Arkansas's First People: Ancestors

This course introduces the early people known as Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian Indians who began the story of this land with the objects and artwork they left behind. Tools made of stone and animal bones surface in farm fields and on riverbanks. Beautiful clay vessels that have stayed intact for centuries and curious pictures painted and pecked onto cave walls reveal the ingenuity, intelligence, and humor of people who came before. As the descendants of these people begin to settle and form permanent homes, the evidence of their societies laid claim to magnificent monuments such as the sky-reaching mounds dotting Arkansas.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas's First People: Nations

As European explorers continue to cross the Mississippi River, out of the mysterious past of the mound builders, diverse, communal groups known as the Caddo, the Quapaw, and the Osage emerge in the mountains, valleys, and plains of Arkansas. In this course, the modern descendants of these great people explain their tribal views and cultures.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas's First People: Removal

Because of the ever-expanding United States of America, indigenous tribes were forced to move to what is dubbed "Indian Territory" by way of the heartbreaking, multi-route Trail of Tears. This time of removal is still evident along the geography of the southeast. In the conversations of the tribes affected and preservation groups maintaining the routes, the memory of this greedy period of United States history is kept alive so that it may never happen again. 

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas's First People: Warriors

While trying to survive during the conflict of the Union and the Confederacy, Indian militias are formed to fight in Civil War battles such as Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern). Little is said in textbooks about this involvement but in times of military combat, Native people have always been at the forefront of volunteering for the United States military regardless of past aggression. 

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas's First People: Preservation

Myths about American Indians persist still today. Advertising and entertainment are filled with the mysterious and ridiculous. Indian nations, academic scholars, park interpreters, and civic organizations debunk the myths and show the true world of the Native people who are still part of the land we call Arkansas. They are your family, neighbors, friends and co-workers.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Troubled Water

This course was developed from the original AETN Production, sixty-minute, award-winning documentary Troubled Water. This program takes the viewer across the state to learn more about the potential for a water crisis in Arkansas. Farmers, geologists, experts, and concerned citizens share their opinions and stories about how water is managed in Arkansas and what we need to do to protect this irreplaceable resource.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Ozark Plateau

This video addresses Ozark culture, both its traditional form, and the one that is emerging in the 21st century. Explore the Ozark landscape, which is shaped by hollows and ridges, quickly falling streams, and relative isolation.

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Singing the Ozarks to Life: A Poetry Writing Activity." With this activity, teachers will understand how writing poetry supports learning in the content areas, how teaching students to write three basic format poems about the Ozarks enhances their knowledge of this region, and how using rubrics to assess poetry is a good way to assess for content and craft.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Arkansas River Valley

This course features an enrichment activity titled "An Arkansas River Valley Glossary," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. In this activity, teachers will investigate the value of student learning through writing and they will be able to recognize the value of activities that help transfer learning processes to other content areas.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Ouachita Mountains

This course examines the unique geologic formation of the Ouachita Mountains, its first inhabitants, its natural beauty, and the rich history of Hot Springs, Arkansas. This course features an enrichment activity titled "Come to the Ouachitas! Brochures Across the Curriculum," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. With this activity, teachers will be provided with a method to help students understand the need to have an audience and a purpose for their writing. Teachers will also confirm that students who research and write about the Ouachita region in a brochure will understand it far more deeply than those who have simply memorized the names of historical sites in the region.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.

Arkansas: A Six Region Journey - Gulf Coastal Plain

This video examines a region that is full of history, where natives include a singer/songwriter, a governor, and a former president. This region is also characterized by large-scale catfish farming, lush agriculture, and a "boomtown."

This course features an enrichment activity titled "Dear Editor: Persuasive Writing About Arkansas's Gulf Coastal Plains," which teachers can implement into classroom instruction. In this activity, teachers will attest that utilizing writing as inquiry powerfully impacts learning, and that writing a letter to the editor about an issue involving Arkansas' Gulf Coastal Plains will deepen students' knowledge of the region.

This course meets the scheduled Arkansas history requirement as set forth in the Rules Governing Professional Development and required by Act 969 of 2013.