Category: 5-8 Middle School

The goal of this unit is to teach students about the symbols of the State of Arkansas. Depending upon grade level, they will learn about and be able to identify the state flag, insect, tree, beverage, flower, bird, fruit/vegetable, folk dance, instrument, gem, mineral, rock, mammal, and anthem. Students should be able to describe the state seal.

Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to gain an understanding of The Agricultural Wheel and the role it played in the life of Arkansas farmers. Students will take this information and create visuals and scenarios detailing the different stages in the Wheel’s creation. Students will use resources for a predetermined task.

Lesson Plan

Courtesy of CALS Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

Grade Level:9-12 High School

Time period: Civil War Through the Gilded Age 1861-1900

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 concept of time and change. History is a continuation and exploring this continuation can be revealing and rewarding. Students will get the opportunity to explore their own history, as well as history in the state. They will also learn to apply reading skills, especially sequencing of events.

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 Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture 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:Early 20th Century 1901-1940;

Through the study of the assumed extinction and rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, students will analyze the economic changes the rediscovery and conservation efforts could cause in the state of Arkansas and complete a writing prompt for further analysis and opinion. Students will use organizational strategies for recording and synthesizing information.

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 begin the lesson by analyzing primary and secondary information and placing that information into a graphic organizer. Students will then read articles regarding the treatment of African-Americans during the flood and discuss how this treatment led to the founding of the Delta Blues movement across the country. Students will take this information and apply it to their own place and time.

The goal of the lesson is to finalize a study on scale drawings. Students will use their prior knowledge of topography to create scale drawings. Use of Arkansas maps makes this an Arkansas History lesson.

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 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.