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Teaching with the Library of Congress: Top Posts of 2014

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In his post commemorating the start of the fourth year of Teaching with the Library of Congress blog, Stephen Wesson noted that  occasionally teachers may reflect and take stock of the highlights and challenges they have faced during the academic year.

As we do at the start of each calendar year, we also take a look back at the previous year and highlight posts that received the most comments from readers and the most mentions in social media. We hope this look back refreshes your memory or leads you to ideas and primary sources that you can use with your students.

Olympic bobsled run, Lake Placid
Olympic bobsled run, Lake Placid

Winter Songs from the Library of Congress Songs can bring people together, preserve traditions, and reflect and capture the pulse of events. Use the music collections held at the Library to help students make connections to the past.

Engaging Students with Primary Source Maps Consider how maps can be used to reflect and influence events.

School Gardens Explore the history of school gardens and find resources to create one at your school.

Buckingham Fountain on Chicago's Lake Front. John Buczak, 1939.
Buckingham Fountain on Chicago’s Lake Front. John Buczak, 1939.

Bringing the Olympics into Your Classroom with Primary Sources Incorporate primary sources about sporting events into classroom activities. This blog post gives some great ideas.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act Connect a historical event to a noted work of fiction.

Visiting Washington, D.C.: Enrich your Trip with Primary Sources Coming to Washington, D.C.? Use primary sources to help get ready for the trip.

Kate DiCamillo: Stories Connect Us Learn about the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and explore how she uses story to connect us to each other.

Collecting cards with pictures of events in ballooning history from 1795 to 1846
Collecting cards with pictures of events in ballooning history from 1795 to 1846

In the Collections of the World’s Largest Library, We Find the World’s Largest… How can finding primary source images and information about the world’s largest items engage students? Find out in this fun blog post.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: Exploring Tragedy and Reform with Primary Sources Examine press reports about the fire and learn about the subsequent push for legislation to protect workers.

Science and Imagination:  Full Steam(punk) Ahead with Primary Sources Explore the possibilities of using these whimsical primary source images across the curriculum in technology, art, and science classes.

Did we miss one of your favorites? Do you have a topic you think we should cover in 2015? If you read one of these posts when it was first published, what did you like about it? Let us know in the comments.

Comments (2)

  1. How about primary sources about Cuba and the War of Independence in Cuba — Since that is all the rage now.

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