Goldie's History Kits are digital kits created by the State Historical Society of Iowa and were developed for K-5 educators to meet the Iowa Core Standards for Social Studies and Literacy. Related to the Primary Source Sets and created with a Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grant from the Library of Congress, these kits encourage students to develop deeper connections to Iowa's history.
Note: Current SHSI resource alignment reflects the previous Iowa Social Studies Standards. Alignment to Iowa's updated social studies standards will be available prior to the 2026–27 school year.
The following educational tools are included in each kit:
- Read Iowa History Lessons
- Read Aloud Books
- Object Photographs and Videos from the State Historical Museum of Iowa
- Think Like… Cards
Educators are encouraged to use these tools as they are integrated; however, each tool can be used as a stand alone activity. Download the digital resources below and visit your local library to check out the selected books, or others that are similar.
Goldie’s History Kits
Goldie’s History Kits are digital kits created by the State Historical Society of Iowa and were developed for K-5 educators to meet the Iowa Core Standards for Social Studies and Literacy.
Children’s Lives: Comparing Long Ago to Today
- Educator Manual (4.05 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (2.95 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (2.28 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (184 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Identity
- Educator Manual (6.49 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (3.2 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (3.9 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (537.27 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Rules and Responsibilities
Meskwaki Culture
- Educator Manual (2.52 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (2.11 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Video (2.4 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (208.33 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
People at Work
- Educator Manual (5.86 MB) .pdf
- Student Materials (3.85 MB) .pdf
- History Mystery Object Photos & Videos (2.78 MB) .pdf
- Think Like... Cards (483.31 KB) .pdf
- Primary Source Set
Schools: Comparing Long Ago, Today and Other Cultures
Buxton: A Lost Utopia
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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