The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) has launched several virtual education aids for K-12 students, the result of surveying about 200 Kentucky teachers over the summer.

For grades K-8, the society offers an hour-long live museum tour and hands-on activity. The tour itself fills half that time, with options for civics, economics, geography, government and politics. The second half-hour will be a related live activity. This Kentucky Historical Society virtual field trip flier explains virtual field trip options.

Grades 8-12 can host a historian, holding a live conversation on Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, civil rights or the Appalachian coal industry, all from the perspective of Kentucky. The 45-minute program will include a visual literacy activity, historical presentation and moderated discussion. A Host a Historian flier lists all of the options.

The virtual programs are available Tuesday through Friday on Zoom, Google Classroom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. They cost $50 each for up to 100 students at a time. Reservations are already open.

Since March, KHS has been leading virtual museum tours on Facebook Live. Recordings of those tours can be viewed on the KHS Virtual Visitor webpage.

The society’s established programs also have transitioned to an online format, including National History Day in Kentucky. Multiple online educator resources are available, including the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies Resource Guides

Kentucky teachers have a chance to win books for their classrooms through the First Book contest, sponsored by First Book, American Heritage Chocolate and the history and civics coalition Made By Us. To enter, go to MyWishForUS.com and list your students’ wishes for America’s future. Then post your entry on social media with the hashtag #MyWishForUS and fill out the Wishes for Us form.

KHS offers professional development for teachers, but those courses also have moved online for this school year. They are available on the KHS Professional Learning webpage.

The 2020 Kentucky Council for the Social Studies Conference will be held online Oct. 24. More information and registration are available on the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies webpage.

For further information on these or other KHS issues, email the KHS Teacher Programs Manager Claire Gwaltney or call her at (502) 782-8059.