Educator's Guide

2022-2023 IKEducation Programs

Programs can be customized to fit the level you need, so don't hesitate to ask! Questions? Email Us!

IKEducation is 100% donor-funded and resources are always FREE! Programs are not limited to history classes. Many offer cross-curricular combinations of social studies with language arts, STEM, music and paining. Browse our programs below, or click here to download the program guide.

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Littlest Ike Story Time

Each month will feature a different children’s book and lesson with an Ike connection. IKEducators will read a book, play, and create with students. Click here to learn about each month’s book.

I is for Ike

IKEducators use the alphabet and artifacts to introduce our youngest historians to the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Rosie the Riveter

When America's men left to fight in WWII, women were recruited to work at non-traditional jobs in plants and factories. These “Rosies" proved their abilities to America and haven't looked back since. Students will recreate their own Rosie photo, and use critical thinking to analyze primary sources.

Little Ike Artifacts

In this hands-on program, students explore artifacts from Ike’s home, work, play, or school days here in Abilene in order to get a glimpse of what life was like for “Little Ike,” as he was then called.

Constitution Day

Students learn about the three branches of government, with special emphasis on the Executive Branch and several examples of President Eisenhower's utilization of the Constitution. The program encourages students to develop habits of good citizenship for America’s future.

V-Mail

In the days before texts and email, written letters served as a vital link between loved ones. During WWII, U.S. post offices were flooded with mail & its bulk was competing with space needed for necessary military supplies. Students learn how American ingenuity solved this problem through the invention of V-Mail.

Space Race

History changed when the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik I satellite in 1957, marking the start of the space race & the establishment of NASA by President Eisenhower. Students examine primary sources, race to generate a timeline of key events, and create and launch a straw rocket.

Attic Artifacts: 101st Airborne

Following WWII, Americans kept souvenirs of lost loved ones or their time in the war. Many of these articles were stored in boxes or trunks and then tucked away in attics, basements, and garages for decades. Students critically evaluate images, documents, and a variety of artifacts from the 101st Airborne’s part in the D-Day invasion and liberation of Europe.

Holocaust: From a Name to a Number

Students learn how individuals were dehumanized as their name was replaced with a number or triangle. They will learn about the Holocaust through the voices of survivors and realize that behind every number was a person with a name not to be forgotten.

Primarily Omaha Beach

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. They then examine these documents and artifacts.

Crisis in Little Rock

By 1957, the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Eisenhower had desegregated Washington D.C., and Brown v. Board of Education declared “Separate but Equal” unconstitutional. That fall, nine African American students became heroes in the cause of racial justice. This program brings to life the pivotal events from the 1956-57 school year in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Spies Among Us?

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were members of the Communist Party convicted of passing secrets to the Soviet Union in 1945. Controversy surrounded the case. Students will 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.

Little Ike Story Time

Each month will feature a different children’s book and lesson with an Ike connection. IKEducators will read a book, play, and create with students. Learn more here.

Dogs for Defense

At a time when Americans were asked to make sacrifices for the war effort, WWII marked the establishment of a program to which families donated their dogs to serve in the U.S. military. Students hear the story of a real Hero Hound who left the family sofa, entered the battlefield, and returned home a hero.

Flat Ike

During you on-site visit, 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. Teachers and students can continue learning and sharing with Flat Ike long after their field trip is over.

Dear Mr. President

Students are never too young to practice the American right to share their concerns with elected officials. After analyzing children’s letters to President Eisenhower in the 1950s about topics such as Elvis' haircut & civil rights, students will practice civic engagement by writing their own letter to the current President.

Attic Artifacts: WWII Kids

Following World War II, many Americans kept souvenirs of lost loved ones or their own time in the war. These items were tucked away in attics, basements, and garages for decades. In this program, students learn what qualifies as an artifact, and evaluate images, documents, and other artifacts from WWII.

Code Talkers

During WWII, top-secret military information had to be hidden from enemies. For this reason, tactics were used to disguise messages. Students explore Code Talkers, Native American men who served in the U.S. military & used their native languages to create codes that were never broken.

Beyond Dorothy: Women of Kansas

From the time Kansas became a state in 1861, it has been home to women who pushed the boundaries. From Amelia Earhart to lesser-known women who fought for equality, they overcame obstacles to dominate areas not easily accessible to women.

Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without

Students handle primary sources like ration books and propaganda posters to learn how kids on the home front helped fight the war. Then, students play a board game that immerses them in the rationing and recycling programs that helped our troops win the war on the home front.

Paint Like Ike

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 “paint like Ike” to complete one of his landscapes. This lesson combines Eisenhower, history, and art.

Project Solarium

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

D-Day Deception

The best deception is attained by feeding an opponent with falsehoods which he wants to believe. Using code names such as Fortitude, Bodyguard, Quicksilver, and Double- Cross, General Eisenhower commanded a series of covert operations that played a crucial role in the victorious Allied invasion of Europe. Students examine primary sources to gain an understanding of D-Day deception plans.