History Time

A Newsletter for Kansas Educators

May 2024

Sunflower Summer

The countdown to summer has begun meaning it’s time to plan your road trips! Take advantage of the Sunflower Summer program which offers free admission to attractions around the state. All school-aged children in Kansas are eligible for the program. Up to two adults who accompany a group of students can receive a free ticket voucher. The program opens May 25 and will close on August 11.



Sunflower Summer is a FREE program for Kansas families brought to you by @KansasTourism. Learn more at SunflowerSummer.org #ToTheStarsKS #SunflowerSummer

Make and Take: Class Quilt

Quilts have long been used to tell the story of Kansas history. Utilize this class activity as an opportunity to learn about the history and tradition of quiltmaking. Students will create their own quilt blocks, later joining them to create one large patchwork quilt. In preparation for the activity, explore Kansas’ role in the legacy of American quiltmaking or the significance of quiltmaking in women’s history.  

Resources to Teach Kansas History

With summer quickly approaching, we thought a collection of our most popular resources would help prepare you for the upcoming school year. We have award-winning lesson plans, 50 educational videos, over 730,000 primary source images, make and take activities, hands-on materials you can borrow, and much more!

We'll see you again in August! Have a great summer!

More State Historic Sites Are Now Open!

The Kansas Historical Society administers the state-owned sites that explore different topics in our state's fascinating history. From American Indian history to Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War, frontier forts to the Pony Express, you'll walk in the footsteps of Kansans from our past.

Six of our seasonal state historic sites have just recently reopened. First Territorial Capitol, Grinter Place, Pawnee Indian Museum, Red Rocks, Mine Creek Civil War Battlefield, and Cottonwood Ranch are ready to welcome visitors again. Hollenberg Pony Express Station will be opening soon. The best part is, admission is free! To find out more about these sites and plan your visit, click the button below.

Professional Development

Diversity and Complexity in Indian Kansas - Dr. Eric P. Anderson

This Museum After Hours program is a fantastic introduction to Native American history in Kansas. Dr. Anderson examines Native groups who inhabited Kansas by the early nineteenth century, as well as emigrant tribes and other American Indians who arrived later, emphasizing changes over time.

Dr. Anderson is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and teaches at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence. His major research focus is on American Indian education, especially the system of federal boarding schools established for Native youth in the late nineteenth century.

Don't Forget!

State Historic Sites now have free admission! Look for one in your area. Call ahead as some are only open seasonally.

Rural School Days programs are still offered at the Kansas Museum of History.

Read Kansas! are available free of charge for primary, intermediate, middle, and high school students while supplies last.

A variety of virtual tours, videos, and Nearpod lessons are available to use in your classroom. 

Traveling resource trunks are available to borrow. Reserve one now for the school year.

The Kansas Museum of History is closed for renovations. Although the museum is not available for field trips, our staff is here for you.

Zephyr, our newest publication, provides information on events, programs, updates on the museum renovation, and highlights a variety of state historic sites.