The Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum (JHHSM) has social science curriculum projects available for the first through eighth grades.

Based on teacher input, JHHSM has developed useful and fun curriculum-based learning activities for each grade that utilize the rich history of the Jackson Hole area.

All curriculum meets Wyoming State Standards and can be adjusted to fit individual teacher needs. Please call the historical society to schedule a program a minimum of two weeks in advance. Also, keep in mind, when doing your lesson planning, that although the historical society is open year-round the museum is only open from Memorial Day weekend through September 20.

Programs may be scheduled throughout the year by calling Mindy Barnett at 733-9605 or email Mindy at jhhsm@wyom.net. In addition, teachers of grades 1-4 may check-out curriculum notebooks for classroom lessons.

1st GRADE: Neighborhoods Past and Present

In the first grade program students will explore the concept of neighborhoods. Through the use of historic photographs and artifacts, students will investigate different kinds of neighborhoods and ways of life during the early days of Jackson Hole.

They will be able to share their viewpoints and understanding of their own neighborhoods, and also participate in activities to enhance their knowledge about past and present neighborhoods. Comparisons will be made to their lives today and to children¹s lives from the early days in the valley.

In a segment of the “Neighborhoods” program, students will have the opportunity to tour either the museum or historical society and explore old-time neighborhoods and ways of life through observation of historic photographs and artifacts. Throughout this program, students will use the following skills: listening, speaking, observing, drawing, and comparing.

2nd GRADE: Ancestors

In the second grade portion of the curriculum, students will explore the concept of ancestors through hands-on work and experiences. They will investigate ways of life of ancestors in early Jackson Hole through the use of old letters, photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts. If possible, students will tour the museum or the historical society to view photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts.

Students will participate in an activity about ancestors by using information obtained from the history museum.

Throughout this program, students will use the following skills: listening, speaking, observing, drawing, and comparing.

3rd GRADE: Our Community Past and Present

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4th GRADE: The Life of a Cowboy

Students in the fourth grade will explore the life of a cowboy/cowgirl in early Jackson Hole. They will be introduced to the basic skills of journalism and will be required to write an article about specific subjects relating to the life of a cowboy. Using old photographs and artifacts, students will gather information and then write an article and create illustrations to describe the life of a cowboy in Jackson Hole.

Throughout this program, students will use the following skills: listening, speaking, observing, drawing, researching information and using imagination and creativity.

5th GRADE: Maps as Stories of Place

Fifth graders will be introduced to the concept that maps are stories of place and that different types of maps tell different stories. Students will hear accounts of some of the early explorers in Jackson Hole and will be introduced to a variety of map styles. They will then be shown how to interpret the types of information and/or the stories that these maps reveal.

As an activity, students will explore an outdoor neighborhood near their school and make maps to tell their stories of place. Throughout this program, students will use the following skills: listening, speaking, observing, drawing, researching information and using their imagination and creativity.

6th GRADE: Primary Sources for History

In the sixth grade program, students will be introduced to a variety of types of primary sources available at the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum for historical research. Students will work with both primary and secondary source material on the early days of Jackson Hole. Sources include letters, journals, newspaper articles, documents books, photographs, oral histories, and artifacts.

This program can involve either examining a variety of artifacts to determine their identities and functions and then sharing the information with the class, or learning about the experiences and work of a local archaeologist through a class visit.

7th GRADE: Environment and Culture

Seventh graders will explore the relationship between environment, place, and culture. Students will participate in a classroom presentation  to learn how the environment in Jackson Hole affected the lives and activities of native peoples who traveled and lived seasonally in the valley.

Through the use of historic photographs and written materials, available in the collection of the history museum, students will explore the connections between environment, place, and life in Jackson Hole during the early 1900s.

8th GRADE: Life in Jackson Hole During the Great Depression

The eighth grade program will explore the effects of the Great Depression on people who lived in Jackson Hole during that period of time. Students will explore some of the economic and human impacts created by the Depression on different segments of society in Jackson Hole. They will be introduced to the basic skills of doing an oral history interview by producing a recorded oral history of a local person who experienced the Great Depression.

Throughout this program, students will use the following skills: listening, speaking, observing, note taking, and interviewing people.