Instructional Materials
IdaGem Social Studies Curriculum
The Wassmuth Center’s IdaGem is an innovative fourth-grade social studies curriculum designed by a team of Idaho educators to immerse students in the rich history of the state. The communities featured in this curriculum have been consulted and every effort has been made to present a thorough and accurate history of Idaho. Through a combination of an online game and traditional classroom materials, students embark on an exciting journey through Idaho’s past, exploring the diverse cultures, remarkable individuals, and pivotal events that have shaped the Gem State.
Central to IdaGem are 15 units that cover a wide range of key people, places, events, and time periods. Each quest includes 12 – 20 carefully selected primary and secondary sources.
The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial serves as the backdrop to the game world. Students have a chance to explore an animated version of the Memorial as they embark on quests, take on mini challenges, and play bonus games. The online version is browser-based and optimized for a Chromebook.
Paper and pencil versions of most aspects of the online game are also available. Additionally, there are teacher manuals and classroom extensions available for all of the quests.
Rooted in the latest Idaho Social Studies Standards, IdaGem fosters critical thinking skills by supporting students to analyze primary and secondary sources, consider different perspectives, pose questions, and draw connections between historical events and their own lives. IdaGem invites students to discover what we can learn from the history of Idaho to make our state a place where all people belong and thrive.
This curriculum is free and will eventually be available for all educators, students, and families to access. For the 2024-25 academic year, the Wassmuth Center will work with a small group of educators to pilot the curriculum.
Upstander Resources
Upstanders A.C.T.
A = ASK: When you hear someone tell a joke that belittles others or use a word that is demeaning, ask, “Do you know what that word means? Did you intend to be hurtful?”
C = CHOOSE: Being an upstander is a choice, just like being a bystander is a choice – but doing or saying nothing in the face of injustice implies that you agree.
T = TEACH: Teach by example of how you live your life. Upstander is a verb as well as a noun. I cannot call myself an upstander if others do not witness me as such.
“The world is a dangerous place to live in, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
-ALBERT EINSTEIN, THEORETICAL PHYSICIST