When the United States entered World War I, it was also grappling with issues related to suffrage, immigration, and social inequality. The country needed the work of the entire populace to fuel its efforts in the Great War, and the nation's leadership tried to rally all people of the country around the war, urging all to unite against a common enemy. Students can examine primary sources from the Library of Congress to better understand how minority groups were recruited to help support the war effort.
Driven by a sense of urgency in documenting aspects of American life that are disappearing, such as barns, lighthouses, motor courts, and eclectic roadside art, photographer Carol Highsmith has donated her work to the Library of Congress since 1992. The images, recording current scenes and historical remnants of rural, urban, and small town life, are worthy of study. The project might also inspire students to document and preserve that which makes their own communities unique.
The Library of Congress invites you and your students to join a virtual program on a famous legal case that cleared the way for interracial marriage in the United States.
At this year's Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Program, Patricia Hruby Powell will speak about her new young people's book, “Loving vs. Virginia.” Hruby Powell's book features illustrations by Shadra Strickland.
What would you include in a care package to a family member in the military? Would you include food? Treats? Extra clothing? Games? Would you consider sending books? During World War I, books became an important part of the support system for those fighting overseas.
On a spring day, gather your students together and make a list of activities children do in springtime. When ideas have been generated, tell students they are going to analyze two images from the past to discover what children did in spring.
The Library of Congress invites you and your students to join in a virtual program to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), an official literacy celebration of the American Library Association.
Why is it important to evaluate and corroborate sources of information? These are not new questions, as a study of historical newspapers will confirm. Sometimes reports reflect an editorial bias, and sometimes they simply reflect what the reporter knows at the time, with updates being added as new information from more sources surfaces.
We hope you enjoyed “Reading without Walls”, the recent conversation between National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang and the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden.