Traveling Trunks are contextual resource kits that educators can check out to use in their classrooms. All kits contain lesson plans and activities. There are no fees for using a Traveling Trunk but use is limited to two weeks. Educators must pick up and return the trunk to the Kentucky Library and Museum during museum hours Monday through Friday 8:00-4:00, Saturday 9:30-4:00, Sunday 1:00-4:00.

Educators can choose from the following Traveling Trunks:

Abraham Lincoln
Funded in party by the Kentucky Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This traveling trunk contains a variety of resources to help educators explore one of the most fascinating figures in American history. This trunk contains information about Lincoln’s life and legacy including: formative years, presidency and Civil War, assassination, primary sources and much more. In addition to books, work sheets, music and Power Points, the kit contains clothing representative of both Lincoln’s boyhood and of his presidency. Trunk is designed primarily for use with second through fifth grade use. Checklist of Trunk Contents

African American History
This teacher's kit was developed to assist educators in enriching their African American history curriculum. The trunk contains information on the influence of African music and food on Kentucky and American culture. It also includes CDs of music and stories. There are several Power Points: African Americans in the Civil War: A Timeline, Segregation, Life of Dr. King, and Faces of the Civil Rights: 1955-1969. The kit also contains a “Slave Bag,” a VHS about slavery, several Carole Marsh workbooks with activities, and posters to hang in the classroom. Trunk is designed primarily for third through sixth grade use. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Bowling Green and Warren County
Learn about the local government, history, and geography of Bowling Green and Warren County. This contextual resource kit contains Power Points on government and history of the city and county. There are a variety of objects that represent the city and county. There are two lesson plans/activities—a photograph study and a geography lesson. There is a very large map of Warren County for display as well as a timeline of major events. Thirty copies of the fictionalized “Diary of Johnny Underwood” provide insights into a 19th century childhood. The trunk is designed primarily for first through third grade use. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Kentucky Regions and Symbols
This kit of 31 items is designed to assist 4th and 5th grade teachers and students in the exploration of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The kit and accompanying teacher’s manual contains sections on Kentucky’s symbols, famous citizens, geography and government. Items in the kit include CDS, a bag of coal, work sheets, KY timeliness, KY Carol Marsh books, videos, a dulcimer and much more. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Historic Native Americans in Kentucky
This teacher's kit was developed to assist educators in enriching their Kentucky histroy curriculum. The guides and activities are designed for 4th and 5th graders, but can be used for 3rd through 6th grade. The trunk includes information about clothing, food, shelter, material culture, and famous leaders from each of the three tribes. Posters, maps, information sheets, “artifacts,” art projects, and folk tales are available in order for students to better understand the culture of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Shawnee Indians. While these three Native groups did have similarities, each tribe has a narrative of its own that contributed to the creation, expansion, and history of Kentucky. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Prehistoric Kentucky
This teacher's kit was developed to assist educators in creating a curriculum about prehistory Kentucky. The guides and activities are geared towards 4th and 5th graders, but can be used for up to 8th grade.
Topics include: archeology, Kentucky Native Americans, prehistoric animals known as megafauna, identifying projectile points, a video about Flint knapping (making stone tools). The kit contains actual artifacts and "arrow heads," photos, vocabulary lists, crossword puzzles, quizzes, and ideas for discussion based on the information and three activities.There is also "A Native Presence," a guide published by the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission that contains four lesson plans. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Quilting
This teaching kit includes a cross curriculum, core content aligned comprehensive teacher's guide. Numerous activities for elementary, middle and high school applicable to science, math, practical living, social studies, reading and writing are included. The kit also contains several outstanding examples of quilt making at its finest, along with a variety of other manipulatives students will enjoy. African-American influence on quilting, quilts as political statements, polygon quilt game, get-to-know you class paper quilt, are just a few of the many topics and activities your students can explore. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Looking at Japanese Culture
This trunk includes examples of traditional Japanese clothing, utensils, and toys, as well as objects illustrating the Japanese numeral and writing systems. The teaching packet contains information on the objects, a few of which include two complete kimono and accessories for a man and a woman, a Japanese abacus, and a traditional windsock that is flown on Children's Day in Japan. Checklist of Trunk Contents

Activities are keyed to the Kentucky Department of Education Core Content for Assessment.
For more information or to borrow a traveling trunk please contact Christy Spurlock or Lynne Ferguson at the Kentucky Library & Museum, Western Kentucky University. 270-745-2594, 745-6082.