Because of his tendency toward the macabre, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe are frequently associated with Halloween, but his writing has had a far deeper reach than connections to the holiday. As National Poetry Month approaches, students can explore his work and its cultural impact through primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Much of the city, including its Chinese immigration enclave, Chinatown, was destroyed by tremors and fires. While this was a devastating tragedy, it was also an opportunity to rebuild and renew. Below is a series of photographs from the Library’s Prints and Photographs collections that offers a path for student engagement with San Francisco’s pre- and post-earthquake Chinatown.
To make Women’s History Month come alive, consider focusing on the life and works of individual women from United States history.
Use the resources of the Library to learn more about the history of your home town.
Children and youth have often been active participants in protests and movements. During the 1912 Bread and Roses Strike, children were a critical component of the strikes which led to better working conditions in the textile mills.
In the March/April issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our “Sources and Strategies” article focused on technologies and ideas related to effective communication.
On March 25, 1911, a fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 men and women, many of them recent immigrants. It was later discovered that the workers faced many obstacles as they tried to flee the fire: Doors were locked by the factory’s management and the fire escapes were inadequate. This catastrophe, which led to a public outcry, prompted updates to labor laws and reforms to fire and safety regulations.
Examining creative works from the past can inspire student imagination and creativity today.
Explore how the Spanish-American War led to the rapid transformation of Puerto Rico.
Common Core State Standards and many other standards require that students compare informational texts in different media. However, multimedia texts aren’t limited to the 21st century. In fact, one of the most compelling multimedia campaigns in U.S. history was launched more than one hundred years ago, using paper, glue, and an effective set of persuasive techniques.