This is a guest post from Kasey Short, an eighth-grade English teacher at Charlotte Country Day school in North Carolina. When I moved from 6th to 8th grade last year, one thing I thought about a lot was how I would approach teaching To Kill a Mockingbird. I knew that I wanted to provide historical…
Political conventions have been part of the presidential nominating process for many years, but where conventions are held, who attends, and what happens at them has changed over time. First, analyze sources related to the Democratic Party’s national conventions in 1928 and in 1960. What similarities do you see? What differences? In particular, look for…
This curated collection of primary sources was created to help students think critically about what it means to be an American by exploring and analyzing different perspectives and voices, particularly marginalized ones, over time. Thanks to the inspiration of Jen Reidel, 2019-2020 Library of Congress Civics Teacher in Residence, who suggested this theme. Executive proclamations…
Click the images to access them, then print or add to a digital folder or platform. Have students match the primary source images of community helpers from long ago and now. Then have students draw a picture of themselves as community helpers and/or a community helper in their neighborhood and share stories about those people….
Amid calls for removal of the Emancipation Memorial, also called the Freedmen’s Monument, in Washington D.C. and a replica of it in Boston, Washington Post reporter DaNeen L. Brown considers the statue and takes a look back at a speech made by Frederick Douglass at the D.C. unveiling ceremony on April 14, 1876. In the speech, Douglass…
In times of darkness, teachers always rise up. But now, this time comes on top of a pandemic and as teachers are exhausted and empty. The topics are big – social justice, institutional racism, and nonviolent and violent protest. The events of the past days have made these issues impossible to ignore, in much the same way…
This graphic organizer can be used to analyze primary sources or stories about an event. The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How are good guides for framing and understanding an aspect of an event and to help with identifying areas for further research. Event Happenings Look at the source and respond to the questions…
This choice board is targeted to students in grades 6-8 They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several…
Creating Authentic, Responsive and Engaged Learning in a Remote Situation Below are recordings of four free webinars held April 21, 23, 28, 30, 2020. If you attended any webinar and didn’t receive the submission link to get CPDU/CEU credit, send an email. Any educator who watches all four webinars can earn a micro-credential certificate in…
This choice board is targeted to K-2 students. They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several links to…
This choice board is targeted to students in grades 3-5. They may use images found in the home; in newspapers, magazines or books; on television (if there is a pause feature); or online to complete the activities and may write or record (audio or video) their responses. If students have online access, below are several…
As the world confronts global health problems such as epidemics or pandemics, involve your students in an authentic lesson that looks at past primary sources to increase understanding of health related issues. Encourage students to use past and current information and digital tools to research, make informed decisions and contribute to their own and their…