Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Denver
- 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Think Like a Historian: Primary Sources on Colorado’s Plains
A photograph or letter can provide evidence about the past without offering a complete account. In this December 11 class, students consider who created historical materials from Colorado’s plains, why they were made and what they can reveal.
A record is evidence, not the whole account
The lesson uses historical photographs, letters and artifacts from Colorado’s plains in the 1800s. Students practice examining who made each source, its purpose and what it may show about life on the plains. That approach makes context part of the investigation: the item itself is evidence to interpret, not a complete explanation of the past.
The event listing does not name specific documents, people or historical episodes. Families can expect a lesson in how historians work with primary sources, rather than a class devoted to one announced subject or a promised conclusion.
Further reading: History for Homeschoolers at Plains Conservation Center: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗
A regional history class at a prairie learning center
Plains Conservation Center’s educational work includes prairie ecology as well as Colorado cultural history. Denver Botanic Gardens manages its programming in cooperation with the City of Aurora, placing this class within a wider program about the region and its landscapes.
Denver Botanic Gardens acknowledges Colorado as the traditional homelands of Indigenous peoples since time immemorial and says it seeks reciprocal partnerships with Native peoples to learn from and honor their traditions. That is relevant context for a class about historical evidence, but the listing does not identify the sources’ creators or say which perspectives this particular lesson includes.
Further reading: Plains Conservation Center | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗ · Land Acknowledgment | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗ · History for Homeschoolers at Plains Conservation Center: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗
One source-analysis session
The Friday morning lesson centers on historical photographs, letters and artifacts from Colorado’s plains in the 1800s. Students consider who created a source, why it was made and what it can reveal.
Friday, December 11, 2026 · Plains Conservation Center
- History for Homeschoolers: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources. Participants work with historical photographs, letters and artifacts from Colorado’s plains in the 1800s, considering who created each source, why it was made and what it can show about life on the plains.
Plan for the class
Friday, December 11, 2026
The session runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
Geared toward grades 4–9
The History for Homeschoolers series is geared toward students in grades 4–9, and the event is listed for children and families. Nonparticipating siblings ages 3 and up may attend for a fee but do not take part in take-home activities.
Child and family rates
Admission is $18 per child or $16 per member child. One adult per child is free; additional adults and nonparticipating siblings ages 3 and up are $7 each. Nonparticipating siblings do not participate in take-home activities.
The center says general access to its trails, visitor center, tipis and homestead village is free, while guided programs have a fee. The class has its own listed program rates.
History for Homeschoolers at Plains Conservation Center: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗ · Plains Conservation Center | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗
Use the event’s Register link
The event listing has a Register prompt that leads to the Denver Botanic Gardens ticketing system. Check the booking page for current availability and terms before making plans.
Getting to Plains Conservation Center
Address and directions
The class location is Plains Conservation Center, 21901 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013. The official map link can calculate directions from your starting point. The event and venue information does not specify an event entrance, transit route, parking details or access facilities.
For arrival or access questions, call the center at 303-326-8380.
History for Homeschoolers at Plains Conservation Center: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗ · Plains Conservation Center | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗
Before you make a plan
What will students analyze?
Historical photographs, letters and artifacts from Colorado’s plains in the 1800s. The listing does not name the specific materials or a narrower historical topic.
Who is the class for?
The History for Homeschoolers series is geared toward grades 4–9. Nonparticipating siblings ages 3 and up may attend for a fee but do not take part in take-home activities.
Does the class have a fee if general access to the center is free?
Yes. The center describes general access to its trails, visitor center, tipis and homestead village as free, but guided programs have a fee. This class lists separate child and family rates.
Plains Conservation Center | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗ · History for Homeschoolers at Plains Conservation Center: Think Like a Historian - Analyzing Primary Sources | Denver Botanic Gardens ↗
What language is the class facilitated in?
Denver Botanic Gardens says classes and programs are facilitated in English unless otherwise noted.
Location & Google Maps
Plains Conservation Center
21901 E. Hampden Avenue, Aurora, CO 80013
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.