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Archive: 2014 (37 Posts)

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

Celebrating the Music of Billy Joel

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

You might have seen the posts earlier this fall about the Gershwin Prize, awarded to Billy Joel, and you might have wistfully wondered what the tribute concert was like. Below is an invitation to find out, from the comfort of your own home.

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

Primary Sources in the Science Classroom: Signals from Mars? Venus?

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Tesla, Guglielmo Marconi, and Thomas Edison were among the respected scientists who believed one of our neighbors was trying to contact us. A news article "Hello, Earth! Hello!" published on March 18, 1920, details the history of signals, possibly electromagnetic, picked up by Marconi and verified by scientists around the world, including Edison and Tesla. All three agreed the signals were deliberately sent from another planet. Based on the information they had, this was a realistic inference.

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

Frederick Douglass: Activist and Autobiographer

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Last November, we published a post addressing the controversies associated with Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A recent comment pointed out that Huck's views on slavery are those of the dominant society of the time. Because the post featured a letter from Frederick Douglass as a supplement to the novel, the commenter wondered "why not present the experiences and views of the oppressed rather than the oppressor?" That struck me as an intriguing question, so here are a few places to start exploring those views and experiences with your students.

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

Teacher Webinar Tuesday Nov 18: Using Library of Congress Primary Sources to Engage Students in Inquiry Learning

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

An inquiry approach supports students as they draw on their prior knowledge, personal experiences, and critical thinking skills to develop questions that guide their learning. The process engages students because pursuing the answers to their own questions gives them direct control as they construct meaning about topics of interest. Join us for a webinar focused on strategies for taking an inquiry approach to teaching with primary sources on Tuesday, November 18, at 4 PM ET.