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Thank you for accessing our
education pages. The activities and programs available
on our website were developed specifically for teachers
and students in Dakota County, though teachers elsewhere
may also find them useful when teaching history. Over
60 educators representing nine area school districts and
several private schools graciously offered their perspectives
to make this initiative possible. We hope our efforts
will help make local history resources more accessible
to schools in and around Dakota County. These materials
and activities are designed (generally) for students in
second through sixth grade. In recognition of the fact
that not every student or classroom has access to a computer
this section also presents "offline" versions
that may be printed as handouts or activities of some
of the online content in the "For Kids" portion
of this Education section. These materials for educators
can also be used to expand on the online content.
 Many
of these materials for teachers are in Adobe Acrobat
PDF format. You will need the FREE Acrobat Reader
program to view and/or print these items. You can
download Reader from Adobe
Software. |
 Photographs
help us understand the past by giving us a visual
(albeit limited) context within which to interpret
historical people, places, and events. In his book
entitled History By Design, Patrick Norris
suggests: "Like paintings and drawings, photographs
seize time and hold a moment for close scrutiny.
Because a camera seems to work like the human eye,
photographs compel our attention. Because they seem
truer-to-life than other visual images, photographs
are capable of creating an emotional engagement
similar to that aroused by real events. Because
they seem to freeze the moment, they convey detailed
information about an event and an environment"
(page 32).
Every Picture Tells A Story is designed for teachers
and students interested in using images from Dakota
County's past as learning tools. These classroom
materials may be used in conjunction with "Shutterbug's
Photo Gallery" in the "For Kids"
section.
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Tips
for Teachers
This HTML document gives teachers suggestions
and ideas of how to use photos in the classroom.
May be used in conjunction with the DCHS Photos
throughout this web site.
[Opens in a new window]
File Size: 5 kilobytes
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Printer
Friendly Photo Gallery
PDF Printable Version of the Photo Gallery for
use as a classroom handout. Click on the link
above to preview in a new window.
[Mac: Hold+click / Windows: Right+click]
Select "Save Target As"
File Size: 3,822 kilobytes
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 Immigration
is as central to our nation's history - and the
history of Dakota County - as any theme or topic
could claim to be. It shapes our political, economic,
and cultural disposition while redefining from
generation to generation what it means to be "American."
It requires the use of historical generalizations
to determine why, when, how, and from where people
have typically migrated to the United States.
But at the same time, it provides a framework
for uncovering the individual stories, photographs,
letters, and artifacts that collectively tell
the tale of our local immigrant origins. Furthermore,
it presupposes a willingness to investigate different
cultures while recognizing the richness which
diversity brings to our society.
The following statement represents just one of
many potential starting points for dealing with
immigration. "For Europeans, as one historian
has noted, 'America was rich, America was good,
America was hope, America was the future.'"
Students can learn a great deal about their heritage
from exploring how these lofty expectations developed
and whether or not they proved true to the millions
who made and continue to make America their new
home. These are the key questions we seek to answer
for you and your students:
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Who were the immigrants?
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Where did they come
from?
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Why did they leave
home?
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How did they get
to their destinations?
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Where did they go?
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What did they do
when they got there?
IMMIGRATION STATION* DESTINATION USA offers a
comprehensive resource center for teachers who
are looking to incorporate local immigration history
into their curriculum. Classroom materials, web-based
activities, and field trips can combine to provide
students in grades two to six with many unique
learning opportunities. We hope our site will
help your students understand and appreciate the
diverse blend of people who have left their imprint
on Dakota County. The ONLINE VERSION is available
in the "For Kids"
section. An OFFLINE version for use as classroom
handouts is available for download below.
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REVIEW
QUESTIONS
This HTML document contains questions that can
be used in conjunction with the online or offline
Immigration Station*Destination USA activity
[Opens in a new window]
File Size: 2 kilobytes
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Printer
Friendly Booklet
PDF Printable Version for use as a classroom
handout. Click on the link above to preview in
a new window. Includes Review Questions.
[Mac: Hold+click / Windows: Right+click]
Select "Save Target As"
File Size: 1,455 kilobytes
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 This
is another activity that is available in the "For
Kids" section. It features pictures and information
on buildings one would have found common in many
Minnesota towns around 100 years ago. Incidenlty,
all of the buildings featured are actual structures
preserved today. The same content is also provided
in a printer friendly PDF format for use as classroom
handouts.
Both the handouts and online version feature thought
provoking questions about the buildings and life
in a Minnesota town a century ago.
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Printer
Friendly Handouts
PDF Printable Version for use as a classroom
handout. Click on the link above to preview in
a new window.
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[Mac: Hold+click / Windows: Right+click]
Select "Save Target As"
File Size: 512 kilobytes |
Bring your class to the Dakota County Historical
Society to learn much more about their surrounding
communities. This self-guided, interactive tour
is designed for students in grades 3 to 6. It
features the world's largest map of Dakota County
(41' x 46')!
Other featured activities include:
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Learning about several
prominent historic sites in the county
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Playing “Star
Search” to understand the county’s
development
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Comparing population
distribution in different parts of the coun
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Playing “Name
That ArtiFACT” to make connections with
the past
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Making discoveries
in the “Old Town History Hunt”
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[Mac: Hold+click / Windows: Right+click]
Select "Save Target As"
File Size: 800 kilobytes |
| Here are three more activities for teachers
to print out and use in the classroom. These are available
both in PDF and HTML formats. Simply select whichever
one you prefer to print. For the PDF files Hold+Click
on Mac or Right+Click on Windows and select "Save
Target As" to download. All items will preview
in a new browser window. |
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DESCRIPTION |
PDF |
HTML |
| "The History of Me: Getting to the
Roots of My Family Tree" |
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| "A Day in the Life of ME One Hundred
Years Ago" |
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| "Immigration Terms: Word Search &
Fill in the Blanks" |
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We would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact
us with comments or suggestions regarding this site. And
if you have innovative ideas, lesson plans or teaching
activities related to the history of Dakota County, we
would welcome the opportunity to share them with other
educators via this website. Call us at 651-552-7548. You
can also e-mail us at dakotahistory@co.dakota.mn.us.
Thank you for your time and continued interest in local
history!
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©Copyright 2005
Dakota County Historical Society * All Worldwide Rights Reserved
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