IRON RANGE HOMEPAGE
Minnesota's Iron Range supplied late 19th and 20th century America with the iron needed to fuel industrialization, economic expansion, and military might.
The history of the Iron Range tells the history of America; it is the story of immigrants, of conflict and assimilation, of people creating lives for themselves, their families, and for others. It is a story about industrial America and U.S. military build-ups in the first and second world wars.
And yet, the Iron Range appears as only a footnote in treatments of American histories.
Through professional development opportunities, resources for educators, and an exciting new documentary, the Minnesota Humanities Center hopes to change this and make the stories of the Range widely known and appreciated.
EMMY AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY
Our documentary, “Iron Range: Minnesota Building America,” won an Emmy Award for Best Cultural Documentary 2009. The documentary was produced in cooperation with tpt and Blackstone Productions and is broadcast frequently on public television stations throughout Minnesota. DVDs and Teacher's Guides are available now through our website. DVDs are available free to teachers who will use them in the classroom.
IRON RANGE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Thought to be the largest online collection of Iron Range educational resources in the world, these pages contain links to hundreds of resources including lesson plans, classroom activities, newspaper articles, recommended books, videos, and much more. Resources can supplement the documentary to use in your classroom.
NEH LANDMARK WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS
The National Endowment for the Humanities funds week-long summer teacher workshops that allow teachers to learn about the landmarks that are fundamental to our nation. Building America: Minnesota's Iron Range, Industrialization, and the Creation of a World Power, was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities in the summer of 2008 and is available again in 2010. The workshop is available at no cost to educators.