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 past Teaching with the Library of Congress blog post, Deborah Thomas, program manager for the National Digital Newspaper Program at the Library of Congress, discusses how to help students identify bias and attitude in newspaper articles related to the 1912 presidential election. National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) members can access Thomas's original article, which identifies four newspaper items she selected, from the November/December, 2015 issue of Social Education, the journal of … [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...]
Featured Source: Biggest Business in the World
April 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment
This campaign ad says the United States is the biggest business in the world. Do you think that statement is true today? Why or why not? This campaign ad lists 10 pledges Senator Warren G. Harding promises 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. What other observations, reflections or questions does … [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 Image: 1919 Help Wanted / Situations Wanted
January 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Read the newspaper. (.pdf) … [Read more...]
Featured Image: The Young “Punk” a Baseball Player
December 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Read the article. (.pdf) More baseball resources … [Read more...]
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