The Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Museum have produced a number of resources for teachers. These highlight topics in Massachusetts history and use the documents of the Massachusetts Archives and the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

Traveling exhibits, and curriculum materials are free and can be ordered by contacting the museum. When ordering materials be sure to include your name, the name of your organization or school, your mailing address and telephone number, along with a list of requested materials.

Curriculum Guides

George Washington in Massachusetts: A Thematic Unit Using Primary Sources (PDF, 721k)

Color Massachusetts booklet and teacher's guide (elementary)
(PDF 1.1 MB, PDF 1.2 MB)

Massachusetts Facts teacher's background
(published by Citizen Information Service; elementary)

Civil War Lesson Plans

The Commonwealth Museum conducted a workshop for teachers on using primary sources to teach the Civil War in the classroom. As a final project, each teacher submitted a unit outline and lesson plan, some of which are available below.

African-Americans in the Military during the Civil War (PDF, 34k)

Role Play Trial of the Secret Six (PDF, 96k)

The Underground Railroad (PDF, 48k)

Archaeology: Two free-standing exhibits on Boston archaeology are available for display in your school. "Women in Colonial Boston" presents the lives of three remarkable women. “Industry Must Prosper” describes a pottery, a glass factory, and pewterer's workshop. Both exhibits are based on archaeological research conducted as part of the Big Dig archaeology project.