The Beyond Words project invites people of all ages to identify cartoons, illustrations, photographs, and maps from World War I historical newspaper coverage found in the Chronicling America historic newspaper collections. All data generated will be in the public domain and available to anyone. The three tasks include marking, transcribing, and verifying. Mark: Locate images not contained in advertisements on newspaper pages. Transcribe: Type the titles, captions, and cutlines of pictures … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Science & Technology
March 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Library collections Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Photos Around the World in the 1890s: Photographs from the World's Transportation Commission Built in America: Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record Emile Berliner & the Birth of the Recording Industry Finding Our Place in the Cosmos: From Galileo to Sagan and Beyond Frances Benjamin Johnston Gardens and Historic … [Read more...]
Teaching Now: Using Primary Sources to Create a Lincoln Assassination Newscast
February 12, 2018 by 2 Comments
This is a guest post from Tim Anderson, a middle school English teacher and Google Certified Educator at Sulphur Springs Elementary School in Jonesborough, Tennessee. There often seems to be a disconnect between students and historical events. Connecting literature to history helps make it come alive for students. Since my eighth graders are studying the Civil War, I chose to have them read Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth pieced … [Read more...]
Using Sources: Chronicling America Newspaper Pages
December 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Historic newspapers contain a wealth of information about the past, providing a snapshot of social and cultural values of a certain place and time. You will find news stories, feature articles, editorials, cartoons, advertisements, stories, poems, art and more. All of these can be useful to help contextualize events and people from history. According to the Center for History and New Media, George Mason University, “Historians generally use newspapers for three purposes: learning facts about … [Read more...]
Analyzing Primary Sources: Identifying Bias in Presidential Election Newspaper Coverage
October 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
In a Teaching with the Library of Congress blog post, Deborah Thomas, program manager for the National Digital Newspaper Program at the Library of Congress, discusses Helping Students Read Between the Lines: Identifying Bias and Attitude in Newspapers for the Presidential Election of 1912. With three major candidates, rather than the traditional two, the 1912 election became a varied debate between special interests, government oversight, and the value of individuals in society. While each … [Read more...]
Library of Congress Spring 2015 Educator Webinars
January 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Library of Congress is hosting a series of free one-hour webinars focusing on using the Library’s digitized collections to meet curriculum content and skills standards. The webinars will generally be held every on Thursdays at 4:00 ET but look below for exact dates and registration information. More complete descriptions of the spring 2015 webinars and registration information can be found in the professional development area on the Teachers section of the Library website or by … [Read more...]
Guided Primary Source Analysis: Biggest Business in the World
April 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
This campaign ad lists 10 pledges Senator Warren G. Harding promised to uphold. Which 3 do you think are most important for a politician to keep? Explain the reasoning for your choices. What pledges would you make if you were running for political office? Explain the reasoning for your choices. This campaign ad says the United States is the biggest business in the world. Read: The Business of America: The Economy in the 1920s, then answer the questions below. Was comparing the U.S. … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Crimea, Ukraine, Russia-Then & Now
March 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Overview Students will collaborate to analyze, compare, and contrast newspaper coverage of events in Crimea and Ukraine in the mid-19th century and early 20th century with 2014 media coverage of events involving Crimea, Ukraine and Russia to illuminate the geopolitical history of the region and consider how examining the past shapes perspectives and understanding of current events. Enduring Understanding: Events and actions of the past affect the present and the future. Instructions 1. As … [Read more...]
Featured Source: 1919 Help Wanted / Situations Wanted
January 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Read the newspaper. (.pdf) … [Read more...]
President George Washington designated November 26 as Thanksgiving day. Check out our 
Sojourner Truth died. Check out our 
Film Casablanca premiered. Check out our 