Historical Society of Battle Creek
Welcome to 2nd Grade!
 
BC Black Squirrel
 Dedicated to Frances Thornton

We are currently piloting the new History Around Us series of books and activites designed for 2nd grade.  These books may be used independently or in a series.  Each book has a table of contents, a timeline, a glossary, a map and a "To Learn More About It" page.   Many books also include a graph or chart.  The optional activites for each book include a variety of word puzzles, crossword puzzles and mazes. 

Our mascot, BC Black Squirrel, acts as a guide through all the books.

All books and activities are in Powerpoint and are free for teachers to download and to use in classrooms.  To download these books click on title; click on (activities) for all classroom activities related to the book.

Please contact us with any comments or questions.  We look forward to hearing from you about your experiences after using these materials in your classroom. 

This book tells the story of Sands McCamly, pioneer, founder of Battle Creek and developer of the mill race which powered the first industries of the young village.    (activities)
 
This 9 minute animated video continues the story of Sands McCamly and explains the development and workings of the mill race which powered the start of Battle Creek.
 
The inspirational story of Erastus and Sarah Hussey, Quaker pioneers, anti-slavery activists and conductors on the Underground Railroad is outlined in this book.     (activities)
 
This book profiles Sojourner Truth, the former slave who became a  nationally known anti-slavery lecturer and social reformer.  She made Battle Creek her home for the last 26 years of her life.     (activities)
 
Ellen White was the founder the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, whose visions led to the establishment of the Western Health Reform Institute and the beginnings of the cereal industry in Battle Creek.     (activities)
 
As a young doctor, J. H. Kellogg returned to Battle Creek to lead the Battle Creek Sanitarium from struggling water cure hospital to a world famous health institution, where breakfast cereal was developed.     (activities)   
 
The founder of the science of dietetics and the wife of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, Ella Eaton ran the Experimental Kitchen at the Sanitarium, where the famous health foods, including cereal, were developed.     (activities)
 
Inspired by a brief stay at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, C. W. Post created a million dollar cereal and food business using creative advertising and marketing techniques.     (activities)
 
The facinating life and lasting legacy of W. K. Kellogg, founder of the Kellogg Company and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation is profiled in this book.     (activities)
 
This book, illustrated with images taken from schoolbooks of the period, describes the daily schedule, lessons and activites in a 19th century one-room school.  The activities are all taken from schoolbooks used by one-room school students in the Battle Creek area.      (activities)