The Library of Congress > Blogs > Teachers > 2019 > December

A New Year…a New Direction…a New Adventure

December 31, 2019 by Danna Bell

I have a relative who has made a number of changes in the past few years. Some of them were incredibly difficult, but instead of being scared of the new path or unopened door he tried something new. And the rewards have been beyond measure.

Are you ready to try something new? Are you ready for a new direction? A new mindset?

All you have to do is walk down a path and open a door….

May this new year bring the opportunity to walk new paths, try new doors, and grow as teachers and professionals.

Rose Hill, Yanceyville, Caswell County, North Carolina. Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1938

A Suitcase Full of Holiday Spirit

December 24, 2019 by Danna Bell

May your holiday break be restful and restorative.

Using Primary Sources to Explore Different Ways Families Come Together

December 19, 2019 by Danna Bell

Every family has its own story, which each member has their own power to shape. Exploring the stories of the families that are depicted in historical artifacts can not only help students discover the rich variety of families that have formed and re-formed throughout history.

Math, Measurement, Civil Rights, and Pancakes: A Recipe from Rosa Parks

December 17, 2019 by Danna Bell

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks is best known as a public figure but the documents in the Rosa Parks Papers at the Library of Congress allow students to explore the private side of this civil rights legend.

Communication Through Packaging: Product Labels

December 12, 2019 by Cheryl Lederle

Reading labels as historical objects and applying historical thinking strategies can help students discover what these sometimes-overlooked objects can communicate with us in the present day.

Remembering the Fight for Women’s Suffrage

December 10, 2019 by Danna Bell

The last twenty years of the Women’s Suffrage movement were led by a different group of activists than those who led the first fifty years, but by celebrating the anniversaries of the first convention, these later activists remained committed to the goals of the early movement.

Happy Birthday to the Amazing Periodic Table!

December 5, 2019 by Danna Bell

The year 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Dmitry Mendeleyev’s ground-breaking Periodic Table of the Elements, and provides an opportunity both to celebrate Mendeleyev’s historic accomplishment and to reflect on important lessons that students can learn about the nature of science from his experiences.

Sign Up for a Teaching with Primary Sources Workshop Using the Rosa Parks Papers

December 3, 2019 by Danna Bell

Join Library of Congress education specialists for a free one-day Teaching with Primary Sources professional development program featuring the papers of Rosa Parks on February 2, 2020 from 9am-3pm at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.