A Black History Tour of Three Illinois Towns

• Introduction
• Learners
• Standards
• Process
• Resources


• Student Page

by LaTonya Davis, University Of Illinois At Springfield
Tom Hutchison, University Of Illinois At Springfield
Terrance Jordan, UIS
Christy Malone, University Of Illinois At Springfield
Jennifer Wessel, UIS

Students research Illinois history in three Illinois towns. They identify important people or events, and use this information to create a map, travel guide, and a poster promoting their Black History tour to the three towns of Alton, Cairo, and Springfield in Illinois. The students will also be required to reflect upon their research by writing a letter to the governor about which of the three Illinois towns they would choose to live in and why.

Teacher Introduction

Its surprising how much history we can find in our own back yard. This web quest ties the study of Black History to Illinois history, specifically the history of three Southern Illinois towns. Students learn history, get practice doing research, work in a group, and begin to learn some practical skills such as planning a vacation using the internet. They might learn that history vacations can be fun.