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
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]
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.
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]
“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]
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
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
Created by Jenny Germann
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
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
African American Heritage Markers
View more information about African American Heritage Markers in Lancaster City.
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
President James Buchanan Timeline
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.
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
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
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]
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
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
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
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
2019 Presidential Lecture Series
All videos will link through to LancasterHistory's YouTube.
Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan & William Rufus King
James Buchanan & The Preservation of the White Man's Republic
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
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
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