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Welcome to WASHINGTON STORIES

In this section, you will find the stories of Washington and its connections to the world. Offerings range from complete curriculum units to individual lesson plans and student activities. Our units provide both background materials on specific historical subjects and standards-based projects and assessments.

Browse the current selection of units below.

Icons of Washington History

What is an icon? What icons make you think of the people, places, and events in Washington? Explore the Evergreen State to find out what makes us Washington.

Women's Votes, Women's Voices

Washington was the fifth state in the nation and the first state in the west to permanently grant women the right to vote. This unit complements the exhibition Women's Votes, Women's Voices, organized by the Washington State History Museum, Washington Women's History Consortium, and the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture.
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COLUMBIAKids

COLUMBIAKids features amazing people, places, and objects from the Northwest’s past. With exciting stories and special departments, COLUMBIAKids is a fabulous resource for the integration of reading, writing, and Pacific Northwest history.
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Catherine Paine Blaine

In 1853, missionary Catharine Paine Blaine headed west to her new life in Washington Territory. Along with her steamer trunks and her Bible, she carried the reformist ideals that had sprouted in upstate New York. Discover the story of reform ideals and the challenges of early western settlement and women’s rights through this tale that spans East to West.
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The West the Railroads Made

Trains, tracks, and transformation: Follow the rails to see how the transcontinental railroads opened and recreated the West. This unit complements the exhibition "The West the Railroads Made."
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The Treaty Trail: U.S. -Indian Treaty Councils in the Northwest

Examine treaty negotiations in early Washington Territory, following in the footsteps of governor Isaac Stevens, artist Gustav Sohon, and the native peoples who were displaced in the process. Complements the WSHS Traveling Exhibit "Northwest Treaty Trail: 1854-1856."
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Lewis & Clark in Columbia River Country

Travel through Washington with the Corps of Discovery, exploring such topics as the Context for Exploration, The Challenge to Communicate, and Tribal Cultures and Homelands. Includes original illustrations by artist Roger Cooke.
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Leschi: Justice in Our Time

Journey through the times and trials of Leschi, chief of the Nisqually who was hanged for the death of militiaman A. B Moses and later exonerated in an Historical Court of Justice.
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