Learning Tools

Learning Tools

Whether you are doing a project or assignment on Lancaster County’s history, or looking for activities or resources for you and your family during these challenging times, check out our various digital offerings and content. Resources are organized by topic and medium below, and include videos, digital exhibits, curriculum, coloring pages, and more.

Content is continually being added this page. Check back often for more resources and learning tools!


Curriculum

Curriculum Designed for 9th – 12th Graders

Business As Usual: Local Business & the Impact of Industrialization in Lancaster County

The “Business as Usual” thematic curriculum supplement is meant to enhance United States history curriculum, aimed towards 9th -12th grade students.

This content, including 1 book excerpt, 5 digitally-presented artifacts, 1 digital photograph, and 1 digital archival document, presents a holistic view of local business and the process of industrialization in Lancaster County.

This content focuses on significant local businesses and industries and their impact on the area. Some significant aspects of this content include the tobacco industry, the development of railroad lines, unionization, and local commerce.

Through the links below, you can download a PowerPoint presentation, instructor packet, student packet, readings packet, as well as a dyslexia-friendly packet in accordance with guidelines presented by the British Dyslexia Association. Dyslexia-friendly packets are in Microsoft Word format, to allow editing to meet any accessibility needs.

Instructor Packet [Business as Usual]

Student Packet [Business as Usual]

Readings Packet [Business as Usual]

PDF PowerPoint [Business as Usual]

Dyslexia-Friendly Packet [Business as Usual]

Lancaster As A Home Front: The Impact of the World Wars

The “Lancaster as a Home Front” thematic curriculum supplement is meant to enhance United States history curriculum, aimed towards 9th -12th grade students.

This content, including 1 digitally-presented artifact, 3 digital photographs, and 4 digital archival documents, presents the experience of Lancastrians in the early twentieth century. This content presents topics including the role of women during the war, the noncombatant experience, and conservation of resources on the home front.

Through the links below, you can download a PowerPoint presentation, instructor packet, student packet, readings packet, as well as a dyslexia-friendly packet in accordance with guidelines presented by the British Dyslexia Association. Dyslexia-friendly packets are in Microsoft Word format, to allow editing to meet any accessibility needs.

 

Instructor Packet [Home Front]

Student Packet [Home Front]

Readings Packet [Home Front]

PDF PowerPoint [Home Front]

Dyslexia-Friendly Packet [Home Front]

Pennsylvania Presidency: The Efforts & Effects of a Buchanan Presidency

The “Pennsylvania Presidency” thematic curriculum supplement is meant to enhance United States history curriculum, aimed towards 9-12 grade students.

This content, including 3 book excerpts, 4 digitally-presented artifacts, 2 digitally-present sites, and 1 short film, presents a holistic view of James Buchanan’s life and career.

This content focuses on his early career and policy choices, using inquiry-based-learning techniques to develop critical thinking skills in students and to pique interest in history and public heritage studies.

Through the links below, you can download a PowerPoint presentation, instructor packet, student packet, readings packet, as well as a dyslexia-friendly packet in accordance with guidelines presented by the British Dyslexia Association. Dyslexia-friendly packets are in Microsoft Word format, to allow editing to meet any accessibility needs.

 

Instructor Packet [PA Presidency]

Student Packet [PA Presidency]

Readings Packet [PA Presidency]

PDF PowerPoint [PA Presidency]

Dyslexia-Friendly Packet [PA Presidency]

The Struggle Against Slavery: The Local Perspective on a National Divide

“The Struggle Against Slavery” thematic curriculum supplement is meant to enhance United States history curriculum, aimed towards 9-12 grade students.

This content, including 1 digital timeline, 3 book excerpts, 1 digitally-presented artifact, 2 digital photographs, 1 digitally-presented historic site, and 1 digital archival document, presents a holistic view of the abolition movement and key figures in Lancaster County.

This content focuses on different perspectives on the abolition movement as well as key players and key events related to the movement. Figures mentioned in this packet include William Whipper, Thaddeus Stevens, Lydia Hamilton Smith, Peter Woods, and Samuel Hopkins.

Through the links below, you can download a PowerPoint presentation, instructor packet, student packet, readings packet, as well as a dyslexia-friendly packet in accordance with guidelines presented by the British Dyslexia Association. Dyslexia-friendly packets are in Microsoft Word format, to allow editing to meet any accessibility needs.

 

Instructor Packet [Struggle Against Slavery]

Student Packet [Struggle Against Slavery]

Readings Packet [Struggle Against Slavery]

PDF PowerPoint [Struggle Against Slavery]

Dyslexia-Friendly Packet [Struggle Against Slavery]

Lesson Plans

William Still & The Underground Railroad

Various Resources Organized by Medium

To view content by its medium (video, written article, etc…), please click the header to unfold each medium.

Activity Sheets & Coloring Book Pages

Activity Sheets

Buchanan's World Word Search [Answer Sheet] (Difficulty Grade 4 and Up)

Harpo From Home Activity Sheet (All Ages)

Harpo's Backpack Hunt Activity Sheet (All Ages) - Page 1 | Page 2

Milton S. Hershey Word Search [Answer Sheet]


Coloring Book Pages

Painted Blanket Chest from 1767

President Buchanan's Frog Pond

President James Buchanan

Wheatland

Created by Jenny Germann

Blogs or Written Articles

Blogs

All blog entries can be found here.

Written Articles

A Brief History of President James Buchanan's Wheatland

Digital Exhibits

Digital Exhibits

Clare Point Stock Farm (Training racehorses in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

Fight Club (Johnny & Leo Hauck, Boxing in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

The Gallery of Facial Hair (Lancaster men & interesting hairstyles) - Photo Exhibit

Garden Spot (Gardening & Lancastrians with green thumbs) - Photo Exhibit

Gradual Abolition in Pennsylvania

Harriet Lane: Fair First Lady of the Land

Historic Pets of Lancaster - Photo Exhibit

Leafy Retreat (Summer excursions for Lancastrians in the early 19th-century) - Photo Exhibit

Little Munich (19th-century Lancaster's independent German brewers) - Photo Exhibit

Love Letters

Now Showing! (Downtown Lancaster's Theatre Row) - Photo Exhibit

Path to the Presidency

The Really Really Great Outdoors  (Outdoor camping in Lancaster County) - Photo Exhibit

Retail Therapy (Shopping in downtown Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

Windsor Forge (Blanche Nevin and her home, Windsor Forge) - Photo Exhibit

World War I Posters

Heritage Markers
Interactive Digital Maps

Interactive Digital Maps

Industry: Class of 2019 Library interns Evan Michales and James Shiffer created an interactive map of industry in 19th-century Lancaster City. This map was based on a book in our collection, Dr. Thomas Winpenny’s “Industrial Progress and Human Welfare: The Rise of the Factory System in 19th Century Lancaster.” The map is available to view here.

Residents of Bethelstown, Lancaster: Class of 2022 Scholarly Research Intern Will Esposito created an interactive map of Bethelstown, a neighborhood along South Queen Street in Lancaster City. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this area was home to dozens of people who all rented their land from the Bethels, one of the city's oldest families. A 1764 map of the area made by notable Lancaster citizen John Hubley listed almost every resident of the neighborhood and which plots of land they rented. The interactive map shows where Hubley's family lived, along with some other notable residents of Bethelstown. The map can be viewed here.

Tobacco Warehouses: Building off of research conducted by John F. Bennawit, Jr., LancasterHistory Archives & Library Assistant Martha Abel expanded information on Lancaster tobacco warehouses from 1870-1920 in the interactive map below. Users can click around the map to view different locations, photos, and explore external links for additional information. The map can be viewed here.

Interactive Timelines
Oral Histories

7th Ward Oral History Project

The 7th Ward: Discovering Our Treasures Oral History Project collects audio and video oral histories from current and former residents of the culturally-diverse 7th Ward of Lancaster City, with particular focus on the years 1930-1980. These histories help residents share their stories and experiences which contributed to this rich and vibrant community, and inform current and future generations of their past.

Watch video interviews of residents of the 7th Ward in Lancaster City.

To learn more about the 7th Ward Oral History Project, please visit their website.

Various Resources Organized by Topic

To view content we have for the following topics, please click the header to unfold each topic. Lecture series such as the Regional History Colloquia and Presidential Lecture series should also be consulted for the variety of topics they include. Content includes, but is not limited to, digital exhibits, interactive timelines, videos, and written articles.

Looking for our recorded lectures? Our videos have been moved to a new page on our website, “YouTube.” Click here to be taken to that page.

Black History & the Underground Railroad

Lancaster County has a rich African American history, full of stories of people with extraordinary determination that changed our nation. Lancaster was once home to an enslaved population, many of whom fought for our freedom in the American Revolution and Civil War, as well as a site of freedom as a home of the Underground Railroad. Use these digital resources to learn more about Lancaster County’s fascinating African American history.


African American Heritage Markers

View more information about African American Heritage Markers in Lancaster City.


7th Ward Oral History Project

The 7th Ward: Discovering Our Treasures Oral History Project collects audio and video oral histories from current and former residents of the culturally-diverse 7th Ward of Lancaster City, with particular focus on the years 1930-1980. These histories help residents share their stories and experiences which contributed to this rich and vibrant community, and inform current and future generations of their past.

Watch video interviews of residents of the 7th Ward in Lancaster City.

To learn more about the 7th Ward Oral History Project, please visit their website.


Digital Exhibits

Gradual Abolition in Pennsylvania


Interactive Timelines

The Underground Railroad in Lancaster County


Videos

"A Slave For Life If I So Chuse": Slavery & Abolition in Lancaster County

Demystifying the Underground Railroad

Embattled Freedom

Fugitive Slaves & The Struggle Against Slavery

Explore the Outdoors

Activity Sheets

Harpo's Backpack Hunt Activity Sheet (All Ages) - Page 1 | Page 2

Historic Photographs

Digital Photo Exhibits

Clare Point Stock Farm (Training racehorses in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

Fight Club (Johnny & Leo Hauck, Boxing in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

The Gallery of Facial Hair (Lancaster men & interesting hairstyles) - Photo Exhibit

Garden Spot (Gardening & Lancastrians with green thumbs) - Photo Exhibit

Historic Pets of Lancaster - Photo Exhibit

Leafy Retreat (Summer excursions for Lancastrians in the early 19th-century) - Photo Exhibit

Little Munich (19th-century Lancaster's independent German brewers) - Photo Exhibit

Now Showing! (Downtown Lancaster's Theatre Row) - Photo Exhibit

The Really Really Great Outdoors  (Outdoor camping in Lancaster County) - Photo Exhibit

Retail Therapy (Shopping in downtown Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

Windsor Forge (Blanche Nevin and her home, Windsor Forge) - Photo Exhibit

History of Lancaster

Also see Black History, James Buchanan's World, and Women's History sections for other applicable tools that may apply also to Lancaster County's history. Additional items include:

7th Ward Oral History Project

Watch video interviews of former residents of the 7th Ward in Lancaster City. To learn more about the 7th Ward Oral History Project, please visit their website.


Activity Sheets & Coloring Book Pages

Buchanan's World Word Search [Answer Sheet] (Difficulty Grade 4 and Up)

Harpo From Home Activity Sheet (All Ages)

Milton S. Hershey Word Search [Answer Sheet]

President James Buchanan

Wheatland

Created by Jenny Germann


Interactive Digital Maps

Class of 2019 Library interns Evan Michales and James Shiffer created an interactive map of industry in 19th-century Lancaster City. This map was based on a book in our collection, Dr. Thomas Winpenny’s “Industrial Progress and Human Welfare: The Rise of the Factory System in 19th Century Lancaster.” The map is available to view here.


Digital Photo Exhibits

Clare Point Stock Farm (Training racehorses in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

Fight Club (Johnny & Leo Hauck, Boxing in Lancaster) - Photo Exhibit

The Gallery of Facial Hair (Lancaster men & interesting hairstyles) - Photo Exhibit

Garden Spot (Gardening & Lancastrians with green thumbs) - Photo Exhibit

Historic Pets of Lancaster - Photo Exhibit

Leafy Retreat (Summer excursions for Lancastrians in the early 19th-century) - Photo Exhibit

Little Munich (19th-century Lancaster's independent German brewers)

Now Showing! (Downtown Lancaster's Theatre Row)

Retail Therapy (Shopping in downtown Lancaster)

The Really Really Great Outdoors (Outdoor Camping in Lancaster County)

Windsor Forge (Blanche Nevin and her home, Windsor Forge) - Photo Exhibit


Videos

The Life & Work of C. Emlen Urban, 1880-1939

Tobaccoland

James Buchanan's World

James Buchanan made Lancaster his primary residence from 1809 until his death at his beloved Wheatland home in 1868. Buchanan lived, and ultimately served as our country’s president, during an era of extreme change in Lancaster County and in our nation. Use these digital resources to learn more about James Buchanan and the mid-19th-century world in which he lived.

Activity Sheets & Coloring Book Pages

Buchanan's World Word Search [Answer Sheet] (Difficulty Grade 4 and Up)

Harpo From Home Activity Sheet (All Ages)

President Buchanan's Frog Pond [Coloring Book page]

President James Buchanan [Coloring Book page]

Wheatland  [Coloring Book page]

Created by Jenny Germann


Digital Exhibits

Path to the Presidency


Interactive Timelines

President James Buchanan Timeline


Videos

2019 Presidential Lecture Series

Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan & William Rufus King

James Buchanan & The Preservation of the White Man's Republic

President James Buchanan's Foreign Policies & The Union

Assorted Videos

Buchanan Basics, YouTube playlist


Written Articles

A Brief History of President James Buchanan's Wheatland

Object Lessons

Enjoy educational videos about a variety of objects found in the collections at LancasterHistory.

Videos

All videos will link through to LancasterHistory's YouTube.

Exploring Esprit Quilts

Blogs

A Stitch Is Worth A Thousand Words

Presidential Lecture Series
Regional History Colloquium Series

2018 Series

The below videos were all recorded with the permission of the speaker in the year 2018 at LancasterHistory. Videos will link through to LancasterHistory's YouTube or Facebook. Videos are free to watch and do not require an account to access.

Demystifying the Underground Railroad

Fugitive Slaves & The Struggle Against Slavery

The Life & Work of C. Emlen urban, 1880-1939

Tobaccoland


2019 Series

The below videos were all recorded with the permission of the speaker in the year 2019 at LancasterHistory. Videos will link through to LancasterHistory's YouTube or Facebook. Videos are free to watch and do not require an account to access.

March 2019: Embattled Freedom

April 2019: Surrogate First Ladies

May 2019: Slavery & The Declaration of Independence

October 2019: All The Presidents' Gardens

December 2019: A Revolutionary Idea: The Birth of Freedom of Speech in America


2020 Series

The below videos were all recorded with the permission of the speaker in the year 2020 at LancasterHistory. Videos will link through to LancasterHistory's YouTube or Facebook. Videos are free to watch and do not require an account to access.

January 2020 **Available Until April 27, 2020**: Science, Stage, & Spectacle in Antebellum Philadelphia, 1820-1860

February 2020: Washington Brotherhood

Treasures from the Archives
Women's History

From its 17th-century founding through the present day, Lancaster County has been home to many notable women. Use these digital resources to learn more about women's lives in Lancaster County.


Digital Exhibit

Harriet Lane: Fair First Lady of the Land

Windsor Forge (Blanche Nevin and her home, Windsor Forge) - Photo Exhibit


Interactive Timeline

Women of Lancaster County


Videos

Harriet Lane: Fair First Lady of the Land

Surrogate First Ladies