On August 21, 2017 a total solar eclipse could be seen from coast to coast in the United States, the first time that had happened since Aug. 1918. Spark discoveries about solar eclipses with primary sources! Solar eclipse primary sources from the World Digital Library Eclipse diagrams from The Lights of the Stars Books about…
This summer the Primary Source Nexus teaching resource blog will sport a slimmed down look as we are hard at work finalizing the first unit of our new Teaching with Primary Sources multidisciplinary civics-focused inquiry curriculum, creating a website to house the lessons, and revamping our website to highlight more learning resources and programs. The…
This is a guest post from veteran teacher Heather Klos, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher and the Social Studies department chair at Crownover Middle School in Corinth, Texas. As an early American history teacher, I know it is important to use primary sources effectively with my 8th grade students. Analyzing primary sources can be very difficult…
This is a guest post from veteran teacher Heather Klos, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher and the Social Studies department chair at Crownover Middle School in Corinth, Texas. Primary sources are one of the most valuable tools we have as social studies teachers. What better way to incorporate primary sources for the 21st century learner than through…
The Library of Congress has long realized that teaching with primary sources engages students and promotes critical thinking skills and helps them to construct knowledge. With a shift from a primary focus on content knowledge to the process of interacting with and comprehending, analyzing, and evaluating content, we can help forge deeper content knowledge while…
Informed citizens have knowledge and understanding of geography and history (see the College, Career & Civic C3 Framework). This is a guest post from Nicole Woulfe, a middle school social studies teacher from New Hampshire and a Citizen U pilot lesson implementer. I created the Geography & the Civil War lesson to allow my students to grow as geographers…
This is a guest post from Nicole Woulfe, a middle school social studies teacher from New Hampshire and a Citizen U pilot lesson implementer. Learn more about the creation, implementation and reflection of this lesson. Focus Question What role did geography play in the turning points of Vicksburg and Sherman’s March during the Civil War?…
Dorothea L. Dix (1802-1887) was an actively engaged citizen who tirelessly advocated for help for the less fortunate, particularly the mentally ill. Use the resources below to learn more. Dorothea Lynde Dix portrait Dorothea Lynde Dix to Abraham Lincoln, Monday, June 17, 1861 (transcription) To the Legislature of Massachusetts [protesting against the confinement of insane…
Great Britain—England, Scotland, and Wales—was established in 1707. Around a century later, together Great Britain and Ireland formed the United Kingdom though, today, only Northern Ireland remains part of the UK. The Library of Congress uses Great Britain in both descriptive and subject cataloging as the conventional form for the United Kingdom. Learning about Great Britain can…
Billy Collins served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003 and then as New York State Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. Collins is the author of 11 books of poetry and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2016. Integrating Tech: Poetry 180 a project of U.S. U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins Video…
Take a close look at the collection of images above (.pdf). What common theme can you identify? Note similarities and differences between the images. Now take a look at the bibliographic records of each image by clicking the links below. What is the function of the main object in each image? Choose one of these and investigate…
Children of Spring 1888 verses and color illustrations Spring 1892 book of poetry Springtime and Other Verses 1910 The Springtime of Love and Other Poems 1914 Spring: historical newspaper articles & advertisements Spring oral history audio recordings Spring song recordings Springtime song recordings Spring sheet music Springtime sheet music Spring image set Springtime image set Celebrating…