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Archive: December 2011 (7 Posts)

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

A Clean Sweep for the New Year: Exploring a Cartoon from the Turn of the Twentieth Century

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Explore a cartoon, published as the front cover of a magazine in January 1905, that draws on the many metaphors about the New Year offering a clean start. Although many of the specific images in the cartoon may be unfamiliar to students, the labels on them offer a clear starting point for researching the context and the details the artist included.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Teaching Language Arts Through Music: Historic Sheet Music and Song Sheets

Posted by: Stacie Moats

In the spirit of "Auld Lang Syne," I searched two of the Library's online collections, Music for the Nation: American Sheet Music, and, America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets, for examples of old American songs relating to the New Year. After winter break, try welcoming 2012 and introducing (or reminding!) students of key language arts concepts using one or more of my New Year's themed song selections.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Teaching with Architectural Drawings and Photographs

Posted by: Stacie Moats

Architecture offers a unique entry point for better understanding a historical era. Early in my career as a museum educator, I worked with professional architects and engineers to teach middle and high school students. From these experts, I learned valuable techniques for teaching with architectural drawings and photographs.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

America’s Story from America’s Library: Primary Sources for Younger Students

Posted by: Anne Savage

This post highlights a website that has been retired from the Library of Congress website. Please visit the resources for family engagement , the Minerva’s Kaleidoscope blog , and the Read.gov section for children. Looking for Library of Congress materials that are appropriate for elementary students? In America’s Story from America’s Library (“America’s Library”) you’ll …