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Each visit to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational experience!

Classroom Resources
Travel Trunk Program | Veterans in Classroom | Research Center Tours | Primary Sources

Travel Trunk Program

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum provides travel trunks to educators throughout the state to use as a supplement to their classes about the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, or Vietnam War. The travel trunks were developed as part of the museum’s mission to commemorate, acknowledge, and affirm the role played by state veterans in America’s military past. Therefore, the focus of this program is the citizen-soldiers and learning about history through their experiences.

The trunks include reproduced artifacts that fourth through twelfth grade students will be able to experience hands-on. For instance, in the Civil War travel trunk, a complete Union uniform has been included along with accoutrements such as a haversack and bayonet scabbard. Additionally, items such as photographs of family members, letters, and unit photographs have been added to illustrate the life of the Civil War soldier.

Furthermore, the suggested activities included in the teacher’s manual are based on national curriculum standards for fourth through twelfth grades. For example, the activities suggested for the Civil War trunk include baking hardtack crackers and role-playing activities using archival documents.

The trunks can be reserved on a two-week basis. Schools will be responsible for paying all shipping and handling fees.

For more information on the Travel Trunk Program, please contact Jennifer Carlson at (608) 264-6086 or email the Curator of Visitor Services.

Veterans in the Classroom

As participants and eyewitnesses to some of the most monumental events in American history, veterans can help students learn and appreciate the values, achievements and sacrifices of the men and women who have served in the armed forces.

To help schools contact Wisconsin veterans who are willing to share their experiences, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) are partners in the Veterans in the Classroom project.

The Veterans in the Classroom project maintains a database of veterans throughout the state who have volunteered to participate in the project.

Veterans who are interested in participating in the project should download and print a sign-up form here. Return the form via:

• Mail or fax to the address or fax number listed on the form.
• Email the requested information.
• Call the Reference Archivist at (608) 267-1790 or toll-free at 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).

Schools or Teachers who would like to invite veterans to their schools can contact the Reference Archivist at (608) 267-1790 or toll-free 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).

Research Center Tour: Teachers and students can schedule a tour of the research center and learn about its resources. The Reference Archivist works with teachers to design lesson plans for students dependent on grade level, content objectives, and the museum’s goal of having students “experience” primary sources and personalize textbook learning about America’s military conflicts.  Access primary source documents, the military history research library, and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Collection on your class visit. Schedule with the Reference Archivist at least one month in advance to allow the coordination of planned instruction between the Reference Archivist and the teacher in using both primary and secondary resources.

Primary Source Utilization: Learn about opportunities to use primary sources in your classroom. Teachers and students who are unable to visit the Wisconsin Veterans Research Center may request primary source packets from the archival collection and/or oral histories from the Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Program. Primary sources available for classroom use will be determined by teacher consultation with the Reference Archivist. After consultation, simulated primary source information will be prepared and mailed to the teacher making the request.

Individual oral histories may be requested for classroom use based on wartime period, specific battles or military campaigns, or locality. Available formats may include both video and audio-tapes, and in some cases, transcriptions. Can be used for classroom presentation or take home assignments. Students might listen to an oral history and write a reaction paper. Contact the Reference Archivist for ideas and additional information.

Schools are responsible for primary source shipping and handling costs.

Curricular Activities Involving Veterans: Review other suggested activities to expand knowledge of the individual and collective Wisconsin veterans' experience using local resources.

Teacher Activity Submission: Teachers who have designed lesson plans with veterans can share these classroom experiences or activities with other teachers through the research center website. Please return completed forms to the Reference Archivist or by mail to 30 West Mifflin Street, Suite 300, Madison, WI 53703.

Kid's Page

Web pages for fun and learning about our past! The Kid's Web pages contains features created specifically for young historians and those who teach them. We hope that both will find it fun and instructive. We welcome suggestions from both students and teachers to help make the Kid's pages worth visiting again and again. Please send your suggestions to the WVM Curator of Visitor Services.

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