When A City Shows Up For Its Schools
by:
staff
Kansas City Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Centers are prioritizing support for schools and teachers this year. They are developing innovative and effective ways to keep virtual, hybrid, or in-person classrooms from feeling isolated this year. As we bridge from virtual back to in-person, cultivating relationships with museum staff and local spaces is a powerful way to develop deep learning connections. Our city’s institutions have worked with school educators to design content that connects students to their communities and integrates local resources seamlessly into existing curricula. From enticing inquiry hooks to engaging arts connections, Kansas City field trip providers have evolved to meet student learning needs.
Forget textbooks about far-off events. American history happened right here! Historians at the Johnson County Museum showcase intersections of local and national movements, proving that getting to know your own backyard is an important step to understanding the world. Help students understand immigration and cultural identity with the Latinos in the Heartland digital resource. Inspire students with the history of women organizers and trailblazing politicians as you dive into elections and voting in Women and the Vote. Through a local community lens, discuss civil rights, segregation, and equal educational opportunities in Hidden Stories: The Webb Family. The Johnson County Museum is your partner in making history relevant and inclusive.
One of the city’s most trusted institutions of learning for all ages, the Kansas City Public Library has maintained its fierce commitment to KC students this year. From live lessons and support for students starting Research Projects to an activity-based Introduction to the Archives, KCPL educators are sparking inquiry and building relationships with teachers and youth in the area. Customize your support with a Historian Virtual Visit or request an Asynchronous Video to collaborate with library staff to meet your content needs.
We can learn so much from keenly asking questions of the past. The skilled educators at the Truman Library guide students through inquiries allowing young people to find their feet as practicing historians. Help students ask better questions to engage in research with Presidential Inquiries. Find primary source lesson plans or use activities to discover the founding and function of our Three Branches of Government. While their doors aren’t open, the Truman Library staff is busy virtually joining classrooms around the region to explore decision making by looking back in time. Schedule a visit or a teacher takeover today!
In this historic moment, learning how to discuss and debate issues is important. The educators at the Watkins Museum of History have designed resources to help students bridge their learning about the past with the present. Connect with these historians on a Virtual Field Trip or an introduction to Primary Source Research. Take advantage of the complex and nationally important history of this region by Debating John Brown.
Opportunities for place-based learning, that connects students to their communities and builds a sense of belonging, can be found all over the Kansas City area! Get outside with the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art’s Sculpture Cards. Have an at home Science Camp with the KU Natural History Museum. Schedule a Travelling Trunk from Shawnee Town. Engage with your community and the political process by Writing Letters with the Dole Institute of Politics. Kansas City arts and cultural institutions are here for you! Let’s make connections in this virtual landscape to strengthen our communities for years to come.
