Submitted by Washington Secretary of State office.
Many of our divisions offer free resources for students, parents, and teachers to learn about Washington’s history, elections, and more!
Legacy Washington offers oral histories about extraordinary Washingtonians past and present and provides engaging content for students with accompanying lesson plans and contests. Visit https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/educate.aspx.
Legacy Washington launched a writing, art and podcast contest in January for students in grades six-12. The contest is in conjunction with Legacy Washington’s “Ahead of the Curve” exhibit and asks students to highlight individuals who are ‘ahead of the curve’ in their communities. See https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/ahead-of-the-curve/. Contest requirements and more information can be found at https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/news-releases.aspx#/news/1378. Submissions are due by May 31.
Washington State Elections provides a guide to teaching elections and conducts a student mock election every year for the general election. View the guide at https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/news-releases.aspx#/news/1378. We also conducted a mock presidential primary earlier this year. These resources are available 24/7, and it’s never a bad time to learn how to become more civically engaged.
Washington State Library provides resources for libraries, students, teachers, and parents all in one place. Check out their resources page at https://www.sos.wa.gov/library/livingwell/covid19.aspx. You can also browse primary source materials and lesson plans with Primarily Washington, a collaboration between WSL, Legacy Washington, and Washington State Archives. Visit https://primarilywashington.org.
Washington State Archives’ Digital Archives offers a treasure trove of historical information about Washington with more than 200 million records online. See what you can discover in the Archives at https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/.
Lastly, the recently update Simply Washington booklet highlights state history, resources, culture and more. Read it online and spark your own Washington state research project at https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/simply-washington.aspx.
