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Posted by: Danna Bell
Like many readers of the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog, we have identified strategies related to the Common Core’s instructional “shift” toward integrating more informational texts into literacy programs. Today’s summer blog round-up pulls together five posts packed with ideas for using informational texts from the Library’s collections.
Posted in: Teaching Strategies, Teaching Tools
Posted by: Danna Bell
“The Library of Congress means many different things to many people,” wrote Stephen Wesson at the start of the second year of the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog. “But for teachers and students it represents a source of discovery and learning unlike any other.” He noted that the first year of the blog had looked at a variety of topics and provided teaching suggestions that help unlock the potential of our unique primary sources.
Posted in: Lesson Ideas, Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Danna Bell
As part of the continuing commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, the Library of Congress just opened an exhibition The Civil War in America, displaying more than 200 items from the Library’s unmatched collections. Students may look at maps, letters, diaries, or photographs to learn about the experiences of those who fought in the war and those who were left behind to tend the homestead. While these sources are excellent, make sure to include music as a way to help students learn about life during the Civil War.
Posted in: Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877), Fine and Performing Arts
Posted by: Danna Bell
Creatively sharpen your students thinking skills with headlines. Encourage direct student involvement in a analyzing headlines through maps.
Posted in: Teaching Strategies
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?
Posted in: Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Danna Bell
In addition to the materials found on the Teachers Page, there are many other resources on the Library of Congress website that teachers can use to find primary sources.
Posted in: Teaching Tools
Posted by: Danna Bell
When teachers encourage students to learn about where they live and perhaps link their community to a larger event, they can see they are part of a larger story. Students can understand that they are a part of history and that they make history every day.
Posted in: Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Danna Bell
One of the things that makes teaching with primary sources wonderful is that they document what was happening at the time being studied. However, this is also why they can be problematic.
Posted in: Teaching Strategies
Posted by: Danna Bell
Now you can bring Library of Congress artifacts and experts into your classroom! Short (less than three minutes) videos about some of the Library’s “hidden treasures,” created in partnership with HISTORY, feature Library curators briefly describing each item and its importance in history.
Posted in: Lesson Ideas, Teaching Tools