Goldie’s History Kits are digital kits created by the State Historical Society of Iowa that were developed for K-5 educators to meet the Iowa Academic Standards for Social Studies and Literacy. Each kit aligns with a companion Primary Source Set. Creation of the kits was funded by a Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grant from the Library of Congress.
Each kit has four components. Teachers can adapt each part to meet the needs of their students.
- Read Iowa History Lessons
- Read Aloud Books & Activities
- History Mystery Activity
- Think Like… Cards
Updated 2026 Kits!
We are currently working on revisions to align all of the Goldie’s History Kits with the new Iowa Academic Standards for Social Studies adopted in January 2026. Updated kits will be rolled out by grade level.
- July 31: Kindergarten and 1st Grade
- August 10: 2nd Grade
- August 17: 3rd Grade
- August 24: 4th Grade
- August 31: 5th Grade
New Standards Alignment Charts!
The crosswalk document below outlines how each Goldie’s History Kit aligns with the new 2026 standards by grade level and sub-theme.
Goldie’s History Kits
Download the digital kits to bring Iowa history to life for K-5 learners. You can access all of the original kits aligned to the old Iowa Core standards here.
Children’s Lives: Comparing Long Ago to Today
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (44.35 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual
- Student Materials
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (2.28 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards
- Primary Source Set
Identity
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (43.58 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual
- Student Materials
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos
- Think Like... Cards
- Primary Source Set
Rules and Responsibilities
People at Work
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (43.4 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual
- Student Materials
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos
- Think Like... Cards
- Additional Resources
- Primary Source Set
Schools: Comparing Long Ago, Today and Other Cultures
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (42.18 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual
- Student Materials
- History Mystery Object & Photos
- Think Like... Cards
- Primary Source Set
Transportation in Rural and Urban Spaces
Buxton: A Lost Utopia
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (44.66 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (9.42 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (4.96 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (992.66 KB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (1.31 MB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Environmental Impact
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart
- Educator Manual (3.16 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (1.56 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos (2.07 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (562 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Transportation in Rural and Urban Spaces
American Indians and Westward Expansion
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (46.51 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (4.18 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (2.15 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Video (3.67 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (469.68 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Enslavement to the Great Migration
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (46.04 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (5.22 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (2.36 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Video (1.39 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (339.76 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Immigration to Iowa
Great Depression and the Dust Bowl
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (44.94 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (4.4 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (3.09 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos (1.86 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (1.16 MB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Industrial Revolution
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (45.67 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (3.49 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (1.75 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos (2.46 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (265.89 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Iowa’s Corn and Agriculture Industry
Government, Democracy and Laws
- Goldies History Kits, Government (2026 Standards) (47.02 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (4.17 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (1.82 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos (1.28 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (367.84 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Right to Vote: African American Suffrage
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (49.58 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (3.98 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (2.31 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos (1.86 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (540.56 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
School Desegregation
- New 2026 Standards Alignment Chart (46.84 KB) .pdf
- Educator Manual (10.69 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (6.32 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (8.19 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (1.62 MB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set