Note: resources may cover more than one time period, so be sure to check surrounding time periods Transatlantic Encounters & Colonial Beginnings Maps of Discovery & Exploration Spain, the United States, and the American Frontier: Exploration and Early Settlement 1492: An Ongoing Voyage Christopher Columbus primary source collection Encounters in America Kraus Collection of Sir Francis Drake Bank note explorer vignettes Settlement primary source … [Read more...]
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about a timeframe from the period 1861-1877 when the United States was wracked by civil war, fighting to preserve the Union and end slavery. This costly war (recent research puts the death toll at 750,000) raged for four years but putting the country back together took much longer. The story may focus on either aspect of this time period and may be in digital or print form. It could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. … [Read more...]
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the period 1815-1860, when the United States expanded dramatically geographically, displacing native peoples. But this time was also one of striving for social reforms (promoting temperance, creating public school systems, improving the treatment of prisoners, the insane, and the poor, abolishing slavery, and gaining equal rights for women). The story may focus on one aspect of this time period or both and may be in digital … [Read more...]
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about the early years of the United States as a young, new nation. The story may be in digital or print form and could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full size primary source. You may also use this primary set for a found poetry activity (click the previous link). Be sure to take a look at the New Nation lesson plans (see below). For more primary source sets and … [Read more...]
Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about European settlement of present-day United States. The story may be in digital or print form and could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full size primary source. You may also use this primary set for a found poetry activity (click the previous link for instructions). For more primary source sets and other teaching and learning resources look … [Read more...]
The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides several ideas for inspring close observation and engaging students with primary sources, including having students make personal connections to an item, look for clues to time period and authorship, look for details that provide evidence of their thinking, and ask purposeful questions. Close observation of images is great practice for close reading of text, a strategy emphasized in the Common Core State Standards, in particular CCSS … [Read more...]
Looking for primary sources related to a particular time period in U.S. history? The Teaching with Library of Congress blog suggests using the American Memory Timeline, an online presentation that provides a comprehensive look through U.S. history using primary sources from the Library’s collections. For teaching ideas, read the whole blog post. Other helpful resources from the Library and the Barat TPS website are listed below. Primary documents in American history digital resource … [Read more...]
Library of Congress Magazine March/April 2013 Features Queen of the Movies Actress, producer, entrepreneur and superstar: Mary Pickford influenced the direction of American cinema from its early days. A Photo Dialogue A unique online partnership has brought historical photos to a broad audience, helped the Library solve curatorial mysteries and sparked thoughtful discussion. Supporting Congress [...]
Curator description: Bernard Brussel-Smith studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and the New School for Social Research in New York. During the 1940s and 1950s, Brussel-Smith established himself as America’s foremost wood engraver. In this scene from Hamlet, Polonius, chief minister of the evil King Claudius, gives advice to his [...]
Teaching with the Library of Congress
