I-Am-an-American-Day-Masthead

Guided Primary Source Analysis: I Am an American Day

Find a partner and have one read the first article and the other the second article. Each person should re-read their article and then analyze the source to answer the questions below. (NOTE: to enlarge the type, click here to read them online) What argument does the article present? What evidence from the text supports…

DNC ephemera

Analyzing Primary Sources: Technology & Presidential Nominating Conventions

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…

March on Washington

Today in History: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Today in History–August 28–the Library of Congress features the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held on this day in 1963. Around a quarter million people participated in this non-violent demonstration for civil rights seeking, among other things, equal access to public accommodations, decent housing, adequate and integrated education, the right to vote, and…

Americans All

Primary Source Learning: Being American Primary Source Sets

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…

Community Helpers

Primary Source Learning: Community Helpers Then & Now Primary Source Set

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….

TPS Civics Interactives

Integrating Technology: TPS Civics Interactives

Engage K-12 students with primary source learning through these online interactives focused on civics. Bean Creative Case Maker features twenty pre-made civics challenges that teachers can share with their middle school students, or customize and annotate specifically for their needs. targeted to grades 6-8 Fablevision Civics! An American Musical has students use Library primary sources to…

Senator Margaret Chase Smith

Primary Source Spotlight: Margaret Chase Smith

Historical newspaper coverage: Representative Margaret Chase Smith Historical newspaper coverage: Senator Margaret Chase Smith Margaret Chase Smith image set Margaret Chase Smith brief bio and image set Margaret Chase Smith Library Margaret Chase Smith biography and bibliography United States House of Representatives Margaret Chase Smith: A Declaration of Conscience background with link to her speech…

influenza

Timely Connections: Worldwide Health Crisis

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…

Little Rock Nine

Primary Source Spotlight: Little Rock Nine

Little Rock Nine historical newspaper coverage through 1963 Citizens’ Letters on the Little Rock Crisis Eisenhower Library Daisy Bates to Roy Wilkins on the treatment of the Little Rock Nine December 17, 1957 letter Portrait of Roy Wilkins Little Rock Nine group portrait photo and curator’s note U.S. Troops escort African American students from Central High…

President Coolidge delivering his first message to Congress

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…

South Carolina Legislature 1865

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…