Top of page
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Have you ever wondered, “is it really possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk if it is hot enough?” or “why do pigeons bob their heads when they walk?” Answers to these and many other science questions can be found on the Library of Congress website Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Science Reference Section.
Posted in: Teaching Tools
Posted by: Danna Bell
The first post of this two-part series offered ten tips for filling classroom spaces with engaging primary source displays to promote systematic critical thinking. This second post lists ten ways to introduce primary sources into pedagogy. No matter your grade level or subject, the ten ideas start from this basic premise: For every lesson a primary source!
Posted in: Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
It can be tricky to understand exactly what is going on during an eclipse. However, eclipses offer a great opportunity for exploring the relationship between the Earth, moon and sun.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune: These are the eight planets of the solar system displayed on diagrams in our educational resources today. Of course, many of us still remember Pluto, which was considered a planet for many years until it was recently reclassified. Pluto's demotion isn't the only dramatic change that's happened to educational solar system diagrams over the years, though.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
Science teachers, as well as the Next Generation Science Standards, recognize the importance of understanding models. Primary sources from the Library of Congress collections invite students to explore how different models of the universe have developed over time, and to think a bit more generally about interpreting models.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Primary sources have great instructional power, and are increasingly important in standards, including the Common Core State Standards. In this blog, you'll hear from us every few days as we highlight engaging items from the Library's free online collections, along with ready-to-use teaching ideas.
Posted in: Teaching Tools
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Primary sources are more important to teachers than ever before, and the Library of Congress makes it easy not only to find great primary sources, but also to quickly and effectively use them in your teaching.
Posted in: Teaching Tools
Posted by: Danna Bell
As my colleagues know one of my favorite things is to show how primary sources can be used to help teach science or math.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
I love getting to see the students in Teresa St. Angelo's kindergarten classroom engage with the films and photographs and carefully identify evidence, of course. But the photos and stories in this post are also a valuable reminder that primary sources are powerful teaching tools at any grade level.
Posted in: Teaching Strategies, Young Learners