Utah Studies

Changes & Challenges—A Century of Utah Agriculture CD

This program has been designed as a classroom resource for Utah Studies teachers and their students to explore the food, land & people of Utah. This CD includes the chronology of Utah agricultural history for the 20th Century, an instructional unit complete with lesson plans and classroom activities, a multimedia history of Gossner Foods (Logan, Utah), and a "Green Treasure" 1955 historical booklet written for elementary school students by a Salt Lake City principal.
Download the program CD.

Changes & Challenges Instructional Unit

This instructional unit is designed to be used with the Changes and Challenges CD Program, but can also be used as stand-alone lesson plans. The unit focuses on the settlement of Utah, the self-sufficient nature of the state's people, and the future of Utah agriculture and agricultural land. As students learn about U.S. and Utah historical events, they also learn about what the people of Utah have done to sustain themselves, how they have made their living (past and present), establish their communities, and, as science innovations evolve from research and education, how these events change their lives.
Download "Changes & Challenges" Instructional Unit.

Dust Bowl: Grantsville, Utah (DVD 14min.)

This "mini-documentary," narrated by KUTV's Michelle King, includes interviews from Utah residents (primary sources) about the "dirty" Grantsville Dustbowl of the 1930s. Yes, Utah did experience its own dustbowl, not from the turn of the plow, like the Midwest, but from overgrazing. Learn about how residents responded to what was one of the nation's worst environmental disasters.
Purchase for $10 or free loan for two weeks from Utah AITC.

Green Treasure in Utah

Read about the prominence of Utah agriculture in 1955. This book was written by the Principal of Jefferson Elementary School, Salt Lake City, Utah (demolished in the 1970s) with the support of the American Can Company. The author tells the story about "Utah's agricultural wealth-its production, processing, and distribution." Elementary students were the intended audience for the publication making this an easily understood resource for Utah Studies students as they contrast changes in Utah's past and present.
Download "Green Treasure in Utah" book.

The History of Gossner Foods (Logan, Utah)

This "rags to riches" story is told by the daughter (now CEO) and granddaughter of Edwin Gossner (the founder of Gossner Foods Inc., Logan). Learn about how someone from Switzerland comes to the USA with less than a dollar in his pocket, and not knowing the language to establish a very successful, multimillion dollar Utah business. Perfect for Utah Studies!
View the movies in Flash.
Download the movie CD.

Self-Sufficiency PowerPoint Presentation

This short PowerPoint presentation highlights the Utah agricultural events and the culture of self-sufficiency. A great resource summary when combined with Changes and Challenges: A Century of Utah Agriculture CD.

• Download PowerPoint

• View PowerPoint in Browser

Sheep - Utah's Agricultural Cornerstone (DVD 23 min.)

During the first decades of the 20th century, sheep were the most important livestock in Utah in both numbers and value. In the 1920s there were over 2.5 million sheep in Utah worth $23 million dollars! Utah, with its millions of acres of desert land, was an ideal region for raising sheep. This DVD explores the history, lifecycle, and environmental issues associated with raising sheep in Utah. Learn from Utah wool growers about the hardships and future of this adaptable dual-purpose animal.
Purchase for $10 or free loan for two weeks from Utah AITC.

Utah Agriculture Activity Map

This map is formatted to be printed on 11" x 17" paper. If you do not have a large format printer you may order a classroom set or make sure to "Reduce to Printer Margins" in the Page Handling section of the print dialog box. Your printout will have very small pictures with the reduced paper size. For young children consider ordering a classroom set. You may make as many copies as you would like of either size.
Purchase a classroom set of 30 for $3.
Download PDF of this map for free. (PDF/6.3MB)

Wool Spinning Kit

Make social studies memorable with this hands-on activity that involves students with the materials and techniques the people have used for centuries to spin wool and make clothes. This kit comes with enough carded wool to create 200-250 bracelets, 30 wool-spinning hooks, and instructions.
Purchase for $10 from Utah AITC.