Early Wisconsin History
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Orientation
What does it mean to think like a historian?
To provide temporal context for the modules that follow, we’ll organize key events in Wisconsin’s history on a timeline. Students will then be introduced to the Thinking like a Historian framework .
Select three of the below program modules:
How can rocks change from one type to another?
Students will examine the three types of rock and the processes that can convert rock from one type
to another. They will then apply this knowledge in a Geology Investigation, where they must
determine what process was responsible for the transformation of their assigned specimens.
How did the Ice Age shape Wisconsin?
Students will draw conclusions about glacial movement through observation of a physics model.
They will then compare landscape features caused by glacial erosion and deposition.
What plants and animals existed at the end of the Ice Age?
Students will gain understanding of the plants and animals of the Ice Age. By studying prehistoric
teeth, they will discover how animals can adapt to their environment. They will then consider how a
changing environment can contribute to the extinction of a species.
How do we know about people who lived long ago?
Students will randomly select and analyze a modern object for clues about the person who owned it.
Based on the collection of objects, they will make inferences about the owner of the objects. Having
discovered that objects hold information and meaning, the students will then apply this knowledge
to see how archaeologists have pieced together the story of Wisconsin’s First People.
How did the Civil War affect the people of Wisconsin?
Students will examine the factors and events that led to the Civil War. Through the study of
recruitment posters, songs, and objects, they will discover that Wisconsin’s contributions to the war
effort depended heavily upon the efforts of the individual. Students will then interpret what life may
have been like for a Wisconsin soldier by studying common objects carried in a soldier’s haversack.
How do people make a new life in a new place?
Students will consider their own family’s history to gain insight into immigration and migration, what
factors may lead someone to leave their home for a new place, the preparations required in advance
of the journey, and what that journey entailed and how that may have changed over time. Finally,
students will be introduced to the concept of genealogy and discover how they can learn more about
their own family’s experiences.
What factors led to the Peshtigo Fire?
Students will examine the factors – both natural and human – that led to the Peshtigo fire. Through
storytelling, students will gain historical empathy, imagining what life was like in Peshtigo before,
during, and after the fire. Students will then determine how the Peshtigo Fire has affected fire safety
practices today.
How did Native American people live in the Old Time?
Students will gain understanding of Native American life in the Old Time through the study of
material culture and Native American storytelling. They will then consider how the introduction of
new cultures will affect these ways of life.
How did mass production change domestic life during the Gilded Age?
Students will examine the impact that mass production had on domestic life during the Gilded Age.
They will then identify some new inventions of the period, interpret how the devices operated and
for what task. Finally, they will infer how the device improved upon the old process for performing
that task.
What was it like to travel and explore Wisconsin 400 years ago?
Students will consider their own exploratory interests to gain insight into what may have motivated
people to become explorers in the 17th century. They will then examine the primary source material
left by some of Wisconsin’s key explorers to discover what it may have been like to travel and
explore Wisconsin 400 years ago.
How did the inventions of the early 1900s change Green Bay?
Students will recognize the role that entrepreneurs and engineers play in invention and industry.
They will observe working models of three pivotal inventions – the steam engine, internal
combustion engine, and the generator – and then extrapolate how each changed life in Green Bay
and the community’s industries.
Who participated in the Fur Trade?
Students will identify the four cultures who participated in the fur trade, analyze their roles, and
discover their lasting impact on one another and Wisconsin’s history. Many hands-on objects!
How has Wisconsin’s history affected its Native American people and their way of life?
Students will analyze photographs and examples of material culture to determine how Native
American life has changed since the signing of the treaties.
What happened to Native American lands in the early 1800s?
Students will draw parallels between their family’s ownership of land and the influx of American
settlers on Native American lands in the early 1800s. They will then listen critically to determine how
Wisconsin’s land ownership shifted through treaty negotiations.
How did World War I affect Wisconsin?
Through active listening, the examination of primary sources, and an animal role-playing game,
students will discover how a conflict between two countries became a world war. Students will also
explore the impact the war had on Wisconsin and inspect period objects to determine what life was
like for the soldiers who fought in the war.
What did the U.S. government do with the land that it got through treaties?
Students will examine the U.S. government’s process for preparing its newly acquired land for
settlement. Then, through the study of primary source material, they will determine the essential
services needed to build a town. Finally, students will determine the impact that the influx of
settlers had on the environment.
How did Wisconsin’s settlers use our natural resources?
Students will examine the connection between natural resources, work, and goods. Through the
study of Green Bay’s historical industries, they will discover that natural resources are finite and
require responsible use and stewardship to ensure environmental sustainability and job stability.
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What was recreation and education like in Northeastern Wisconsin during the early 1900s?
Students will examine the complex concept of culture to understand that all people have a culture.
Students will discover that no matter how it is defined, culture gives people a sense of who they are.
Students will then connect their experiences of culture with the examples of Northeastern Wisconsin
culture presented, and theorize how culture might change over time.
Lessons take place in-gallery and incorporate exhibit elements
and hands-on objects from the teaching collection.
Closure
How do people take care of Wisconsin’s history?
Students will synthesize knowledge gained from their experiences in On the Edge of the Inland Sea to determine how Wisconsin’s history is preserved. In doing so, they will
identify how stories, objects, buildings, and landscapes can connect the people of today with the people of the past, why it is important that these elements be preserved,
and how they can contribute to their continued preservation.
Neville Public Museum of Brown County ● 210 Museum Place ● Green Bay, WI ● 54303 ● 920-448-7851 ● [email protected]