Educator's Guide

Our lively educators use the alphabet and a correlating card game to encourage students to get to know Ike.

Grade Levels: Kindergarten - 3rd

Students are introduced to artifacts and Dwight D. Eisenhower through many of the hats he wore throughout his life. Includes hands-on exploration and a coloring book.

Grade Levels: Kindergarten - 3rd

Ever wonder what it would be like to live at the White House? Heidi will show you around the famous house where President Eisenhower worked and lived. Who was Heidi? Heidi was the First Dog of the U.S. and a beloved member of the Eisenhower family. Using primary sources and activities, students will explore President Eisenhower's White House.

Grade Levels: Kindergarten - 3rd

Grade Levels: Kindergarten - 3rd

Students explore artifacts from Dwight D. Eisenhower’s early life in Abilene, Kansas, gaining a hands-on understanding of his formative years before becoming a military leader and president.

Grade Levels: 3rd - 5th

Dwight Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential campaign had the most iconic slogan in history - “I Like Ike!” What makes an effective campaign slogan? In this program students will study Dwight Eisenhower’s winning campaign and have the opportunity to get their hands on primary source artifacts. Campaign slogans, imagery, and paraphernalia of other U.S. Presidents will also be analyzed. As a culminating activity, students will create a slogan to design and make their own campaign button.

Grade Levels: 3rd - 7th

Following World War II, many Americans kept souvenirs of lost loved ones or their time in the war. In this program, students handle and evaluate a variety of images, documents, and artifacts that they will use to answer essential questions about American kids' lives during World War II.

Grade Levels: 6th - 8th

Many soldiers brought home souvenirs and kept items from their time in World War II. In this program, students critically evaluate images, documents, and a variety of artifacts from the legendary 101 Airborne Easy Co.’s journey from the D-Day invasion to the liberation of Europe.

Grade Levels: 9th - 12th

Throughout his life, Ike loved to fish. As a boy in Abilene, KS, he could walk to nearby fishing holes with a willow shoot, a length of string, a 5-cent hook from the general store, and worms that he collected from the family garden to fish for a meal or two. As an adult and world hero, Ike was able to use more sophisticated gear and became a fixture on the covers of fishing magazines. Students will make their own DIY casting gear and try their hand at basic casting skills.

Grade Levels: 3rd - 8th

President Eisenhower, an avid golfer, once joked, “There ought to be a law against asking a person what he shot.” Golf Digest responded with lapel buttons that read “DON’T ASK WHAT I SHOT!” and named him Member No. 1 of the “Secret Shooters'
Society.” Ike loved golf so much he had a putting green installed at the White House in 1954 — and even left spike marks on the Oval Office floor! In this activity, students will practice their putting skills and use geometry to design their own mini-golf holes.

Grade Levels: 5th - 12th

Join us for a hands-on lesson that combines Eisenhower, history, and art. Shortly before D-Day, Ike outlined instructions to minimize the damage to art and save it from Hitler, commonly known as the Monuments Men. Not long after World War II, Ike took up the hobby of painting and enjoyed it throughout the rest of his life. Students will view several of Ike’s works and have a chance to “paint like Ike” by completing one of his landscapes.

Grade Levels: Kindergarten - 12th

This immersive educational experience provides an interactive and comprehensive approach to the foundational principles of American democracy, tailored to enrich students' knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

Learn about the three branches of government - Executive, Legislative, and Judicial - and its system of checks and balances

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

Follow the steps a bill must go through in the legislature, from creation to committee to floor debate, all before arriving at the President's desk.

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

Analyze primary source letters written to President Eisenhower by kids, noting their purpose and topics of the 1950s - from Elvis' haircut to civil rights.

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

What does it take to become the President? This program will look at the Consitution to find the requirements to run for office and when you are eligible to take a seat in the Oval Office.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

The President is the leader of the Executive Branch of our government. Like your parents, this position has many roles and responsibilities to take care of our country. Students will become familiar with the Commander in Chief's roles and how President
Eisenhower demonstrated them.

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

Approximately a million people become naturalized citizens of the United States each year. What is the process to become a naturalized American? This informative program describes the requirements and steps for that process.

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

In this program, students first learn about the dehumanization that occurred in the Holocaust. Then, through the voices of survivors, students realize that behind every number was a person with a name not to be forgotten.

Grade Levels: 7th - 12th

While Nazi forces terrorized Europe, some brave individuals offered hope to those persecuted. Through the story of the Terezin concentration camp, students will see how art and compassion made a difference. They will then paint a ceramic butterfly as part of The Butterfly Project, honoring the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust.

Grade Levels: 7th - 12th

Students will examine primary sources detailing General Eisenhower’s first-hand experience witnessing the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, gaining insight into the atrocities of the Holocaust through documented evidence.

Grade Levels: 7th - 12th

Roberto Innocenti, artist and illustrator, used his childhood memories of World War II to create the award-winning book "Rose Blanche." The story follows a young German girl who discovers a nearby concentration camp, leading to a tragic outcome. Students will analyze the book’s illustrations to explore symbolism, make inferences, and compare the story to real events from the war.

Grade Levels: 7th - 12th

Students learn about the Hero Hound program established during World War II, focusing on the incredible story of Chips, a family dog who served in the US military and returned home as a decorated hero.

Grade Levels: 3rd - 5th

As American men went off to fight in World War II, women stepped into non-traditional roles in defense plants and factories, becoming known as "Rosie the Riveters," whose contributions greatly supported the war effort and changed the perception of women in the workforce forever.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

Code Talkers were Native American men who served in the US military and used their native languages to create codes that were never broken, even after the end of the war. Students will learn to cypher messages using the basics of this secret code.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

During World War II everyone was asked to do their part to support the troops. In this program, students will examine primary sources and play a board game that immerses them in the rationing and recycling programs.

Grade Levels: 6th - 9th

It is said that the defeat of Nazi Germany was sealed on Omaha Beach. One hundred and sixty-thousand troops landed within 24 hours on a 50-mile front. Students are introduced to the overall objective of D-Day and how its story is preserved through primary sources.

Grade Levels: 9th - 12th

During World War II, 20 million Victory Gardens were planted in the United States to help feed our troops and relieve food shortages here at home. Urban, suburban, and rural communities all came together in this shared effort. In this program, students will learn about the history and purpose of Victory Gardens, analyze primary source artifacts from that era, connect Victory Gardens to modern environmental practices, and plan their own victory garden to help grow a greener future!

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

Operation Overlord, or D-Day, was considered a major turning point in WW II for the Allied forces. This program explores the planning and execution of D-Day under the leadership of Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower. What was it like to be a part of one of the most crucial battles in history? In this program, students will learn about how the invasion was
planned and hear first-hand accounts from veterans who were there.

Grade Levels: 6th - 12th

The Allies laid the foundation for success on D-Day months in advance, not only through training but also through large scale
deception. Students will examine a variety of primary sources — physical, audio, and visual — as they learn about the Allies bold, unlikely, and ultimately successful deception of Nazi forces.

Grade Levels: 9th - 12th

America’s transportation innovation changed the way we travel and live. Paired with a children's book, this program introduces the Eisenhower Interstate System and challenges students to try their hand at transportation innovation.

Grade Levels: 2nd - 5th

Playing off the Flat Stanley movement, students will learn about the Great Seal of the United States, the Ike Jacket, map reading, and the features of the campus while creating photo souvenirs of their visit with their own Flat Ike.

Grade Levels: 3rd - 5th

During WWII, post offices were flooded with mail and its bulk was competing with the space needed for necessary military supplies. Students will learn how American ingenuity solved this problem through the invention of V-Mail.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

As president, Eisenhower passed The Federal-Aid Highway Act, the largest infrastructure project in US history. Students will analyze primary sources and use their engineering skills to design and test their own bridge.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

The Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite marked the start of the space race. Students examine primary sources and race to generate a timeline of key events and test engineering skills as they create and launch a straw rocket.

Grade Levels: 6th - 12th

Explore key moments in American history where parachutes played a crucial role, from military operations to space exploration. Students will dive into the science behind parachutes before constructing and testing their own parachutes to analyze how different materials affect performance.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

The Soviet Union successfully detonated an atomic weapon in 1949, ushering in an era of Cold War nuclear brinksmanship that cast a shadow on America’s sense of security. How can the President of the United States help promote a sense of calm
and preparedness when faced with possible catastrophe?

Grade Levels: 4th - 9th

Shortly after taking office, President Eisenhower needed to decide how the U.S. should confront Soviet Communist expansionism. In this program, students recreate Eisenhower’s Project Solarium to analyze primary sources, discuss and debate the merits of three options, andadvise the president of their recommendations.

Grade Levels: 10th - 12th

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, members of the Communist Party, were convicted of passing secrets to the Soviet Union in 1945 and sentenced to death. Controversy surrounded the case, as many claimed the decision was the result of Cold War hysteria, not facts. In this program, students examine primary documents from persons both inside and outside of the intelligence
community, as well as stepping into President Eisenhower’s position to decide whether to grant executive clemency to the Rosenbergs.

Grade Levels: 10th - 12th

What should President Eisenhower do when an American spy is captured in the Soviet Union just weeks before a potential peace summit with Premier Nikita Khrushchev? Should the CIA and White House cover for their spy or come clean about their espionage efforts? Can the peace summit move forward as planned? Students will use primary sources to act as presidential advisors, giving Eisenhower advice at key points in the timeline of the U2 spy plane incident and examining the consequences of Eisenhower's choices.

Grade Levels: 10th - 12th

Through his military experience, President Eisenhower recognized the strategic and economic advantages of a strong national highway system. As a result, he championed and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 — the largest infrastructure project in U.S. history. In this program, students will analyze primary sources to explore the history and lasting impact of one of Eisenhower’s most transformative initiatives.

Grade Levels: 4th - 8th

President Dwight D. Eisenhower played a pivotal role in founding NASA as a civilian agency devoted to space exploration. Under his leadership, space became a new frontier not of military dominance, but of scientific discovery and peaceful progress. Students will travel along the timeline of NASA's creation, learning about the history of the space program and its impact on our lives today. Inquiry and critical thinking will be used to analyze primary sources, such as photographs, documents, and artifacts from the time of NASA's creation.

Grade Levels: 4th - 12th

Exhibit exploration with an escape room twist! In this program, students will solve puzzles, follow clues, and engage with primary sources to answer the question, "What did President Eisenhower do to 'wage peace' during the Cold War?"

Grade Levels: 6th - 12th

After World War II, Americans enjoyed increasing prosperity. This included the rise of a new technology, television. Dwight Eisenhower led the way by embracing television as a means of communicating his ideas to the voters and became known as the “TV President.” Students will look at different methods of persuasion by analyzing and comparing campaign ads from the 1950's to more recent times. A follow up activity will give students the opportunity to develop their own campaign ad.

Grade Levels: 6th - 12th