Keep kids busy over Christmas break with NC history lessons
It can be difficult to keep kids and grandkids busy during long Christmas breaks. The John Locke Foundation hopes their new history lessons — available for elementary, middle, and high school ages through the NC History Project — can help with this challenge.
“The goal was to create lessons and add them to the online encyclopedia of the North Carolina History Project,” said Jane Shaw Stroup, director of the North Carolina History Encyclopedia.
This project was born when the Department of Public Instruction implemented a standard that eliminated some of the ideas that the John Locke Foundation values and espouses, such as individual liberty, which undergirds not only North Carolina’s history but also American history, according to Stroup.
“To compensate for such cultural losses, the John Locke Foundation started the North Carolina History Project,” according to the website. “The goal of the NC History Project is to provide accurate accounts of North Carolina history and to broaden the range of topics typically covered in literature and lessons about North Carolina’s history.”
In total, there are about 90 lessons: 30 for elementary school, 30 for middle school, and 30 for high school. Stroup indicated that some of the assignments are pretty rigorous, approaching AP level, and some of these lessons are document-based; however, these would be among the high school lessons.
These lessons are crucial for understanding North Carolina history, especially in light of the upcoming celebration of America250 (celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary), which is set to begin in 2026. Stroup highlighted some of the most important lessons in light of America250, including the Halifax Resolves, suitable for the middle school age group and at the elementary school level.
Some other fun lessons include The History of Tobacco in North Carolina and a lesson on sweet potatoes (both in the middle school section). These are two of North Carolina’s agricultural commodities, among the top industries in the state, generating $111.1 billion in annual revenue.
Some fun lessons in the elementary section include: A Secret Basketball Game, The Great North Carolina Gold Rush, and a lesson on North Carolina’s Judicial System.
“It really gives, I think, a very accurate picture of what the American Revolution and its preceding events are about,” said Shaw. “The Regulator Rebellion (elementary school) is featured, and it’s just totally ignored in so many places, and yet it did, in many historians’ opinions, lead into the revolution.”
“Keep kids busy over Christmas break with NC history lessons” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.
