It Happened In Kentucky Supports Kentucky Social Studies Curriculum Standards

How?

"History is the interpretation of events, people, ideas, and their interaction over time. In order for students to understand the present and make plans for their future, they must understand the past." The K-12 Teaching Learning Center presents objectives of the state's social studies standards. "Academic Expectation 2.20: Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective. The study of history at this level includes U.S. History to Reconstruction and World History to 1500. The history of the United States is a chronicle of a diverse people and the nation they formed."

Kentucky Social Studies Standards 5.1 History is Interpretive: History is an account of human activities that is interpretive in nature.
SS-M-5.1.1 Different perspectives (e.g., gender, race,region, ethnic group, nationality, age, economic status, religion, politics) result in different interpretations of historical events.
SS-M-5.1.2 Primary sources, secondary sources,artifacts, and time lines are essential tools in the study and interpretation of history.
SS-M-5.1.3 History is a series of connected events shaped by multiple cause-and-effect relationships, tying the past to the present.

Kentucky Social Studies Standards 5.2 History of the United States:
SS-M-5.2.1 America's diverse society began with the "great convergence" of European, African, and Native American people beginning in the late 15th century.
SS-M-5.2.2 The ideals of equality and personal liberty (rise of individual rights, economic freedom, colonial governments, religious diversity, Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States), as developed during the colonial period, were motivations for the American Revolution and proved instrumental in forging a new nation.
SS-M-5.2.3 The growth of democracy and geographic expansion were significant in American history (e.g., Louisiana Purchase, Manifest Destiny, impact on Native Americans, early industrialization, early women's rights movement).
SS-M-5.2.4 Political, social, economic, and cultural differences (e.g., slavery, tariffs, industrialism vs. agrarianism, federal vs. states' rights) among sections of the U.S. resulted in the American Civil War.

Kentucky Social Studies Standards 5.3 World History:
SS-M-5.3.5 The Age of Exploration produced extensive contact among isolated cultures and brought about massive political, economic, and social changes.

Middle School Social Studies & History Teachers

It Happened In Kentucky chapters are written with young adult readers in mind. However, intergrating new books into school curriculum sounds easier than actuality. Ideally, patterning useful assignments which expand student critical thinking skills and discourage plagiarism is what educators strive for. Challenging students of all learning abilities is another ambition.

The Kentucky Department of Education notes in its core content for state social studies assessment that "middle level social studies uses the five strands of social studies (historical perspective, geography, economics, government and civics, and culture and society) in an integrated program which focuses on a different grade-level context each year."

With this in mind, I'm presenting a list of potential class assignments for social studies and history teachers based on chapters within It Happened In Kentucky.

• Newspaper article- Students assume the role of a newspaper reporter interviewing refugees from Camp Nelson (A Civil War Refugees' Expulsion from Camp Nelson- 1864); revivalists attending the Cane Ridge Revival (1801); or residents who lived through the Asiatic cholera epidemic (Asiatic Cholera find A Hero- 1833).
• Resume and cover letter- Draft a resume and subsequent cover letter for Daniel Boone (Battle of Boonesborough-1778) or Carol Sutton (Kentucky Journalist Named Woman of the Year- 1976)
• Editorial to a newspaper or magazine- Students draft an of-ed newspaper piece whether for or against state neutrality (A Governor Strives for Neutrality-1861)
• Mock trial- Students present general rules of evidence and procedure, an explanation of the basic facts, and brief statements for each witness (Delia Webster's Excursion on the Underground Railroad-1844). The 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Lake and McHenry Counties in Illinois website offers useful tips for teachers arranging mock trials classroom presentations.
• A Day In the Life Of....Students draft an essay in the first person about the epidemic or expulsion of disease, new invention, new discovery, or adventure (Frontier Abdominal Surgery-1809; The Creation of the Louisville Slugger-1884; Jenny Wiley's Indian Captivity-1789; The Opening of Louisville Municipal College-1931)
• Trip Itinerary- Students compile sites of importance, money exchange, special events and present in a PowerPoint presentation (Discovery of Mastodon Graveyard-1729; The Expedition of Dr. Thomas Walker-1750)

For more advanced students:

• Business prospectus- As an eighteenth century surveyor, students present a business prospectus to the Transylvania Land Company for settlement in the Northwest Territory (The Expedition of Dr. Thomas Walker-1750; Battle of Boonesborough-1778; The Establishment of the Pleasant Hill Shaker Colony-1808). The prospectus should include the purpose of the land company including goals, advantages to stakeholders, plan for development, long term goals, timeframe for exploration, costs, marketing to perspective settlers, risks and potential new markets, qualifications of leaders, outside legislative agencies required for permission to travel, current knowledge of the unexplored area of interest and a summary of how this new venture will influence the market.
• Emergency Crisis Management Plan- Students, taking the role of an emergency planner, submit a crisis management plan (Louisville Tornado and the Founding of the South's First Free Children's Hospital-1890; Devastating Drought-1930; Floodwaters Submerge Louisville-1937). Emergency plans would include pre and post event communications, counseling for victims, contact with appropriate agencies (environmental, labor, insurance), fire and police efforts, evacuation routes, schools, hospitals, chamber of commerce, emergency shelters, lockdown, emergency shelters, plans to reach those not easily accessible, and recording events into a permanent record.

Addition to Kentucky history books

The most recent addition to the growing list of Kentucky state history books is It Happened In Kentucky by Mimi O'Malley. What sets this title apart from the rest is the fact that it is not a comprehensive encyclopedia of the state, but a fascinating look at little or unknown events which shaped the Bluegrass State's colorful history. Chapters are enjoyable for popular reading or for use as an ancillary piece for social studies curriculum. Amazon.com notes, "These twenty-three fun, easy-to-read events reveal the history of Kentucky from the discovery of mastadon bones to daring slave escapes to the making of the famous Louisville Slugger to a tale of corruption in the horseracing world." (ISBN-13: 978-0-7627-3853-3; ISBN-10: 0-7627-3853-7)