discovery trunks
Discovery Trunks are available to middle school
teachers who are looking for innovative ways to bring their
curriculum - and the stories of those who have struggled to
claim their freedom - to life.
Discovery Trunks feature artifact reproductions and
multimedia that illuminate the lives of historical figures
such as Barbara Johns, Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln,
Alice Paul and Frederick Douglass. Each kit in a Discovery Trunk
relates to a lesson plan from our
Faces of Freedom middle school curriculum
and provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in
hands-on, object-based learning. The trunks are available at
no charge to Illinois teachers and can be ordered online.
Discovery Trunks &
Individual Kits
Individual Kit Descriptions
Requesting a Discovery Trunk
Delivery & Return Shipment Information
FAQs
Discovery Trunks &
Individual Kits
Discovery Trunks are comprised of multiple kits which you
select from a menu of options. The materials included in
each of the kits have been selected to bring the story of
someone who has struggled for freedom to life. Each kit
provides insight to the life and experiences of a particular
individual, as well as the movement and era with which that
individual is associated. Each Discovery Trunk
comes with a Teacher's Guide, which includes a
suggested warm-up activity and Freedom Project lessons that
feature the individuals portrayed in each kit ordered.
Each kit, which features one historical figure,
includes a biographical sketch, object photographs and
descriptions, a student Artifact Exploration Worksheet, and a list
of additional resources and credits. To create your Discovery Trunk, you may select one kit
and request up to 3 sets of duplicate items OR you may
select different kits (limit is five and each kit will have only
one set of items). Discovery Trunks
can be used to complement a corresponding Freedom Project
lesson or lessons, or in any manner that enhances your
curriculum as you see fit.
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Individual Kit
Descriptions (click on names to learn more)
Barbara Johns
17-year old student whose actions led to the
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Supreme
Court ruling that ended legal segregation
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Sojourner Truth
Freed from slavery when it was abolished in New York in 1827, Truth traveled around the nation giving speeches about abolition and women’s rights. |
Abraham Lincoln
Elected President in 1860, Lincoln presided over secession and civil war, authored the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address, and was assassinated in 1865.
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Matthew Lyon
Elected to Congress as a representative from Vermont in 1797, Lyon was jailed under the Sedition Act of 1798 for his criticisms of President Adams in print and in speeches. |
Ronald Reagan
Elected for his first of two terms in 1980, Reagan’s legacy
included the demise of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
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Sequoyah
He created the system for writing the Cherokee language,
which became the official one for the Cherokee Nation in
1825.
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Mary Tsukamoto
Japanese-American sent to an internment camp in Jerome, AR
after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
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Alice Paul
Paul was a leader of the militant wing of the women’s
suffrage movement, with over 500 supporters arrested for
speaking, publishing, assembling and petitioning in pursuit
of votes for women.
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Frederick Douglass
One of the most famous Black Americans of his time, Douglass
was, most notably, an abolitionist, women’s rights advocate,
publisher, author, public speaker and political advisor who
worked for equal rights until his death in 1895.
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Eugene
Debs
Five-time Socialist candidate for president at the turn
of the 20th Century, Debs was arrested on numerous
occasions for speeches deemed disloyal to the
government.
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Requesting a Discovery Trunk
To request a Discovery Trunk for your classroom during the 2010-2011 school year, you can visit our Web site
beginning Monday, August 16 to make a request.
If you would like to receive notification when the online request system is available, please
contact us.
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