As our fourth and final blog post this fall related to the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, it seems appropriate that its theme focus on the concept of legacy. What a singer-songwriter leaves behind, from recordings, to manuscripts, to lyrics, can be thought of as their tangible legacies. The impact of his or her work, the connections listeners and concert goers make to the music, and the emotions the music inspires--these are some of the intangible legacies.
In July 2014, when Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced that Billy Joel would receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, he described Joel as being, "a storyteller of the highest order."
Talented songwriters can be great storytellers! Not only do their songs often include elements of a short story, but they do so in ways that listeners can easily imagine and relate to.
Billy Joel is the sixth Gershwin Prize Honoree, and all previous winners were also interviewed upon receipt of their awards. In each case, they too, spoke of individuals--parents, other musicians, and teachers--who inspired them or in some way influenced them.
The Gershwin Prize celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. The prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose manuscript collections reside in the Library of Congress.
In the October 2014 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our "Sources and Strategies" article focused on the presidential election of 1864.
Because the Library of Congress is The Largest Library in the World, just for fun, I did a search on "world's largest" in the library's online catalog.
In the September 2014 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our "Sources and Strategies" article focused on the economic challenges facing the young United States at the time of the Constitutional Convention. We suggested that continental currency might ignite student interest in the subject.
As the new school year begins, the Library of Congress invites students everywhere to touch, draw on and analyze some of its most valuable treasures--all via a new set of free interactive ebooks for iPads.
Last year the Educational Outreach Team provided a collection of primary sources that documented what we did on our summer vacation. This was such a popular post that we decided to share how we spent our summer vacations using primary sources. Enjoy this year's adventures and hopefully get some ideas on how you might incorporate primary sources to help you learn more about your students and their interests.
