkah). And unlike the MTHS footlocker, these kits are yours to keep. They did this last year too, and the teachers who got them loved them. 

• Preview the lesson plan. 
• Hear the book read on YouTube.
• Apply to receive one of these book kits here. Applications are due by November 16.
• Learn more about the Montana Jewish Project.

P.S. Billings social studies teacher Bruce Wendt had his students work with the Western Heritage Center to create an exhibit on the twentieth anniversary of the incident. You can read about the project here. That student-created exhibit is now a traveling exhibit that your school can borrow from the WHC. Contact Bruce Wendt for more information.  

Best of, Middle School Edition

Two weeks ago, I shared elementary teachers' favorite lessons and strategies--collected during Teaching Montana History's annual year-end survey. Here are your middle school colleagues' answers to the request:

• "Describe the best Montana history or IEFA lesson or project or resource you taught this year--the one you will make time for next year no matter what" and
• "Describe a great teaching strategy that you'll be incorporating into next year's classes."

Also find notes from me in brackets.

Dylan Huisken of Bonner wrote: "Blood on the Marias Lesson by MTHS. It requires students to do research, consider the importance of perspective, identify themes, and consider narrative/audience. There is also a deeply human aspect to this lesson, it requires students sit up a little and pay close attention and acknowledging the gravity of the lesson and their duty as historians.

Dylan also shared this strategy: For many MTHS primary sources, or any primary source, I use gallery walks. This works great with the Charles Russell lesson plan where I can display his art, but also with quotes or images about a Montana topic. For example, for homesteading I can have quotes from Hattie Big Sky, pictures of Montana farms/homesteaders, natural disaster descriptions, and other primary sources about the homesteading experience. Each different source is printed on a single sheet of paper with a number. Students rotate to different stations with a partner and a clip board and analyze a question that goes with the source, or come up with questions on their own. This is a great strategy when I want to teach the abolitionist movement because there are SO many authors I want my students to read but can't cram them all in a month. I can also break up the texts/quotes with images, and this makes it easy to differentiate for students on IEPS. So if you want students to get snippets of major works, themes, or authors, this is a good strategy.

Charlie Brown of Fairfield wrote: "I love the Atlatl project. It is fun watching the kids try and throw the dart." [See our Making an Atlatl lesson.]

Jim Martin wrote that next year he'll be incorporating Socratic Seminars and that he'd like to have a Socratic Seminar debating Frank Little and the IWW's actions. 

Michelle Meyer from Victor wrote: "I have found that I am using more stop and jots to prompt thinking. These are helpful for those that want to answer questions but need a few seconds to compose their thoughts. This small step has made discussions so much more valuable and rich." 

Mary Zuchowski from Frazer teaches Christmas Menorahs:How a Town Fought Hate, [The picture book is based on a 1993 episode in Billings. After members of a hate group threw a rock through a Jewish family's window during Hanukkah, the community organized in opposition. Over 10,000 Billings residents displayed pictures of menorahs in their windows as an expression of solidarity with their Jewish neighbors. The event sparked a larger movement called Not in Our Town.] Mary got the book and lesson from the Montana Jewish Project, who will be giving books away again this year. She says: "It was a great way to go into Christmas break as well as incorporating some Montana history into all of my classes."

These teachers shared anonymously:

Hands on gold panning [Lesson 3 of our mining footlocker has instructions for doing this in your classroom]. 

I made a digital escape room that included the montanaplacenames.org site [now on the Montana History Portal] and information on all the tribes in our state. It was very in depth and took hours for students to complete in multiple chunks.

Native Knowledge 360 continues to be a fantastic resource. I love all of the online lessons because of the interactive multimodal learning design. Some of the lessons that stand out to me are "The Fish Wars" & "Why do the foods we eat matter?". These lessons state for grades 9-12; however, I have used them in my K-8 one-room classroom. As well, this is such a powerful short video from NPR that I use every year in the classroom and make sure I watch is several times a year, too: Why Treaties Matter. 

"Poems for Two Voices". I turned the worksheets into a manipulative PowerPoint and then had them record themselves reading their poems with a partner. Kids remembered it and referenced throughout the year (using vocab from the EUs!.) It was great. 

 

America's Field Trip and Young People's Continental Congress

July 4, 2026, marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With that, opportunities are arising for students and teachers. Here are two of them.

Young People's Continental Congress 

YPCC provides an opportunity for student-teacher teams to study history and civics in Philadelphia from July 19-25. Flights, lodging, and meals provided. The program covers all flights, hotels, and meals. Participants will interact with students and teachers from across the country, explore our nation's founding, and learn how the ideals of the founding era continue to be debated, discussed, and refined over the last 250 years. Teachers can teach grades 4-12, any subject area. School librarians are eligible. Teachers can come from any type of school (public, independent, charter, homeschool). Students must be enrolled in 10th or 11th grade in the 25/26 school year. Last summer Harlowton teacher Taylor Olsen went and said her student found the experience life changing. Apply by November 14. 

America's Field Trip

America 250 is sponsoring a contest with the prompt "What does America mean to you?" Students from grades 3-12 may submit artwork or a written response. A total of 250 students will be awarded a special behind-the-scenes field trip experience this summer or a cash prize. Students will be judged in three categories (elementary, middle, and high school) and submissions will be evaluated based on Student Voice (50%), Clarity of Idea (25%), and Presentation (25%).

• Find teaching resources.
• Learn more about the contest and the prizes.
• Submit entries by March 30, 2026.

2025-2026 NHD MT Teacher Fellow Program

Thanks to a grant from the Library of Congress, National History Day in Montana is recruiting Montana teachers of grades 6-12 to join a cohort that will receive training in historical research and argumentation, primary source analysis, National History Day, Library of Congress resources, and Indian Education for All.

Participants will earn a $500 stipend, receive 3 credits and 39-56 renewal units, and access to all-expenses paid high-quality PD. 

Apply here by November 7, 2025.

Requirements for Participants

Complete Bi-Monthly PD Series (10 renewal units)

• 1 hour each.
• Attend live or watch recording (2 weeks to watch the recording)
• Successful applicants will receive recordings for sessions that have already happened.

Complete choice of online or in-person IEFA courses provided by Center of the West in Cody, WY (7-21 renewal units)

Attend History Day Regional OR State Contest as a judge OR with students (0-6 renewal units)

• See contest dates & locations

Complete Judge Training & Practice Judging (6-12 renewal units)

• In person at Regionals or State OR
• Later online if you have students competing at contests

Complete 12-week summer course in Historical Argumentation taught by Melissa Hibbard. 

• Worth 3 credits (graduate or lane-change credits, to be determined). 
• 4 live webinars (you have a week to watch the recording)
• 4 modules, all work completed asynchronously. 
• See 2025 Syllabus

Attend Summer Institute in Great Falls

• Led by Lynne O’Hara from NHD National Office
• August 4-5, 2026 (16 renewal units)

Submit 1 teaching resource for the NHD Teacher Portal

Benefits

• $500 stipend
• Enrollment fees & travel costs covered for all required PD
• 3 credits
• 39-50 renewal units
• Access to NHD Teacher Resource Portal
• Ongoing mentorship from NHD coordinators & fellow NHD teachers
• Chance to apply for scholarship to attend National Contest in June 2026

Questions? Contact Melissa Hibbard at nationalhistorydaymt@gmail.com. 

Best of, Elementary Lessons

 I can't believe it's October and I haven't shared favorite lessons yet! This is something I do every year--in spring I ask readers to tell me about their favorite Montana history or IEFA lesson or teaching strategy, the one they would absolutely use again. Then I share the responses in the newsletter. Better late than never! Here are the responses from elementary school teachers with some notes from me in brackets.

Fourth-fifth grade teacher Jodi Delaney of Helena writes: "This question is too hard - it's like choosing my favorite child! I'm looking forward to the Chinese Footlocker being available. I also love the 'No Smoking' lesson because they really have to think and the students do some real historical thinking. 'Where the Girl Saved Her Brother' is also still one of my favorites." [You can find "No Smoking" and "Rosebud Battlefield or Where the Girl Saved Her Brother" on the Montana: A History of Our Home Companion Website. No Smoking is in Unit 3. Rosebud Battlefield or Where the Girl Saved Her Brother? is in Unit 5. 

April Wills, who last year taught fourth grade in Bainville wrote: "I used the Gold and Silver trunk this year. It was amazing- Students always love the trunks. This was a new one for me and I thought the lessons were great. I plan to definitely use it next year." [Find out how to order our Hands-on Footlockers.]

Title I teacher Barb Brown from Lolo provided great details about her favorite lesson: Personal Winter Counts: Connecting the Past to the Present.

• In this lesson, students explore the tradition of the Lakota winter count, a historical record-keeping practice used by many Plains tribes. Through discussion and visual examples, students learn how winter counts were used to record one significant event for each year.
• Following the introduction, students are guided to reflect on their own lives and identify one meaningful event for each year they have been alive. Using drawings or symbols, they create a personal winter count to visually represent their unique life stories.
• This activity encourages students to connect with the cultural significance of oral and visual history, while also fostering personal reflection and historical thinking.
• Standards Alignment/Essential Understanding: SS.K12.3, SS.K12.5, EU 2.

Barb also says that "inviting a tribal historian, elder or cultural educator from a local tribe to speak about winter counts from a community informed perspective would greatly enrich the Winter Count lesson. They could share stories of actual winter counts, explain the cultural importance of oral and visual histories, and demonstrate how symbols are chosen and what they represent. This brings authenticity to the lessons, honors indigenous knowledge, and supports IEFA principles by centering native voices into the curriculum." [You can find lessons and a PowerPoint on winter counts on MTHS's Art of Storytelling webpage.] 

Some teachers chose to answer anonymously: 

• The Question Formula Technique is something I will use more next year. I will use it in more projects!
• Montana History Day Poster Contest - Had each student in grades 1+ create a poster about a history day topic. [Learn more about the Elementary Poster Contest here.]
• Mapping Montana A to Z [An abbreviated version of this lesson is included in Unit 1 of the Montana: A History of Our Home Teachers Guide.]
• One of the most powerful lessons I taught this year was a biography project on Montana tribal leaders, which helped students connect deeply with the history and living cultures of our state’s Indigenous nations. Through research and presentations, students gained a richer understanding of Native contributions while building critical literacy and communication skills. This project will remain a priority every year because it fosters respect, relevance, and real engagement. [MTHS has some biographies of tribal leaders on the Montana Biographiespage and others on the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans page, along with biographies for many other Montanans. Montana: A History of Our Home Chapter 6 also features biographies.]
• Next year, I’ll be using the “windows and mirrors” strategy to help students connect personally with IEFA content by seeing themselves (mirrors) and others (windows) in the stories and histories we explore. This approach promotes empathy and understanding by integrating Native perspectives through literature, storytelling, and discussion. It supports meaningful, inclusive learning and aligns with Montana’s IEFA goals by honoring the diversity and sovereignty of tribal nations.

 

Stay tuned for your middle and high school colleagues' favorite lessons and strategies. 

New Footlocker on Montana's Chinese History Now Available

 MTHS worked with Mark Johnson to create a new footlocker focusing on The Chinese Experience in Montana.

This is a big deal, folks! Mark is the author of The Middle Kingdom under the Big Sky: A History of the Chinese Experience in Montana, which won the 2023 W. Turrentine Jackson Award & The Caroline Bancroft History Prize. He's also the Associate Clinical Professor for Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education and a former classroom teacher who trains teachers on subject-specific methods and practice. He knows his stuff: both pedagogy and the history of the Chinese in Montana. (He's also a dynamic presenter. If you have a chance to go to one of his lectures or workshops, you should jump at it.)

It was an honor to work with Mark on this footlocker. It was great too to get input from fourth-fifth grade teacher Jodi Delany, a MTHS teacher leader in Helena whose students tested all of the lessons in her classroom. And props also go to MTHS Historian and former classroom teacher Melissa Hibbard. This was a team effort that resulted in one of the best footlockers we've ever produced.

Why is this footlocker so great? 

The objects are fabulous! Mark brought back dragon marionettes, tomb sweeping offerings, and red envelopes from Chinatown in San Francisco. There are 22 historical photos, scrolls and brushes for practicing Chinese calligraphy, copies (and translations) of letters written by Chinese immigrants in Montana back to their families in China, a teapot and teacups, a rice bowl and spoon, a red lantern, and more. Check out the pictures starting on p. 5 of the User Guide.  

The eight lessons--some of which can be done without ordering the footlocker--are engaging, educational, and standards-based. Students:

• Learn about push-pull factors and why Chinese immigrants came to Montana.
• Analyze letters written by Chinese immigrants back to their families.
• Explore pictographic writing and how to write Chinese characters.
• Analyze census data and create or read line plots, graphs, and pie charts to discover what type of people came to Montana from China and the types of jobs they worked.
• Learn about anti-Chinese prejudice and the ways the Chinese and their white allies fought back.
• Participate in a Chinese tea ceremony and discover the cultural importance of tea.
• analyze menus, photographs and advertisements to explore the history and legacy of Chinese restaurants in Montana.
• Discover ways the Chinese maintained cultural and religious practices in the face of anti-Chinese prejudice.

The activities are hands-on. They are fun. Students practice ELA and math skills and engage students with primary sources. And--for middle school and high school teachers, Mark has lessons on his website that cover most of the same topics but at a higher level.

How can you order the footlocker or find the lessons in the User Guide?    

Anyone can download any of our user guides--all of which have lesson plans that you can use without ordering the footlocker--free of charge. Find links to all the User Guides here.

You can reserve the footlocker for two weeks by selecting the date you'd like to reserve it and then completing the Footlocker Request Form. Schools pay a $25 rental fee, while the Montana Historical Society covers the cost of shipping to the next venue. After a footlocker reservation is made, we will email you an invoice with a link to our secure payment portal. Visit our hands-on history footlocker webpage for more information.  

Resources for teaching October and November Holidays

 On May 9, 2025, Governor Gianforte signed Senate Bill 224 into law, making Indigenous Peoples Day an official state holiday, alongside Columbus Day, on the second Monday in October. 

During the same session, the legislature also passed HB 591, which requires schools to engage in “commemorative exercises” on days designated by the legislature or governor as legal holidays.

In my first post on SB 224, I promised I'd continue to share resources around recognizing holidays.  

Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day

OPI's Indian Education Department has created this lesson for Grades 4-8 on Critical Thinking About the Arrival of Columbus. Their high school lesson, The Colonization Era – An Interview with Dr. James Loewen and Textbook Analysis, asks students to examine myths and challenges them to think about historical events (including Columbus Day and Thanksgiving) from multiple perspectives (Essential Understanding 6). 

Everyday Native has resources for grades 4-12 to dispel stereotypes and teach about contemporary American Indian life.

Edsitement has an elementary lesson called "What Was Columbus Thinking?" that has asks students to identify the stated aims of Columbus's voyages, characterize changes in Columbus's purposes, describe the indigenous people Europeans encountered and the results of their contact, compare the goals of early European exploration with the results, and evaluate the impact of Columbus on the indigenous people of the Americas and his legacy.

Veterans Day

I listed several resources for recognizing Veterans Day in my first post about Freedom Week, including one of my favorite MTHS lesson plans, Reader's Theater: Letters Home from Montanans at War. 

Our friends in the OPI Indian Education Program pulled together this list of resources for teaching about American Indians in the Military.  

The Library of Congress has interesting primary source sets, which include oral histories, and ideas for using them in the classroom.

• Veterans' Stories: The Veterans History Project | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress
• Veterans' Stories: Struggles for Participation | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress

And, if you are interested in having your students collect oral histories from veterans, they have information on how to participate in their ongoing Veterans History Project. If you do decide to do an oral history project, the User Guide for our Oral History in the Classroom Mini Footlocker has some really good exercises and useful advice on how to prepare your students. 

Thanksgiving

Last year Mike Jetty wrote a guest post for Teaching Montana History on Demythologizing Thanksgiving. It's still relevant. Here are some other OPI resources and/or links that Mike shared with me: 

• "American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving," National Museum of the American Indian 
• Colonization and American Indian Perspectives
• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (Grades 6-8) 

One of my favorite historical questions is "What's changed and what's remained the same?" It makes a great research question around the holidays. Here's a post I wrote with suggestions on how to engage your students in examining Thanksgiving traditions. 

StoryCorps annually puts on the Great Thanksgiving Listen. Consider having your students participate or listen to some of the stories that have been recorded over the years. 

 

MFPE in Missoula (and a Training in Sidney)

 MFPE in Missoula is going to be SO FUN, y'all! Especially the Montana Council for Social Studies kick-off event: Unseen Tours in the Heart of Missoula. On Wednesday, October 15, from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. MCSS is sponsoring 3 tours: 

• Basements & Back Alleys, a tour exploring, what Missoula downtown life looked like back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, meets in Caras Park near the Carousel. This tour calls for a range of mobility that requires climbing more than 5 flights of stairs; for this reason, it is not ADA accessible. 
• Carnal Enterprises, a tour of Missoula's red-light district--and home to many Missoulians who were pushed to the margins--meets in front of The Wilma. This tour covers about five city blocks and is ADA accessible.
• Hotels & Hooligans, a tour focused on how folks lived and recreated during the city's railroad boom, meets at Burlington Northern Plaza, at the statue of Captain John Mullan by the XXXs on North Higgins. This tour will cover about 10 city blocks. 

If you are attending MFPE, you do NOT need to check in ahead of this event. You will sign in upon arrival at the tour and earn 2 CEUs.

There's going to be great sessions on Thursday and Friday, too, including: 

• Centering Indigenous Voices
• Montana in Literature and History--Part One and Part Two
• Engaging Students through Storytelling
• Power up IEFA with PBS!
• Social Studies For All-Inclusion in Politically Heated Times
• Using Inquiry to Teach (and Unteach) History
• From Oh! Susannah to This Land is Your Land: Teaching US History Through Music
• The Women of the Montana Constitutional Convention of 1972
• EconoQuest: Exploring Montana's Industries and Opportunities on the Global Stage
• Teaching Humanities in Polarized Times
• Student-Driven Research in the Social Studies Classroom
• Wonder, Inquiry, Discovery: Unleashing the Power of Primary Sources in the Social Studies Classroom
• NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER'S HISTORY: Exploring a More Balanced Version of American History in Montana
• MT League of Women Voters Civics Education Courses
• WWII Alien Detention Center Tour at Fort Missoula

Plus, I'll be there staffing the MTHS table. 

Register today.

P.S. If you live in the eastern part of the state, teach grades 6-12, and don't want to drive all the way to Missoula, consider attending consider attending Teaching Historical Thinking through Indigenous Histories on Thursday, October 16, in Sidney. Learn more.

Grant Funds Available

Some years back, the Montana Historical Society worked with the Office of Public Instruction's Indian Education Program to offer Museum School Partnership Grants. This program paired teachers with local museums to do a large project relating to Indian Education for All. My favorite two projects were a driving tour of Apsáalooke historical sites in Stillwater County (created by Columbus High English teacher Casey Olsen's students, working in tandem with the Museum of the Beartooth) and a project designed to bring students from both Crow Agency and Livingston Elementary School together for a daylong learning experience at Fort Parker. I love the idea of bringing students from on- and off-reservation schools together to learn with and from one another, rather than competing against one another.   

Why am I writing about this? Because I thought it might inspire some of you to apply for a grant to do something similar in 2026!

The Montana 250th Commission has announced the launch of a grant program offering up to $400,000 of project funding available to Montana communities, groups, and organizations commemorating America's 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. 

Applications for grants will be accepted until October 30, 2025, with complete information and application materials available at Montana 250.

Schools are eligible to apply, and no cost match is required for successful applicants, but all awarded projects must be completed by December 31, 2026.

Know a grade 8-12 student who's passionate about history?

 If you have a student who's passionate about history, encourage them to apply to the be a member of the Gilder Lehrman Student Advisory Council.

Created in 2014, the Gilder Lehrman Student Advisory Council (SAC) is a diverse group of high-achieving middle and high school students (grades 8–12) interested in history who apply to join this elite community of like-minded individuals. The SAC now has more than 200 members nationwide and internationally. Some students have served on the SAC for over four years and extended their relationship with the Institute beyond high school graduation.

Virtual meetings are held during the school year on the second Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. ET. During each meeting, students provide valuable feedback on the Institute’s programs and materials, helping the Institute refine its outreach with the needs of young people in mind. Students are also educated about a critical document in American History from a curator in our Collection and hear presentations from guest speakers or fellow members of the SAC. Past Student Advisory Council meetings included special presenters such as Eric Foner (DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University), Rhodes Scholar Jasmine Brown on her new text Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, and General Michelle Johnson (US Air Force).

Student Advisory Council members also often serve as speakers at the Institute’s four book prizes, Board of Trustees meetings, and the annual Gala, among other special events. Students have attended book talks with notable historians such as Annette Gordon-Reed and participated in virtual Q&As with the Broadway cast of Hamilton.

Student Advisory Council membership is also a notable achievement to include on a college application. SAC alumni have gone on to attend such colleges and universities as Barnard College, Brown University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Middlebury College, Princeton University, Smith College, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Yale University.

Learn more about a few of our members here. If you have any questions about the SAC, please email studentadvisorycouncil@gilderlehrman.org. 

Apply Here

Workshop in Sidney, MT, during MFPE

Those of you who won't be able to make it to MFPE in Missoula this year--and especially if you live in Eastern Montana--consider attending this one-day workshop in Sidney for grades 6-12 social studies teachers: Teaching Historical Thinking through Indigenous Histories.

This is a FREE workshop and attending educators will receive a stipend to cover the cost of their travel (including a hotel room for those traveling over 90 miles).

At the workshop, educators will explore tribal histories of the upper Great Plains using primary sources and learn strategies for historical thinking, and student-led historical research.

The workshop is a collaboration between the Montana Historical Society, National History Day in Montana, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota. It is sponsored by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Great Plains Region, coordinated by the National Council for History Education.

Where: Sidney High School, 1012 4th Ave SE, Sidney, MT 

When: Thursday, October 16 (teachers' convention break), 9 am - 4 pm

Who: 6-12 teachers (priority given to teachers in Eastern Montana)

Benefits: travel stipend, lunch, 5 renewal units

Apply for priority consideration by October 1.

Questions? Contact Melissa Hibbard. 

More on Freedom Week

My post Freedom Week and Other Commemorations generated a lot of responses, which I love! Please keep sharing your good ideas and/or resources you like. 

Freedom to Read

School librarian Andrea Feige said that during Freedom Week she was "going to do a 'Freedom to Read' lesson that covers censorship and book bans around the country and in Montana. It usually leads to some pretty fantastic discussions with my 8th graders."  

Everyday Native

In celebration of American Indian Heritage Day in September, Indigenous Peoples Day in October, and Native American Heritage month in November, Everyday Native offers a free online resource for grades 4-12 that brings modern Native perspectives to Native American history. Based on primary sources, the resource is designed to enhance existing curriculum across many subjects, emphasizing the everyday life of Native Americans as opposed to popular stereotypes created by movies, TV, books, and news media.

The resource contains award-winning short films featuring Native youth's stories, photographs by noted photographer Sue Reynolds, poems by acclaimed Native American poet Victor Charlo, discussion questions, ideas for classroom discussion and integration, and much more. Everyday Native's new Integration Ideas content, authored by Great Falls Public School District’s award-winning Indigenous teacher Jordann Lankford, makes it even easier for educators to incorporate these IEFA learning activities into their classrooms. To access Everyday Native's free resources for your classroom, create your free account here.

National Constitution Center Resources

The National Constitution Center has launched two new resources, the Interactive Declaration of Independence and the America at 250 Civic Toolkit. These free digital resources anchor the Center’s nationwide strategy to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and inspire renewed curiosity about the founding principles that continue to shape American democracy. 

Friends of the Montana Constitution

Committed to "promoting and enhancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of the 1972 Montana Constitution; advancing civics education at all levels about the 1972 Montana Constitution; and recognizing and celebrating the 1972 Constitutional Convention and its delegates," this organization has a rich website of resources, including a chart comparing the US and Montana Constitutions. This looks to me as if it could be the basis of a great government lesson (with kids completing the chart). If you create such a lesson, I'd love to see it! 

  

Freedom Week and Other Commemorations

HB 591 added some new requirements for Montana schools, including recognizing “Freedom Week” and requiring “commemorative exercises” to be conducted during Freedom Week and on other days designated by the legislature or governor as legal holidays.

The goal of this legislation is to

• Inform “students about … the values that underpin the nation,”
• Promote “an in-depth understanding of founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Montana Constitution and their historical context and significance,”
• Make sure students “have a clear understanding of the relationship between ideas in the Declaration of Independence and key events in American history, including immigration, the American Revolution, the formulation of the Constitution, the abolitionist movement, and the women's suffrage movement,
• “Educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of the United States and the values on which the United States was founded,” and
• “Instill a sense of patriotism and civic responsibility among students.”

I’ve had some emails from teachers asking for suggestions of resources they can use. I’ll send out information down the road on holidays that fall in October and beyond, but for now, I thought I’d focus on Citizenship Day (September 17), Freedom Week (the last full week of September), and American Indian Heritage Day (fourth Friday in September).

Citizenship Day

If you haven’t already figured out something to do for Citizenship Day, consider having students see if they could pass the citizenship test.

• The National Museum of American History has an online citizenship test students can take.
• Gilder Lehrmann Institute has three versions of the test (one for elementary, one for middle school, and one for high school). The upside of using the Gilder Lehrmann tests are that students can print out their results. The downside is that when I took the test, it said that I had the wrong answer when I selected "Assiniboine" in answer to a multiple choice question asking us the name of one Indian tribe in the U.S. I've written them asking that they correct their test! 
• Here’s a good study guide and here’s the official study guide. 

Freedom Week

This seems to be a catch-all, which makes it exciting as there are lots of cool things you can do.

Recognizing Veterans

When I think about instilling a sense of patriotism and educating students about the sacrifices made for freedom, my mind turns first to veterans. (Of course, these lessons can be used for Veterans Day as well).

• Reader's Theater: Letters Home from Montanans at War (grades 7-12)
• American Indians in the Military - A Warrior Spirit (grades 7-12)
  • Warrior Spirit - article by Ellen Baumler
  • Resources for Teaching About American Indians in the Military
• Native Words, Native Warriors (about code talkers, grades 6-12)

Instilling a Sense of Civic Responsibility

• My colleague Melissa Hibbard put together this Padlet on resources to teach civics (grades 3-12)
• I believe one of the best ways to instill a sense of civic responsibility is to encourage students to take informed action (which is one of the skills listed in our social studies standards). Here’s a post I wrote back in 2021 with ideas.
• Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things! Connecting Biography to Larger Social Themes is a high school lesson that looks at the ways people have chosen to improve their communities, which hopefully will inspire an increased sense of civic responsibility.

Learning More about the Montana Constitution

To better teach about the Montana State Constitution, explore these resources, which include lesson plans for grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and high school. 

Learning about the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

• The Library of Congress has this lesson called “Created Equal?” that focuses on a few key concepts of the Declaration of Independence, beginning with the phrase "All men are created equal."
• The Digital Inquiry Group’s lesson on the Declaration of Independence asks students to critically examine the text and question the motives of its authors to answer the question “Why did the founders write the Declaration of Independence? It's lesson on the Constitution is called Slavery in the Constitution. You have to register to use DIG lessons, but it's free.
• The National Archives has these resources for teaching about the Constitution. 
• Did you know that one of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence is that King George wasn’t doing enough to protect the colonists from “merciless Indian Savages”? OPI created this lesson to ask how and why this biased language became part of one of the US’s founding documents.  

The Women’s Suffrage Movement

For a Montana connection to the women's suffrage movement, check out Hazel Hunkins, Billings Suffragist: A Primary Source Investigation. (grades 9-12) 

Montana passed women's suffrage for non-Indigenous women in 1914 (6 years before the national amendment)! You can read a short piece on Montana women's suffrage and see a map that show how your county voted here.  

The Revolutionary War and the Abolitionist Movements

I’m less up on national resources and national history, but:

• The Digital Inquiry Group has several lessons relating to the Revolutionary War (grades 8-12)
• PBS has this lesson about the Abolitionist Movement (grades 6-12)
• Melissa’s Padlet also has links to lessons on the Revolutionary War.(grades 3-12)

American Indian Heritage Day

• In celebration of American Indian Heritage Day 2025 the Montana Office is Public Instruction is putting out a call for Montana students to share their perspective regarding Indian Education for All. Students will answer the question: What does Indian Education for All mean to you? Student responses can be in the form of an art project, poster presentation, poetry, music and
  video. Be creative and have fun – this is a celebration! Projects must be submitted by September 26 along with parental permission forms to share them. Find more information here.
• OPI is also featuring a special event September 25th from 4:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m., an American Indian Heritage Day Webinar featuring Kasey Nicholson.  Kasey is a member of the A’aa’niii’nin (White Clay Nation – Fort Belknap) He is a Wellness Educator, Motivational Speaker, Powwow Emcee and Comedian.  This webinar is open to all so bring your sense of humor and see Essential Understanding 3 in action. Zoom link 
• Of course, OPI also has great lessons for all grades and subject matters.
• I also really like the lessons in our footlocker Montana’s First Peoples: Essential Understandings, most of which can be taught without ordering the trunk.

Other Ideas?

I'm interested to hear what resources, projects, programs, or lessons you and your school are using. Email me and I'll collate your responses and send them out. 

Bring Your Students to the Montana Heritage Center

 As I'm guessing you know, we've been involved in a massive construction project, which includes additional exhibit spaces, two classrooms, and all new exhibits. It's been exhilarating and exhausting, nerve-wracking and exciting, and we're almost across the finish line! The soft opening for the Montana Heritage Center is December 2 and we'll begin offering school tours of our new exhibits on January 2. 

Because we want all students to benefit from the new museum, and to be able to tour our state capitol, we have been raising money to support the cost of travel to and from Helena (stopping at points in between if you are very far away.) We are pleased to launch that program this year. 

Through a generous grant from Montana Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Montana Historical Society will be offering financial support to offset travel costs to Helena for public, private, and homeschool collective schools from across the state. Funding is awarded to schools who will travel more than fifty miles (one way) to Helena and is based on a formula that includes:

• distance to Helena
• number of students
• type of transportation

While MTHS History and Civics Grant may not cover the entire cost of your Field trip, this funding is designed to make this experience accessible to ALL schools. Applications are due by October 13. 

Apply here: MTHS School Tour Request and Grant Form

Questions? Email Darby.Bramble2@mt.gov

IEFA Training in Helena

As a kick-off for our annual history conference, we are hosting an educator workshop on September 25 from 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Cost is $35, including lunch, and attendees will earn 7 renewal units. Your school may have money for IEFA training. Registration closes Thursday, September 18, so this is short notice, but I hope to see you there!

September 25, 2025, 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M. Educators Workshop: Indian Education for All

To help educators fulfill Montana’s constitutional mandate to recognize “the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians” and endeavor to preserve that heritage through its educational institutions, this year’s educator session will provide attendees with new tools to teach about Indigenous history. OPI Indian Education Specialist Mike Jetty (Spirit Lake Dakota) will start the day with an examination of the Declaration of Independence and its reference to “merciless Indian savages.” Then, Language and Cultural Preservation Department original territories researchers Nolan Brown and Bailey Dann (Newe) will share the curriculum they’ve developed for teaching about the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, whose traditional homeland includes parts of Montana. After lunch, Dylan Huisken (2020 Montana Teacher of the Year) will provide strategies for teaching about treaties. Finally, Kathy Martin and Mary Ellen Little Mustache (Piikuni) will present the Blackfeet Medicine Show, featuring artifacts, art, stories, and games. (Lunch included)

Register now.

 

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back

Welcome back! Or if you are new to Teaching Montana History, welcome. I hope everyone had a good summer. The first posts of the school year are always business, so let's get started.

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Audio Textbooks

Both Montana: Stories of the Land and Montana: A History of Our Home are available as audio books for students who have learning differences through Learning Ally. Because we know not every school can afford Learning Ally, we have posted free, but less professional audio version of Montana: A History of Our Home on SoundCloud and Montana: Stories of The Land on YouTube. 

Finding Teaching Resources

You can find resources on the "For Educators" page of the MTHS website. They are organized by subject, as well as by skill level: Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

When Links Don't Work 

We can usually fix bad links quickly if we know about them. Will you help us identify problems by emailing me about any broken links you find? Pretty please? 

Looking for Guidance?

Need advice on how to incorporate Montana History or IEFA into your classroom or how to meet the new social studies standards? The Montana Historical Society’s Teacher Leaders in Montana History are here to help. These Montana educators have a passion for history, collaboration, and education, and they are eager to help you find resources. Each teacher leader is ready to work with individual teachers, schools, and districts and are available to consult, mentor, and present at PIR days. Learn more. 

Teaching Montana History Is on Facebook!

If you spend time on Facebook, I hope you'll join--and actively participate--in our closed Teaching Montana History Facebook group. It's a great way to connect to other teachers.