Gift giving, a centuries- old tradition, is an important part of human interaction. It is also an important part of government diplomacy. Consider using the Library’s primary sources to help students understand the historical significance of gift giving.
Most students think of maps as wayfinders, resources to help find their way from point "A" to point "B." However, maps have been created for a variety of different reasons, and studying maps from the Library of Congress can show students how maps can do more than provide directions.
Each year the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for K-12 educators to attend one of its Summer Teacher Institutes in Washington, D.C. During the five-day institutes, participants work with Library of Congress education specialists to learn best practices for using primary sources in the K-12 classroom, while exploring some of the millions of digitized primary sources available on the Library’s Web site.
For many of us Thanksgiving Day is an opportunity to share a wonderful meal with family and friends, to give thanks for all of the good things that have taken place and to watch or play football.
As part of the continuing commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Library of Congress just opened an exhibition The Civil War in America, displaying more than 200 items from the Library’s unmatched collections. Students may look at maps, letters, diaries, or photographs to learn about the experiences of those who fought in the war and those who were left behind to tend the homestead. While these sources are excellent, make sure to include music as a way to help students learn about life during the Civil War.
Are you going to either the National Council of Social Studies Conference November 16-18 in Seattle or to the National Council for Teachers of English Conference November in Las Vegas? The Library of Congress Educational Outreach Team will be exhibiting and presenting at both conferences.
The Library of Congress American Folklife Center has worked to preserve the culture of America’s people. Through on-site recordings and unposed images we are able to experience the language, the songs, the stories and the performances of Native Americans in their communities or here at the Library of Congress.
Service men and women away from home have always prompted a variety of methods of communication. Auditory and visual learners can listen and read imaginatively to evaluate emotions conveyed through print and non-print primary sources produced by veterans and their families.