Primary Source Starter: The Wright Brothers’ Crumpled Glider
What is the price of success? Inventors often stake their reputations and personal fortunes on their creations, but Orville and Wilbur Wright risked physical harm as well.
Archive for 2011 (66 posts)
Theodore Roosevelt’s Thanksgiving Truce: A Political Cartoon
The familiar imagery of Thanksgiving has been put to many different uses over the years. Let your students explore how one cartoonist used the holiday to make points about President Theodore Roosevelt. Some of your students may only know TR as one of the characters in a popular movie about a museum that comes to life at night. Consider using this cartoon to introduce students to some key facts about this larger-than-life figure in American history and the times in which he lived.
The Library’s Primary Source Analysis Tool: Helping K-12 Students Start Analyzing Primary Sources
Learn how to get started with an easy-to-use tool to guide students through primary source analysis.
Primary Sources for Native American Heritage Month
Efforts to set aside a time to formally recognize the contributions of Native Americans began early in the 20th century, and in recent years November has been reserved for this purpose. The Library of Congress has many resources related to the experiences and contributions of Native Americans to our nation. As you examine these images, …
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Mysterious Flurry of Interest
To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t a mystery novel, but this month it’s been puzzling a few Library of Congress staff members. Harper Lee’s tale of conflict in a small Alabama town is a perennial favorite with teachers. The Library’s lesson plan “To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective”, which uses photos and oral histories from …
The Veterans History Project: Making Veterans’ Stories Come to Life
Though television and the Internet bring images of war into the home, many students might not be aware of the day-to-day experiences of those who have fought on the front lines. A great way to help expose students to these stories is through the Veterans History Project from the Library of Congress.
Ask a Librarian: Getting in Touch with the Library’s Experts
Have questions about the online collections of the Library of Congress and effective ways to use them in the classroom? Help might be just a few clicks away. The Ask a Librarian feature on the Library’s Web site puts you in touch with Library staff—including me—and is an excellent place to turn for information you …
The Library of Congress Teachers Page: Resources for Getting Started with Primary Sources
“There are millions of primary sources online at the Library of Congress! Where do I start?” is a common question from K-12 educators. Get some answers in this brief intro to the Library of Congress Teachers Page.
One Day Library of Congress Teacher Institutes Focused on Exploring the Early Americas
Interested in learning strategies to teach about European Explorers in the Americas? Want to know more about the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica (Maya, Inca, and Aztec)? Explore the cartographic knowledge of the world in the sixteenth century. You will be able to do all of this and more by using Library of Congress primary sources. …
Remembering Armistice Day: “I Did My Bit for Democracy”
Ask your students, “What national holidays have Americans traditionally celebrated in November?” and most will likely respond, “Thanksgiving.” Some may also reply, “Veterans Day.” But I would venture to guess few students, if any, would answer, “Armistice Day.” President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. This date commemorated the armistice, or …