Black History 2024: Ashley Bryan's Freedom Over Me

For Black History Month 2024, SPI shares a project that asks students to create their own picture book, using legendary artist, writer, poet, anthologist, storyteller, and folklorist Ashley Bryan’s Freedom Over Me as a template.

Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterJanuary 28, 2024Black History, Literacy, History, US History

Heart, Head, and Hands: Life as a Master Weaver

For SPI’s Handwerks project, traditional weaver Kate Smith shares stories about her life as a weaver and teacher and what it means to her to have created a life of simplicity, tradition, and authenticity in the 21st C.

Grades 7-12Mary KuechenmeisterJanuary 23, 2024Career Opportunities, Trades

Offering Young Writers a Community of Support

Maine College Circle and Story Preservation Initiative have come together to develop a highly collaborative pilot project for aspiring writers living in rural communities in Maine, grades 3-6.

Grades 3-6, New for 2024Mary KuechenmeisterOctober 25, 2023Literacy, Aspirations

Wolf Kahn: Taking Color to the Danger Point

SPI talks to the renowned American colorist Wolf Kahn.

Grades 7-12Mary KuechenmeisterSeptember 27, 2023Art, US History, European History

SPI's Veterans' Stories: Vietnam

Story Preservation’s Vietnam stories offer students and teachers a unique and engaging way to promote inquiry and deepen learning.

Grades 7-12Mary KuechenmeisterSeptember 18, 2023US History, Poetry

Giving Voice To That Which Cannot Speak

SPI’s recording of Terry Tempest Williams offers high school students an introduction to the work of a renowned writer, naturalist, and conservationist who defies categorization.

Grades 9-12Mary KuechenmeisterAugust 30, 2023Earth and Environment

What Do Fungi, a Methane Tracking Satellite, and One of NASA’s Most “Storied” Astronauts Have in Common?

Ours is a one-of-a-kind collection of primary source stories told by world-class scientists, adventurers, artists, writers, captains, colonels, cowgirls, thinkers and doers from all disciplines and walks of life.

K-3 Literacy, Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterAugust 20, 2023Earth and Environment, Space and Flight

SPI’s new! Handwerks Project

SPI’s Handwerks project shares the stories of extraordinary and accomplished tradespeople who share their passion and enthusiasm for their work with young people.

Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterAugust 3, 2023Trades, Career Opportunities

We Went and Left the Barn Door Open!

Story Preservation has always been open source but with one little caveat. You had to register and log in to access the site. Well, no more. Come on in!

SPI WebsiteMary KuechenmeisterJuly 20, 2023Big changes, Easy Navigation, Open Access

WWII Enemy Alien Internment, The Max Ebel Story

Max Ebel was born in Speyer, Germany in 1919. When Max refused to join the Hitler Youth life became very dangerous for him. This led Max to immigrate to the United States in 1937. Four years later his life changed drastically.

Grades 7-12Mary KuechenmeisterMay 21, 2023History

Plastics and the Cost of Modern Living

This April 22, be an Earth Day Hero. Dr. Sherri A. (“Sam”) Mason, was the first person to identify the presence of microplastics and microfibers in inland waterways.

Mary KuechenmeisterApril 12, 2023

April 19 is the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Story Preservation Initiative was invited by the POLIN Museum in Warsaw, Poland, to join with others around the world to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The Uprising took place between the dates of April 19, 1943, and May 16, 1943.

Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterMarch 28, 2023History, Holocaust

Understanding the Seasonal Cycle of Trees

Students listen to plant biologist, professor, researcher, and author (“What a Plant Knows”) Danny Chamovitz’s SPI recording and create their own nature notebook detailing the seasonal cycle of trees.

Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterMarch 20, 2023Science, Art, Literacy, Earth and Environment

Celebrating Women - Past, Present, and Future

Putting a twist on Women’s History Month, SPI this year challenges students to create an oral history of a woman who they admire.

Grades 4-12Mary KuechenmeisterMarch 1, 2023Literacy, History, Women's History

Larger Than Life and Forever Controversial

Listen to SPI’s recording about Mt. Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum and then this February 22nd, make your students Gutzon Borglum for the Day. Ask them to design their own Mount Rushmore.

Grades 9-12Mary KuechenmeisterFebruary 16, 2023American History, Above and Beyond

Women Who Changed Science: Elizabeth Blackburn

Dr. Blackburn’s work offers students a unique opportunity to learn about the human body through the lens of aging.

Grades 9-12Mary KuechenmeisterDecember 9, 2022Human Biology, Science, Women's History

November is National Native American Heritage Month

This Native American Heritage Month, introduce young ones to the legendary Dovie Thomason.

Project Series, K-3 LiteracyMary KuechenmeisterNovember 8, 2022K-3, Literacy, SEL

New for 2023 - SPI's TRADE Project

SPI's Trades project aims to foster interest in technical, mechanical, building, and traditional trades and inspire students to explore career opportunities.

Grades 9-12, Project SeriesMary KuechenmeisterOctober 30, 2022Trades, Career Opportunities

The Legend of Auntie Po

The Legend of Auntie Po is an extraordinary graphic novel, beautifully and creatively imagined. The story gives voice to a little-known chapter of American History.

Grades 7-10Mary KuechenmeisterOctober 5, 2022Graphic Novel, Comics, Historical Fiction

Human Biology: Why We Age

SPI has added the oral history of David Sinclair, Ph.D. to its Science/ Human Biology collection. Dr. Sinclair is the co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School. Grades 9-12.

Grades 9-12Mary KuechenmeisterSeptember 12, 2022New for 2022, Science, Human Biology