Teaching Now: Primary Sources Aid U.S. History Lessons

Teaching Now: Primary Sources Aid U.S. History Lessons

From CBS News: How U.S. history, specifically topics like slavery and the civil rights movement, are taught in schools varies widely across the country, a CBS News investigation found. Jericka Duncan visited Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, one of the largest districts in nation, where students mostly use primary sources like letters and speeches…

Primary Source Spotlight: Henry Creamer & Turner Layton

Primary Source Spotlight: Henry Creamer & Turner Layton

Song recordings After you’ve gone Childhood days Dear old Southland Everybody’s crazy ’bout the doggone blues, but I’m happy Goodbye Alexander, goodbye honey boy If you’ll come back I’m waiting for you, ‘Liza Jane I’ve got the finest man Jubilee blues Oh! Frenchy! Strut Miss Lizzie Sweet Emalina, my gal Sweet mamma (Papa’s getting mad)…

TPS Spotlight: TPS Teachers Network

TPS Spotlight: TPS Teachers Network

The TPS Teachers Network, is a free professional social media platform, funded by a grant from the Library of Congress, designed to host and facilitate conversations, connections, and collaborations among educators of all stripes—teachers, professors, librarians, pre-service teachers, administrators, and more—all focused on using primary sources to improve student learning. Through a variety of content-focused…

Timely Connections: State of the Union as Civic Learning Opportunity

Timely Connections: State of the Union as Civic Learning Opportunity

The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has put together a list of resources for educators to help students understand, analyze, and respond to the upcoming State of the Union. The resources are divided into sections that include the following: Youth Perspectives, the Speech and Its Media Coverage, and Background…

World Spotlight: Ukraine

World Spotlight: Ukraine

Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Resources at the Library of Congress Ukraine primary source set World Digital Library Ukraine maps Ukraine image set Postcards of Kiev 1905-1940 Books & articles about Ukraine Final Report – Ukrainian, Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Films & webcasts related to Ukraine U.S. veteran oral histories (service in Ukraine) Oral histories mentioning Ukraine from…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: First Post-War Legislature

Guided Primary Source Analysis: First Post-War Legislature

Use the Library of Congress primary source analysis tool to analyze the image. What do you notice? What do you find surprising? What can you learn from the bibliographic record? Why do you suppose the men in the image were referred to as radical members? What questions do you have? Next, analyze the two sources below…

World Spotlight: Iraq

World Spotlight: Iraq

Iraq country study Iraq country profile Iraq country profile BBC Iraq timeline BBC Places in the News: Iraq April 2003 June 2007 January 2008 June 2011 September 2012 November 2013 April 2014 June 2014 Iraq primary source set World Digital Library Iraq maps Iraq image set Books & articles about Iraq Films & webcasts related to Iraq U.S. veteran oral histories (service in Iraq, mainly…

Looking Back: Top Content of 2019

Looking Back: Top Content of 2019

Citizen U was happy to be able to provide another year of great content highlighting Library of Congress primary sources and strategies and ideas for teaching with primary sources. In 2019 we added more Citizen U lessons, which integrate inquiry-based civics across core curriculum disciplines—English-language arts, math, science, and social studies—in elementary, middle school, and high school grades. Below we link to…

Learning from the Source: Comparing & Contrasting Presidential Articles of Impeachment

Learning from the Source: Comparing & Contrasting Presidential Articles of Impeachment

What can we learn by comparing and contrasting the official articles of impeachment against the three U.S. presidents impeached by the House of Representatives? Johnson Impeachment – March 2, 1868 House of Representatives Articles of Impeachment for Andrew Johnson Supplement to the Congressional Globe U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 – 1875 Congressional Globe, Senate,…

World Spotlight: Venezuela

World Spotlight: Venezuela

Venezuela primary source set World Digital Library Venezuela images Videos related to Venezuela Venezuela maps Venezuelan song recordings Venezuelan literary recordings Venezuela books and documents (English & Spanish) U.S. historical newspaper articles mentioning Venezuela Service in Venezuela: U.S. veteran oral histories Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection interviews mentioning Venezuela U.S. legislation related to Venezuela Guide to…