Category: Grade Level

Students will research and analyze the Red River Expedition in Arkansas during the American Civil War utilizing both primary and secondary sources, if available. Students will identify the location of a particular battle in Arkansas on a map from the Red River Campaign. Students will present their “battle” report to the rest of the class.

Students will begin by determining what is needed to create and maintain a successful town/city. Students will then view primary and secondary sources to see the relationship between development and the railroad system in Hempstead County and analyze which aspects made the progression of these locations decline or become more prosperous. Students will take this information and apply it to their own place and time.

The goal of this unit is to identify important cultural and historical places in the state of Arkansas. Students will be introduced to six important places in Arkansas: Blanchard Springs Caverns, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Hawksbill Crag, Little Rock, Old Mill, and Victorian Village. As a culminating activity, students will create a report on a place in Arkansas from pre-selected topics.

Students will utilize prior knowledge, information from Race Relations in the Natural State (Chapters 1-10), and research using text or media entries in the online CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas to compare the race relations of African Americans to Hispanics in the United States and Arkansas and complete a teacher defined

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:5-8 Middle School

Time period:Modern Era 1968 to Present

Arkansas Academic Standards are subject to revision every six years by the Arkansas Department of Education.

Students will participate in an oral history activity where they interview elders to establish multigenerational links to better understand time, continuity and change as it relates to personal histories.

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:9-12 High School

Time period:Modern Era 1968 to Present

Arkansas Academic Standards are subject to revision every six years by the Arkansas Department of Education.

The goal of this unit is to teach students about the Quapaw tribe that once lived in Arkansas. They will learn about the homes, social organization, food, and eventual exodus of the tribe. The students will learn that information comes in a variety of formats. The unit will conclude with an art project where students document activities in the tribe using “leather” and paint.

One of the goals of the lesson is to teach students how to investigate existing Arkansas county names and the history behind them. Another goal is to use mathematical skills (predicting) or literacy skills (supporting ideas). A final goal is to use library media skills (research).

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:K-4 Elementary School

Time period:Modern Era 1968 to Present

Arkansas Academic Standards are subject to revision every six years by the Arkansas Department of Education.

The goal of this unit is to give a general overview of the state of Arkansas by introducing the book, N is for Natural State. This lesson plan could be used as part of a study of the south- eastern portion of the United States or as an introduction to a larger unit of study.

Students will read and evaluate various articles about the mussel industry in Arkansas. They will draw conclusions and make predictions about the economic impact of the mussel industry in Arkansas based on their knowledge of the history of this industry. They will share the information from the articles with the rest of the class.

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:5-8 Middle School;

Students will research and examine the role of Henry Shreve and the snag boats in clearing the waterways of Arkansas providing a stronger economy for the state during 1833. Chapter IV, “Mary and the Red River Raft”, from Bandits, bears, and Backaches shares this story from the point of view of female teenager living during that time

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:5-8 Middle School

Time period:Louisiana Purchase Through Early Statehood 1803-1860

Arkansas Academic Standards are subject to revision every six years by the Arkansas Department of Education.