Who could imagine teaching Arkansas history without including economics? It simply can’t be done! To support you in making those essential connections, the Bessie Moore Center has gathered and developed a collection of hands-on, activity-based lessons that highlight the economic dimensions of Arkansas history. These engaging resources bring history to life by showing how economics has shaped our state—from early trade routes to modern development.
Be sure to explore standout lessons like Ballooning Through Arkansas History and Arkansas Park Development, which integrate interactive components and make excellent use of online tools. And don’t miss our special feature page on the Economic Dimensions of Arkansas History, complete with a downloadable lesson and a crowd-favorite: an Internet-based Jeopardy-style game that students and teachers consistently rave about!
Arkansas: Specializing to Produce a Great State (Word doc) — Through active participation in assembling an Arkansas puzzle and playing a card game, the students will learn about specialization in early Arkansas. Interdependence and specialization come to life when students first produce Arkansas puzzles on their own and then in production groups. Students learn how division of labor can increase productivity. They then relate these economic concepts to their lives as they go out into the community and interview modern-day specialists.
Arkansas Stories — Charley Sandage, performed by: Harmony — Track 7 Sultana (2:44). These songs use traditional music to tell stories of Arkansas pasts. A great way to introduce new history ideas to your students!
Arkansas Traveler (Word doc): What Do You See? — A K-2 Arkansas history Common Core lesson written by Marsha Masters with Economics Arkansas. Great fun and educational too!
Ballooning through Arkansas (Word doc): Experiencing Scarcity — Students working in groups or individually use the Internet to determine where they will stop in each of Arkansas’ geographic regions. They have scarcity of time and space as they plan their trip.
Economic Dimensions of Arkansas History — This curriculum was developed by middle school education majors at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas Women’s Giving Circle. This lesson uses an Arkansas map as a graphic organizer as students learn about industry, history, natural resources, transportation and geography. After sharing their newly developed knowledge with classmates, they regroup and compete on an Internet-based Jeopardy format game — great fun with maximum learning!
- Intro Lesson (Word doc)
- Geography (Word doc)
- History Part I (Word doc)
- History Part II (Word doc)
- Industry Section (Word doc)
- Natural Resources (Word doc)
- Transportation (Word doc)
Parks and Tourism in the Natural State: An Economic Driver — Website and activities to teach Arkansas history using Arkansas State Parks. Students learn about park goals through research and the creation of a new park.
Pride in Arkansas — Economic development of the state and highlights from each region are included.
- Economic Dimensions of Arkansas History (PowerPoint)
- Economic Development of Arkansas (PowerPoint) — Students work in groups of five or six and use an Arkansas road map as a graphic organizer to research and learn about specialized topics such as industry, natural resources, history, geography, and transportation. Once they have developed expertise in their category, they prepare an entertaining presentation to share their information with the rest of the class. Once the presentations are complete, new groups are formed with one specialist per category per group. Now let the play begin!
Transportation
- The Wheels on the Truck (Word doc) — Another fun activity that capitalizes on young learners’ interest in transportation. Again, it was written by Marsha Masters from Economics Arkansas. Enjoy this Common Core-aligned activity.
- Arkansas Park Development: Scarcity of Land — Students research the six natural divisions of the state to determine the location for a new state park. Due to the scarcity of resources, only one new park can be developed. The goals of the park and the opportunity cost are important criteria to be considered in this important decision. (Contact the Center for information on this lesson.)
Arkansas Ice Breaker
