The connecticut historical society will provide digital access to primary sources as a response to new state legislation mandating every secondary school in connecticut offer a course on black and…

The Connecticut Historical Society will provide digital primary source materials and lesson plans to support new state curriculum requirements through a $168,093 two-year Museums for America Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Under the award, the Historical Society will develop 10 digital resource packs containing primary sources from its collections, lesson plans linking the materials to themes in the new Black and Latino studies course mandate for Connecticut secondary schools, and explanatory videos. Working with a teacher advisory board, the Historical Society staff will create, test, and finalize the resource packs for free access on the museum's website to support Connecticut educators and provide broader historical context for American history teachers nationwide. The Museums for America program aims to strengthen museums' ability to serve the public by supporting priority activities advancing institutional missions and strategic goals.

The connecticut historical society will provide digital access to primary sources as a response to new state legislation mandating every secondary school in connecticut offer a course on black and latino studies starting in the 2022-2023 school year. Project activities include developing 10 digital resource packs that will contain digital copies of primary sources from the history society's collection, a lesson plan linking the primary sources to themes in the state curriculum, and a short video giving deeper context to the primary sources. Staff members will work with a teacher advisory board to plan, develop, and pilot test the resource packs before making them available for free on the museum's website. As a result of the project, connecticut teachers will have access to lessons aligned with the new state curriculum, and american history teachers outside of the area will have access to primary sources and content that illustrate the experiences of black and latino individuals in one of the country's original colonies.