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. 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: New Standards Alignment Charts Are Here! 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. In the meantime, we've released new standards alignment charts for every kit. These charts provide a clear overview of how the kits will map to the new standards. We've kept the original grade level organization of the kits below so that you can easily find what you're looking for in a familiar place. Click the + button next to each grade level to download the standards alignment chart for each kit. Revised kits will be live on August 1, 2026, and the grade level organization will be updated then.

The following document explains how Goldie's History Kits will realign with the new Iowa Social Studies Standards.

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.