The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road

Grades 9-10, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

Using the first episode of the documentary, along with primary and secondary sources, students will learn about the early history of Route 66 with a particular emphasis on the women who migrated to and set up businesses in the cities and towns along the historic highway. The lesson also includes two assessment options; a creative project and a creative writing assignment.

Grades 8-10, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

Through oral histories and primary source readings, students will explore how people were affected by racism and segregation along Route 66. This lesson includes an overview of the history, video clips from the documentary, primary sources, a research activity, and suggestions for extension activities to dive deeper into the history.

Grades 9-12, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

In this lesson plan, students will learn about the history of Route 66 during World War II and the post-war era through oral histories, primary source analysis, and place-based activities. The lesson also includes two research-based assessments; one for analytical writing and the other for creative writing.

Grades 7-12, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

In this lesson, students will use video clips from the documentary, primary sources, and secondary sources to explore the histories of women who were impacted by the advent of Route 66 and the automobile. The lesson also includes two assessment options: a creative writing assignment and a pop-up museum.

Grades 9-12, Lesson Available in English. Film Segments Available in English & Navajo

In this lesson, students will use video clips from the documentary, primary sources, and secondary sources to explore indigenous histories on Route 66. The lesson also includes two assessment options: a journalism assignment and a creative business project. Two of the video clips are also available translated into Navajo.

Grades 8-10, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

Using the third episode of the three-part documentary series, Route 66: The Untold Story of the Mother Road, students will learn the history of the decline of Route 66 in the 1960s and 70s and its rebirth as a historic road and international travel destination in the 21st Century. Through oral histories, primary source analysis, and place-based activities, students will consider how communities in the West evolved.

Grades 6-7, Lesson and Films Available in English & Spanish

The Harvey Girls were one of the first all-female workforces in the United States during a time when women themselves were considered property. From the 1880s until the 1970s, Harvey Girls worked in restaurants along the AT&SF railroad and proved that women could support themselves and lead independent lives.

Grades 9-12, Lesson and films available in English, one film segment available in Navajo.

Many people have heard of atomic bomb and nuclear energy development, but fewer people know about the communities that lived on or near the nuclear test sites, nuclear technology facilities, and the mines where uranium was extracted. These communities are often in the Southwest, and many were on or near Route 66. This lesson plan focuses on the personal stories of the people affected by the development of nuclear technology in those communities.

Two sets of activities that have everything Girl Scouts need to complete the Digital Movie Maker Badge and the Screenwriter Badge through the lens of Route 66 History.