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Category: Teaching Strategies

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Back to School Night: Parents and Primary Sources

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Whether you call it “open house” or “back to school night,” an evening for teachers to meet and greet parents is a fall ritual. This year, consider “flipping” the event: distribute rules and policies in writing, allow time for parents to see examples of student learning, and include an activity or two to help parents better understand the learning processes their children will experience.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Observation in Primary Source Analysis: The Sticky Notes Solution

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

During recent Library of Congress summer teacher institutes, teachers of all grade and ability levels discussed ways to engage students in close observation of primary sources. They agreed that close observation is crucial to deep analysis and a key component of identifying and citing evidence from a primary source. One easy technique to help students improve their observation skill is to use sticky notes.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

“Change over Time” – More than a Content Standard at the Summer Teacher Institute

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

When I attended the Library’s June Summer Teacher Institute, I was struck by how much the week of immersion in primary sources altered participants’ preliminary teaching plans. Between Library of Congress website discoveries and tours of real primary source collections, attendees extensively changed and enriched their plans.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Teaching the World: Primary Sources with an International Flavor

Posted by: Danna Bell

Recently, the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program hosted a summer institute with a focus on world history. The participants found a variety of different ways to incorporate the Library’s resources into classroom activities. Are you looking for world history resources or ways to incorporate them into lesson plans?

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Supporting Writing with Images

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Teachers agree that ease and fluency in writing come with frequent practice for a variety of purposes, whether making personal connections, analyzing information or constructing an answer to a document-based question. One way to incorporate more writing in the classroom is to create assignments using high-impact primary source images from the Library of Congress. Their real-world authenticity can rivet students’ attention, spark inquiry and draw them into a writing topic or task.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Point of View in Photographs – All in the Details, Part 2

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Focusing on details in a set of visual images can reinforce the idea that photographs have a point of view. Studying and comparing various photographs of a subject can reveal a great deal about how each photographer viewed the subject. In the previous post,we asked you to post your answers to the question "Which of these photographs are of the same person?" This post will explore the answer.

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Point of View in Photographs – All in the Details

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Focusing on details in a set of visual images can reinforce the idea that photographs have a point of view. Studying and comparing various photographs of a subject can reveal a great deal about how each photographer viewed the subject. Study the set of images and, in the comments, post your answer to the question. We'll answer the question in the next post.