For many people, Route 66 evokes a specific kind of experience. It’s car culture. It’s Jack Kerouac. It’s neon signs. It’s even Radiator Springs in the animated movie “Cars.” A new set of virtual lesson plans looks to expand this perception.

“As a filmmaker, I don’t have classroom experience. [Kussmann] developed these lesson plans to meet Common Core and [English Language Arts] standards. She made them very flexible so that teachers can easily copy things and basically tailor the lesson to their students’ needs,” Parks said.

The free curriculum is available on the website, Route66Women.com and is available in both PDF and Google Drive formats, so the elements are available to teachers anywhere, with any technology. The lesson plans include videos, oral histories, group projects such as a pop-up museum, individual projects, and creative and analytical writing assignments. They’re designed, Kussmann said, for teachers to tailor to the specific needs of each class. A seventh-grade course may screen a film and stick to the workbook questions. A twelfth-grade course may use one of the various extension plans to dive deeper into the themes in the documentary through discussions, primary source analysis, and writing activities. But they all “connect to something that is part of American subconsciousness,” Kussmann said of Route 66. “It infiltrates our brains.”

All the lessons touch on broad themes and also include more focused activities allowing teachers to choose what works best depending on the school and the age of students.. The World War II lesson plan, for example, includes everything from the wartime effort in the West to Rosie the Riveters and Japanese incarceration.

The following eight lesson plans went live in Summer 2024, in time for the beginning of the school year. All the materials are available in English and Spanish, along with some films in Navajo.

Early Days on Route 66

The establishment of the road in 1926 solved a number of issues that might be hard for kids today to imagine. Crossing the country required driving on unpaved roads that might not be connected and might not have basic services such as gas stations and restaurants. Signage could be inconsistent or unreliable. These lessons explore the women who migrated to areas on the highway to build businesses and communities. Students are encouraged to map out the places and time zones linked by the new road.

World War II and the Post-War Era

Route 66 became a military corridor with bases, factories and businesses along the highway, with women playing critical roles. The module sites examples of Route 66 being used to transport British Royal Airforce Pilots to safer training grounds. Students are asked to write papers evaluating who the war helped and hurt along the way, providing evidence, such as from newspaper articles of the time.

The Legacy of Segregation on Route 66

While the western half of the U.S. may not have had explicitly segregationist laws on the books as was the case in the South, segregation put limitations on racialized groups, including Black and Mexican American travelers. Through workbooks, students are asked to discuss the Green Book, discrimination against Chinese people, the experience of Native American boarding schools , and other ways in which different groups of people experienced Route 66. In a research project, students are asked to examine the roles of filling stations, restaurants, and hotels on the road.

Women on the Move

Route 66 opened automotive travel to women, providing independence and opportunity in a way many had not previously experienced. The curriculum for this lesson includes the creation of a pop-up museum, using stories from real women’s oral histories and other materials. Students are encouraged to make artistic renderings and create maps and theatrical performances about women living and traveling along Route 66.

Rebirth of Route 66

After interstates were built, Route 66 went into decline in the 1960s and 1970s, and was decommissioned in 1985. This lesson charts its rebirth in the 21st century, with students building a seven-day itinerary for international travelers interested in the nostalgia of Route 66. Using primary source materials, they learn about the new businesses that have opened along the highway and are asked to make a case for particular historic preservation projects.

The Harvey Girls

The Harvey Girls, an all-female workforce from the 1880s until the 1970s, worked in restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad. They were the subject of an earlier documentary by Parks. Students are directed to engage in discussion with their classmates about the experiences of these women, some of whom worked at a time when women themselves were considered property. Projects include designing a Harvey Girls uniform.

Indigenous Histories Along Route 66

Route 66 crosses the lands of more than 25 tribal nations including the Pueblo, Hopi, Zuni, and Diné (Navajo) peoples. These Indigenous groups have lived in the area for thousands of years and endured encroachment on their land, government removal, separation from their children sent to boarding schools, discrimination, and appropriation of their art and imagery. While their history is often left out of the Route 66 narrative, many have found a way to tell their stories about life along the famous highway. Using oral histories, primary sources, and a secondary source reading, this lesson plan helps students explore the history of the Route from the perspectives of Indigenous people.