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Two examples of poster collages
Two examples of creative work generated during the pilots. On the left, students learned about paper prints and generated creative posters after a storyboarding activity. On the right, students used Free to Use and Reuse collections to create persuasive posters.

Back to School with The Source: Opportunities for On-Site Learning

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Did you know that the Library of Congress is creating a new experiential gallery for children, families and school groups? Opening in winter of 2025/26, The Source will be a fun, engaging, and inspirational space for families and school groups—especially with children ages 8 to 15—to step into the role of researchers at the Library.

In The Source visitors will “meet” virtual librarians and investigate primary sources representing the breadth and depth of Library collections through their own, self-directed research journeys. Visitors will explore replicas from the Library’s collections arranged by whether the items are sound, film, text or image, and dig deeper with physical and digital gallery activities facilitated by Library staff.

We have been busy developing The Source over the past few years—selecting items that will go in as reproductions, collaborating with colleagues to write labels and create hands-on experiences, and working with a Youth Advisory Council to make sure it’ll be engaging for our target audience. During the past year, we’ve also been thinking about what field trips to The Source might look like for various age groups. Since spring 2024, we’ve worked with about 150 children from three different learning environments—an elementary school, a middle school, and a summer enrichment camp—to test out some new experiences.

Next, we’re looking to connect with local teachers in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area and to invite their classes to pilot a range of developmentally-appropriate field trip programs for The Source.

Where can you find us this fall? Below are some ways to get involved in our programming.

Meet Us at Tapas for Teachers

Educators from the Informal Learning Office will be participating in Tapas for Teachers, an event organized by the DC History Center and Ford’s Theatre. At this event at 7 P.M. on September 19, 2024, we’ll celebrate the back-to-school season along with several other local historic sites. Participants will savor free snacks and stimulating conversation as they learn about teacher resources like professional development opportunities and field trips at the Library. Our colleagues at the DC History Center will also share National History Day guidance. Educators working with students of all levels and subjects are welcome and can confirm their attendance at this link. We are excited to share a table with our colleagues in the Library’s Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives office who you may know from the Teaching with the Library blog.  If you require accommodations for full participation, please email [email protected].

Stop by our table to learn all about upcoming professional development, how to participate in our new school programs, and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Meg Medina.

Reach Out to Join Our Test Audiences!

If you have a group of inquisitive students starting 4th grade and up, and your group size is no more than 45 students, we invite you to be part of our pilot audience the 2024-2025 school year. The pilots are free, 90-minute programs scheduled on Tuesday mornings in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. Each workshop explores a different type of primary source, such as images, sound recordings, film or text. All the workshops include:

  • A walking tour/workshop to practice observation and close-looking skills using the Jefferson Building as a primary source;
  • Primary-source analysis using objects from the Library’s collections; and
  • A creative, hands-on activity to engage directly with primary sources related to each format focus.

Please send an email to [email protected] if you are interested in participating in this pilot program and we’ll discuss what specific program offerings might meet your learners’ goals.

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