Iowa schools can now access free materials designed for a full-year history course. The Iowa e-Learning Central Iowa History course targets grades 9-12 and features content from the State Historical Society of Iowa and other sources.
Sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa e-Learning Central Iowa History curriculum will challenge students to explore and understand how Iowa has changed over time. The course materials are split into two semesters and cover the following topics and timeframes:
- Semester 1 – The first semester covers Iowa’s history up to 1920, from its earliest inhabitants to the early 20th century. Through seven chronological units, students will investigate how indigenous communities first lived on the land, how the arrival of settlers and the formation of the Iowa Territory reshaped the region and how statehood emerged. Students can also learn more about how broader historical movements such as Civil War, industrial growth and Progressive Era reforms shaped Iowa.
- Semester 2 – The second semester builds on the themes from the Semester 1 course and brings students through 1920-2020. Through the course, students will have opportunities to explore how life in Iowa changed from World War I to present day and will better understand how major historical events such as the Great Depression, the Cold War and the Farm Crisis impacted everyday Iowans. The Semester 2 course will challenge students to understand how history connects to them and their communities.
“We are excited to offer these course materials to Iowa schools,” said Stefanie Rosenberg Wager, administrative consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. “With assistance from the State Historical Society, we have developed materials that provide a year’s worth of quality coursework specifically on Iowa’s rich history. Through the course, Iowa students will have many opportunities to see how Iowa has evolved and how they, themselves, are connected to the state’s history.”
The course is an Iowa history elective and addresses Iowa history standards within the Iowa Academic Standards for Social Studies.
Curriculum materials for the Iowa e-Learning Central Iowa History course are available on the Department’s Iowa eLearning Central repository site. There are no prerequisites required for this course.
Questions regarding the Iowa History course can be directed to Stefanie Rosenberg Wager, administrative consultant, at stefanie.wager@iowa.gov.