Junior Detective Series

Teacher's Guide

Teacher's Guide (PDF)

What is this tour?

This tour provides:

information on fourteen well-known Kansans;

assistance in analyzing objects, graphics, and labels in an exhibit for additional information;

an opportunity to utilize critical thinking skills and techniques; and

an opportunity for compare and contrast activities, role playing, group discussion, and more.

This tour is not designed to provide information on all famous Kansans or to explore all the exhibits in the Voices of the Heartland gallery. Kansans included in the tour were chosen based on their contributions and the amount of related information, objects, and graphics in the gallery. You can also find an online activity with the Junior Detective Series.

Text of the Tour Booklet

1) Charles Curtis, Vice President (Indian headdress)

It was dusk when the boy left the Kansa Reservation near Council Grove on foot. Someone needed to carry word to Topeka of the Cheyennes' attack that day in 1869. Nine-year-old Charley Curtis was chosen. He completed the journey by early afternoon the next day. To Charles Curtis helping his community was a way of life. As an adult he continued to serve the public, first as a lawyer, later as a U.S. congressman and senator, and finally as vice president of the United States. During his years of public service he worked for the rights of Indians, women, and children.

This headdress is decorated with feathers from the eagle. Why might the feathers of this sacred bird be used to decorate this headdress donated by Charles Curtis?

Look at this case and those to its left. How did trade with Europeans alter the life of the Kansa Indians? (If you need help, compare these items of the Kansa Indians with those of the Wichitas in the large grass lodge exhibit.)

2) Andrew Reeder, Governor of Kansas Territory (painting of Reeder dressed as a woodcutter)

Reeder painting no longer on exhibit A calm silence surrounded the woodcutter as he walked down a path in Kansas Territory. Yet he remained alert for even the smallest sound or movement that might signal danger. The man was Andrew Reeder, territorial governor of Kansas. Before Kansas Territory could become a state the people living here had to decide if their new state would or would not allow slavery. Reeder believed slavery should be outlawed in Kansas. His term as governor ended when he was forced to disguise himself as a woodcutter and escape Kansas as proslavery forces tried to capture him.

Look at the painting and pretend you are Governor Reeder. What does it feel like to wear a disguise and leave your home, Governor Reeder? And, what are you thinking about in this painting?

Now, look at the items in the corner case to the left of this painting. What do they tell you about slavery?

3) John Brown, Antislavery Fighter (painting, portrait of Brown without a beard)

A light rain fell in the cool autumn night as John Brown led a group of men down the dark road toward Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Within hours the U.S. President sent troops to stop their actions. Four years before this, Brown arrived in Kansas to fight against those who wanted to allow slavery in Kansas. He believed the issue of statehood for Kansas would bring about an end to slavery throughout the nation. John Brown's last fight against slavery took place at Harper's Ferry. Many feel that Brown's failure at Harper's Ferry did more to help the cause than his success there might have. Brown himself wrote that the sentence he received would do more to end slavery "than all I have done in my life before."

By looking at the pieces in this case what can you tell about the fighting that gave Kansas the nickname "Bleeding Kansas?" What do you think of the methods John Brown used to help end slavery?

What happened to John Brown at Harper's Ferry?

4) Clarina Nichols, Woman Suffragette (flag with 34 stars)

Clarina Nichols listened and knitted while those around her wrote the constitution of Kansas. She was the only woman assigned a seat in the convention hall, but she was not allowed to vote on the constitution. The fight against slavery drew Nichols to Kansas. She crusaded for women's rights and statehood without slavery through her newspaper editorials. Although she could not vote at the constitutional convention, she spent the breaks speaking with those men who could. Kansas' constitution, known as the Wyandotte Constitution, reflects her efforts. It gave women the right to vote in school elections and to enroll in a state university. This made the University of Kansas the first state-run university to allow women students.

This is one of the first flags to carry a star for Kansas. How many stars does it have? Why do you think it doesn't have fifty stars like our United States flag today?

Look at the items in this case that were used to help create and mold the state of Kansas. How do these compare with those John Brown used to help shape Kansas' future?

5) C.J. "Buffalo" Jones, Friend and Foe of the Buffalo (buffalo hide mittens)

To Native Americans the buffalo meant life. It was food, homes, clothing, tools, and much more. But to many of those settlers wanting to farm, ranch, build railroads, and start towns in Kansas, the buffalo was in the way of progress. Settlers, professional hunters, and sportsmen hunted the buffalo not only for food but for the money they could make selling hides and bones. Finally, so few buffalo were left that they were almost extinct. C.J. "Buffalo Jones" worked as a buffalo hunter in Kansas before he decided to work with buffalo in a different way.

How did the disappearance of the buffalo affect Native Americans?

What would you have done to help the buffalo? What did "Buffalo" Jones eventually do to help them?

6) Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, Emigrant Leader (photograph, portrait)

Memories of slavery were never far away for Benjamin "Pap" Singleton. He escaped from slavery at the age of 37. Later he used his home in Detroit to help other escaped slaves gain their freedom. When Pap Singleton returned to Tennessee after the Civil War he found the lives of former slaves filled with hardships and difficulties. Determined to help, he began spreading the word about "sunny Kansas" hoping to lead groups here to settle.

Look at the items in this case. How do you think some of these people traveled to Kansas? Do you think Pap Singleton succeeded in helping some formerly enslaved people get a fresh start?

7) Dr. Samuel Crumbine, Health Crusader (flyswatter)

Flies buzzed through the warm summer air landing on food, cups, plates, and anything else left on the table. To some the flies were an annoyance. To Dr. Samuel Crumbine they meant disease. As director of the Kansas State Board of Health, Crumbine knew that teaching people about germs was as important as treating them. The widespread use of fly swatters began when Crumbine announced that the housefly carried many diseases. Children across Kansas helped Crumbine fight the fly. They collected cash bounties or movie tickets for turning in containers of dead flies. Dr. Samuel Crumbine's appointment to the State Board of Health eventually made Kansas a leader in providing healthier living conditions for its citizens.

Examine the items in this case to discover changes Dr. Samuel Crumbine made in people's everyday lives.

Think about your life today. How do Samuel Crumbine's ideas continue to affect our lives today?

8) Fred Harvey, Restaurant Owner (gong)

As the train pulled up to the station and stopped, hungry travelers made their way to the doors. At the train station they found bad food, bad service, and no place else to eat. Fred Harvey saw the need for restaurants to feed these hungry travelers quickly and efficiently. His Harvey House restaurants became famous for their fine food, reasonable prices, and fast service. To provide the courteous service he required at his restaurants, Harvey advertised for "young women of good character, attractive and intelligent, age 18 to 30." Many single women traveled from the East to Kansas and other western states to work in a Harvey House restaurant.

Find the gong in this case. What is it made out of? What kind of noise do think it makes? What happened when it was rung?

How do these Harvey House menus compare with each other? How do they compare with the menus in our fast-food restaurants today? Which meal would you rather eat?

9) Carry A. Nation, Prohibition Enforcer (hatchet plaque)

A female figure dressed in black appeared on the streets. A dark veil covered her face but couldn't hide who she was from the citizens of Topeka. Carry Nation had arrived! At one time Kansas had laws stating that no alcoholic drinks could be made or sold in Kansas. Carry Nation decided to take action when she saw that state and local officials could not, or would not, support these prohibition laws. Her crusade influenced the state legislature. Stronger liquor laws were passed. Carry A. Nation was a woman who spoke up for what she believed at a time when this was unusual for women.

By looking at these pictures can you tell what actions Carry Nation took to close saloons and other liquor "joints?" What do you think of her methods?

Look at the words on this plaque. From these words, how do you think some people felt about her methods?

10) Albin K. Longren, Aviation Pioneer (biplane)

In a hayfield outside of Topeka stood a circus tent, but no circus. Instead several people came and went busily from the tent. Inside Albin Longren was secretly putting together the pieces of his first airplane. If Longren's plane flew it would be the first Kansas-made plane to actually fly. He succeeded, and nine days later he introduced it to the world by flying over Topeka. Longren continued to design and build airplanes in Topeka. He wanted to make Kansas the center of the air industry in the Midwest.

This is the fifth plane built by Longren. Where did the pilot sit? Do you recognize any of the bicycle parts Longren used to build this plane? How does it differ from modern airplanes?

What do you think it feels like to fly in this plane?

10) Dan and Frank Carney, Successful Businessmen (pizza box)

Today people throughout the United States eat pizza from Pizza Hut. It wasn't always that way! There was a time, not so long ago, when there were no pizza restaurants in Kansas. At the request of a landlord who had an unrented building, Dan and Frank Carney opened a restaurant in Wichita. The two college students decided to serve a popular new food, pizza, and name their restaurant Pizza Hut. Today the brothers remember the recipe for their early dough as "a handful of this and a handful of that" all mixed together. As business improved they developed their own special recipe.

Look at the photo of the first Pizza Hut. Does this look like the Pizza Hut restaurants we eat in today?

What type of food would you serve if you opened a restaurant?

12) Coleman Hawkins, Jazz Musician (saxophone)

The young boy practicing the cello longed to try a new sound, a new instrument. His move to the tenor saxophone at the age of nine began a journey that would lead to a new type of music. The saxophone was not an important jazz instrument until Coleman Hawkins appeared on the jazz scene. Although his mother wanted him to play the cello, Hawkins saw himself as a saxophone player and spent hours of his childhood practicing. Hawkins became known as the "father of the tenor saxophone." He helped to develop the sound of "bebop," or "bop," music.

From its name, what type of music do you think "bop" is? Smooth? Bouncy? Fast? Slow? Look at the photo of the group Coleman Hawkins performed with in high school. Do you think "bop" was similar to what this group played?

By looking at the items in this case, can you name another jazz musician from Kansas?

13) Dwight D. Eisenhower, General and President (interstate 70 sign)

Soon after World War I the army sent its first military convoy across the country. It became 62 days of one disaster or delay after another. For Dwight D. Eisenhower, a young officer along for the ride, the trip from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco would not soon be forgotten. Eisenhower went on to be recognized for the leadership he exhibited both during World War II and as the 34^th president of the United States. He never forgot that transcontinental trip of 1919 though, and as president he worked to make the dream of an interstate highway system a reality. Today our interstate system, the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways, is considered one of the seven wonders of the United States.

Look at the signs in the case. Do you recognize any of them from your drive to the museum? What route would you have taken to the museum if you did not use any of these highways?

Pretend that you could not travel on any interstate highway. How would your life be different?

14) Ron Evans, Astronaut (Apollo 17 patch)

The astronaut opened the hatch of the spacecraft and stepped into darkness as the craft sped along at rates up to 2,500 miles per hour. Apprehensively, he wondered if the speed might snatch him off the side of the spacecraft, even in the vacuum of space. The astronaut was Ron Evans, pilot of the last manned mission to the moon. While his fellow crew members explored the moon's surface, Evans piloted the Apollo 17 command module around the moon. During the trip back to earth he needed to take film from a camera on the outside of the spacecraft. He spent over an hour using his hands to "walk" to the rear of the spacecraft and back, making sure never to let go with both hands at once.

Look at the photo. How do you think it felt to wear the space suit Ron Evans wore during his trip? Was it comfortable or clumsy? Heavy or light?

Pretend you are the astronaut wearing this space suit, and it is your job to leave the spacecraft. How do you feel about leaving the safety of your ship?

For more information about notable Kansans, other Kansas history topics, or educational materials related to Kansas history, check out our homepage at http://www.kshs.org or contact us at the Kansas Historical Society, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka, KS 66615-1099, 785-272-8681, TTY 785-272-8683, or fax 785-272-8682.