Military History School Programs
From the Union and Confederacy to the War on Terror; from the fields of France to rugged Vietnam
CCHS is proud to offer a new series of programs to tie-in with our Veteran's gallery, "Extraordinary Sacrifices: Carver County's Servicemen and Women in Wartime". These programs cover every war from the Civil War to the current conflicts overseas. Military history programs are offered to grades 4–8 and 9–12.
Civil War: Marching Barefoot
Grades K–3: Students will learn about the Civil War through letters, artifacts, photographs and documents. They will learn what a primary source is and what it can tell us about the people of that time. Students will learn about causes of the war, vocabulary, and Minnesota's important role.
45 minutes
Grades 4–8: Minnesota was still a young state when the Civil War began, but it quickly became embroiled in one of the country's most contentious and devastating wars. From Fort Snelling to Carver County, no other state in the Union sent a higher percentage of their male population to war. Students will understand the important role that Minnesota played in the war by engaging map and reasoning skills and using primary sources (Carver County Civil War diaries) to get a firsthand look at Minnesota life during the 1860.
50 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapters 8 & 9
Spanish-American War: Yellow Journalism
Grades 4–8: Students will identify examples of yellow journalism from this time period, and practice reporting news by writing their own short, sensationalized headlines. They will demonstrate understanding by turning headlines from today into yellow journalism, and learn how media affects peoples' understanding and beliefs. Students will explore the causes of this war, as well as Minnesota's role.
45 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapters not applicable
World War I: What Service Means
Grades 4–8: Students will explore the meaning of the term "homefront" and learn how life at home changed when men went off to war. They will learn what children and families sacrificed for the war effort. Students will also learn why expressing German cultural heritage was criticized.
45 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapters 13 & 14
World War II: Rosie the Riveter
Grades 4–8: Explore life in Carver County during World War II as we meet Rosie, a mother and wife of an army infantryman who takes a job in a munitions box factory during the war. Students will experience her life during the war through words, photos, posters, and objects and will discover the impact WWII had on the homefront.
40–60 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 16
World War II: Operation Footlocker
Grades 4–8: Students will be introduced to a Carver County soldier and explore his service record through the objects in his footlocker. They will explore a "muster" at Fort Snelling through photographs and documents. Experience the sacrifices and struggles of a WWII soldier!
45 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 16
Korean War: the Contentious 1950's
Grades 4–8: Students will discover the events of the Korean war, what it was and why the US got involved. They will understand the Cold War and its effects on American culture. Through songs, letters to newspapers, and poetry, they will explore public opinion on the war.
45 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 17
Vietnam War: Patriotism and Protest
Grades 4–8: Students will review the causes and impact of Vietnam on American culture. Through newspapers and letters, they will explore public opinion on the war. Through role play, students will explore the role of the draft—the choices made by those facing it and the consequences of those choices.
50 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 17
Gulf War/War on Terror: History Being Written
Grades 4–8: Students will learn that history is everchanging, and current history is sometimes hard to record. They will learn what oral history is and why it is important, learning how to write and ask usefull and open-ended questions. Students will conduct mock interviews with their peers to improve their skills.
45–90 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 19
Gulf War/War on Terror: Human Rights — Encouraging Tolerance
Grades 6–12: Like the war in Vietnam, the causes of the War on Terror are hotly debated, and the role of the U.S. military is hotly debated. Students should understand how the wars in the Middle East affect their lives at home, and how their actions can shape the way the Americans are viewed in the years to come. Students will become familiar with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and why tolerance is becoming more and more important each day.
45-90 minutes
Northern Lights: Chapter 19
