This unit is designed for use in a ninth-grade curriculum which calls for a study of the state. The unit, though, can be developed for grades either higher or lower by modifying the goals stated below, I feel that the unit should take twenty-five class periods. This length of time can be modified.
The materials for this unit should be collected by the teacher before the start of the unit. Tape recording materials are necessary for oral interviews. The other materials, both primary and secondary, can be xeroxed (one copy only for copywritten material). In most cases, local historical societies will not allow children to handle manuscript materials, thus teachers will have to research and transcribe those materials themselves. Remember that primary sources include artifacts, photographs, and other hands-on materials in addition to manuscripts.
In the area of secondary source materials, I have found that most town histories are products of an antiquarian desire to preserve facts. These facts can be used by the students with careful teacher attention to arcHaic and inaccurate interpretation.