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Posted by: Danna Bell
We invite you to join that great audience as the Library celebrates Whitman’s 200th birthday with children, teens, and their families on June 1, 2019.
Posted in: News and Events, Poetry and Literature
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
In the May 2019 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our “Sources and Strategies” article discusses the Federal Theatre Project. The article focuses on one play, One Third of a Nation, a Living Newspaper production. Living Newspaper productions addressed social issues of the day, typically presenting factual information in mostly fictionalized ways to audiences.
Posted in: Fine and Performing Arts, Industrial United States, World Wars and the Great Depression (1914-1945)
Posted by: Stephen Wesson
Union Square opened as a public park in 1839, and by the first decades of the twentieth century was an established destination for anyone who wanted to stroll under the trees, shop for flowers, or just sit and read a newspaper. But it was also the site of a variety of large and small public demonstrations and events.
Posted in: Development of the Industrial United States (1877-1914), Industrial United States, World Wars and the Great Depression (1914-1945)
Posted by: Danna Bell
Memorial Day can provide an opportunity for students to consider how we honor and remember important people within our communities.
Posted in: Holidays
Posted by: Danna Bell
With the use of the engineering design process in science instruction and the advent of the maker movement, students are asked to identify problems and develop solutions. Solutions can be refined and improved through testing and modifications. The hands-on nature of working through the engineering design process can be engaging, but identifying or finding problems can be a difficult task for students.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Danna Bell
Ask students to observe the photograph of Mary Hallock Greenewalt. What will they see? While we can see there is a machine and a woman, it is difficult to determine the components of the machine or what it may have been used for, which generates a lot of questions.
Posted in: Fine and Performing Arts, Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Cheryl Lederle
The process of selecting books published long ago for a present-day audience provoked thoughtful conversations among our staff. We knew that the style of writing, the subject matter, and even the jokes found in century-old books might be difficult for young readers today to engage with. We knew that every book that we selected would inevitably reflect some of the attitudes, perspectives and beliefs of its own time, as well as failing to represent diverse authors and audiences.
Posted in: Poetry and Literature, Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Danna Bell
Sometimes analyzing primary sources can help us reflect on commonplace aspects of our culture that we take for granted, illustrating how arbitrary they are, or how they change over time. John Collins’ 1939 “Proposed Utopian Calendar”, an attempt to reform the Gregorian calendar, provides an opportunity for students to practice historical, mathematical, and scientific reasoning to reflect on how humans have historically sought to organize our activities.
Posted in: Science Technology and Math
Posted by: Danna Bell
This year, the Library of Congress celebrates the artistry of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, recipients of the 2019 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. In their honor we explore a Cuban-American recording from the Library of Congress that leads us to an exciting game, a groundbreaking educational institution, and a deeper appreciation for America’s diverse cultural communities.
Posted in: Contemporary United States (1945-present), Culture and Folklife, Fine and Performing Arts, Hispanic American History