LHS has been informed that the City of Lenexa will be closing the Legler Barn, which is maintained by the City, for the next two weeks as a part of its efforts to do its part to slow the spread of COVID-19. The LHS board and staff are in agreement with this decision and take the safety of our staff and visitors seriously.
What can you expect right now?
- As of this point, parks are still open but most if not all City attractions and buildings are closed, with some essential buildings, like City Hall, running on restricted hours and staff.
You are encouraged to call in your business if possible, rather than going to City Hall and other buildings. - LHS board and staff will work remotely on online updates and planning upcoming events as much as possible.
- We will begin announcing times on our Facebook when our archivist & historian, Molly, is online working so that she can answer questions for you regarding history in an attempt to provide some of the history that could have been learned through a museum visit, as well as offer resources for further research if needed.
Normally, this should be during regular operating times for the Legler Barn: Wed & Sat from 10am – 4pm. - Research requests will not be fulfilled until after our archivist can return to the Legler Barn, since we cannot look through our archived materials until then.
This mainly pertains to specific questions on but not limited to: specific addresses/houses, genealogy, specific details on local historical figures (ex. what’s the address of the house that Squire Charles Bradshaw lived in?), or asking for photographs of particular things/places (some of our photos can be found at JoCoHistory website along with that of other local historical societies).
We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Everything is closed & I’m bored / How do I help my kids learn at home?
It gets boring being at home all day – we understand. Plus, the kids are out of school. How do you get your kids to enjoy history with you? Science? How do you supplement the materials they are using to take classes from home? All museums and archives have the united purpose to educate the public. While we cannot provide an online library of information from our archive at this time, we can direct you to resources that may help you with supplemental resources to help your child retain information, as well as entertain you.
Studies show that kids have short attention spans, especially if they are learning from home with all the distractions of home comforts. We also know that they tend to be more entertained with videos than lectures. Why not check out some YouTube channels for short videos stuffed with information?
Our Facilitator & Archivist recommends the list of channels below.
* Please note that LHS nor anyone on the LHS board are affiliated with these channels and any expressed opinions / comments / topics / viewpoints do not represent that of LHS or its board and staff. Nor is this information meant to replace school work but simply to be a helpful addition and/or for entertainment.
History:
- Extra Credits: Animated world history in 10-15 min chunks.
They also offer videos on other topics.- From the channel: “We’re an educational YouTube channel made up of entertainment enthusiasts with backgrounds in game design, television production, literature and academia. Our team creates short-form animated video essays every week about game design, world history, mythology, and other subjects, all of which may or may not involve a cat!”
- From the channel: “We’re an educational YouTube channel made up of entertainment enthusiasts with backgrounds in game design, television production, literature and academia. Our team creates short-form animated video essays every week about game design, world history, mythology, and other subjects, all of which may or may not involve a cat!”
- Crash Course – (one of our archivist’s favorites) Highly entertaining, info packed, and well researched videos aimed towards high school ages and up – and each video is only around 15 minutes long.
They offer various topics.- From the channel: “Tons of awesome courses in one awesome channel! Nicole Sweeney teaches you sociology, Carrie Anne Philbin teaches you computer science, Craig Benzine teaches film history, and Mike Rugnetta is teaching mythology!
Check out the playlists for past courses in physics, philosophy, games, economics, U.S. government and politics, astronomy, anatomy & physiology, world history, biology, literature, ecology, chemistry, psychology, and U.S. history.”
- From the channel: “Tons of awesome courses in one awesome channel! Nicole Sweeney teaches you sociology, Carrie Anne Philbin teaches you computer science, Craig Benzine teaches film history, and Mike Rugnetta is teaching mythology!
Science:
- SciShow also from the Green brothers of Crash Course. A fun channel on science topics.
- From the channel: “SciShow explores the unexpected. Seven days a week, Hank Green, Michael Aranda, and Olivia Gordon delve into the scientific subjects that defy our expectations and make us even more curious!”
- See also: SciShow Space and SciShow Psych
- How the Universe Works on the Science Channel . . . channel.
- thebrainscoop from the Chicago Field Museum. This channel gives you a museum behind the scenes with splashes of science.
- From the channel: “I’m Emily, the Chief Curiosity Correspondent of The Field Museum in Chicago, former volunteer of the University of Montana Zoological Museum, and I’d like to share some of the amazing things we have in the collection with the Internet!”
For Kids:
Want history and science channels for kids? Our archivist’s 9 year old daughter (in the 3rd grade) has approved the following list of channels for grade school aged kids:
- SciShow Kids for science similar to the main channel but for kids!
- From the channel: “SciShow Kids explores all those curious topics that make us ask “why?” ” . . . “Whether conducting experiments, researching new questions, or talking with experts, there’s always something new to discover with SciShow Kids, no matter what your age!”
- From the channel: “SciShow Kids explores all those curious topics that make us ask “why?” ” . . . “Whether conducting experiments, researching new questions, or talking with experts, there’s always something new to discover with SciShow Kids, no matter what your age!”
- Crash Course Kids – Similar format to the main channel, but for kids with kid-friendly topics based around the sciences.
Bonus – they describe the teaching standards used in each video for teachers (or teacher-parents) to use in assurance that the content is fulfilling information taught in schools and some of the videos were used in our archivist’s daughter’s classroom.- From the channel: “This series is beginning with 5th grade science, so we’ll be delving into Earth Science, Physical Science, Biology, Geography, Engineering, and Astronomy.”
- From the channel: “This series is beginning with 5th grade science, so we’ll be delving into Earth Science, Physical Science, Biology, Geography, Engineering, and Astronomy.”
- National Geographic Kids
- From the channel: “Nat Geo Kids makes it fun to explore your world with weird, wild, and wacky videos! Videos featuring awesome animals, cool science, funny pets, and more, are made just for curious kids like you.”
I don’t want to cook! (Alt: I don’t know how to cook!)
Many restaurants are closing the doors to their dining rooms and cafeterias, but they are still serving food in other ways. Check around town for pick-up and delivery ordering.
Remember – buying from local and privately owned restaurants helps them stay afloat and in turn helps our community thrive. Order local!
Miss the food from the Lenexa Public Market? Good news! Beginning Thursday March 19, some of the restaurants will still be serving food via carry-out and delivery! Some orders are made with the restaurant itself online and others through Uber Eats.
Keep up with updates on this and other news with the Public Market HERE.
We’ll keep you updated via our blogs on changes to the current closure, activities, etc. – so be sure to subscribe below for email updates when we post a blog.
Lenexa Historical Society 