The Great Depression. World War II. The Fabulous Fifties. Experience these memorable moments of the 20th century through the eyes of those who lived it. Educators can be among the first to visit the Minnesota Historical Center's new exhibit, Minnesota's Greatest Generation, the capstone to a four-year project. After touring the exhibit, educators will discover tools for conducting oral histories and teaching these important eras in the classroom.

The Minnesota Historical Society will help participants make their very own Discovery Boxes. Each educator will walk away with a teaching box, filled with props and primary sources related to Minnesota's fur trade. Participants will also brainstorm with fellow teachers and experience a hands-on fur trade lesson.

Minnesota celebrated its 150th birthday in 2008, but the impact of statehood on American Indian communities must not be underestimated. Participants in this workshop will explore how settlement has affected Indian people throughout Minnesota's statehood, and learn more about the cultural, social, and political impacts on Indian communities during the past 150 years. The workshop will focus on the Dakota.

Participants in this workshop will connect with educators from throughout the state as they choose from lively breakout sessions taught by Minnesota content experts and fellow teachers who use the middle-level Minnesota history Northern Lights curriculum. Attendees will also tour the latest exhibits at the Minnesota History Center.

"Offered in Summer 2008, the workshop will focus on the history and activities that took place on the Vermilion and the Mesabi Iron Ranges. Participants will be provided with resources and new content knowledge for introducing the history of Minnesota's Iron Range region, its contributions, and its people into their current American history curriculum. In order to make this easier, the workshops will be based on national history standards and the national social studies standards and will be organized around three central themes that align with those standards. These three themes are: 1) Natural History of the Landmark: Geography and Geology; 2) The Mines and their Contributions to American History; 3) and the People and the Mines (indigenous peoples, ethnicity, and immigration)."

"Offered in Summer 2008, the workshop will focus on the history and activities that took place on the Vermilion and the Mesabi Iron Ranges. Participants will be provided with resources and new content knowledge for introducing the history of Minnesota's Iron Range region, its contributions, and its people into their current American history curriculum. In order to make this easier, the workshops will be based on national history standards and the national social studies standards and will be organized around three central themes that align with those standards. These three themes are: 1) Natural History of the Landmark: Geography and Geology; 2) The Mines and their Contributions to American History; 3) and the People and the Mines (indigenous peoples, ethnicity, and immigration)."