Citizen U

Citizen U: Multidisciplinary Civics Lessons

Citizen U integrates inquiry-based civics across core curriculum disciplines—English-language arts, math, science, and social studies—in elementary, middle school, and high school grades. Created through a grant awarded by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources TPS program, Citizen U is a collaboration of the Barat Education Foundation, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and DePaul University’s Office of Innovative Professional Learning. Get the Lessons! Download…

Green Book newspaper ad

Literature Links: Ruth and the Green Book

Elementary teacher librarian and former teacher in residence at the Library of Congress, Tom Bober (@CaptainLibrary), details a plan for pairing primary source analysis with the book, Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, to help students make connections to history and geography. In his post on Knowledge Quest from the American Association of School Librarians, Tom also…

Photograph of the Declaration of Independence

Learning from the Source: The Declaration, Her Declaration, Your Declaration

Discuss the Declaration of Independence. Why was it written? What meaning did it have in 1776? What meaning does it have today? Read the Declaration of Independence and highlight words and phrases that stand out to you. Read over the words and phrases you highlighted. In what ways does the language you selected help to…

Primary Source Spotlight: Jeannette Rankin

Primary Source Spotlight: Jeannette Rankin

Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. Learn more about this remarkable citizen by clicking the links below. Primary sources Jeanette Rankin image set “‘Wonder-Woman’ is Miss Jeannette Rankin; Will be First of Sex to Sit in Congress” Evening Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA), November 11, 1916 “I can’t vote…

We Shall Overcome

Learning from the Source: We Shall Overcome

Students will analyze historical and contemporary primary sources to examine how citizens persevered to overcome injustice and affect change during the 1960s civil rights era and consider the lessons the first March to Selma in 1965 provides for us today. Enduring understanding: Time, place, and culture influence our perspectives on people and issues. Essential question:…

Forfeited guns

Primary Source Spotlight: Second Amendment & Gun Control

Bill of Rights Political cartoons Solution to Nothing Herb Block March 2, 1954 Sportsmen! Kids! Maniacs! Herb Block November 27, 1963 (source record) You Don’t Even Need to Limit Yourself to a Few People Herb Block December 29, 1964 (source record) Don’t Point That Thing at Me! Herb Block March 10, 1965 (source record) It’s like the gun lobby guys…

Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Rush

Timely Connections: Foundational Lessons in Democracy & Civil Discourse

“Conspiracy theories run amok. Fear of spies and meddling in American politics at the highest levels by foreign powers. A bipartisan divide so bitter that the federal government moves to muzzle what many politicians believe to be a biased, out-of-control news media.” Current events? Actually, the excerpt paints a picture of the political climate during…

Primary Source Learning to Develop Civic Competencies

Primary Source Learning to Develop Civic Competencies

In the Guardian of Democracy: the Civic Mission of Schools report, Lee H. Hamilton, founder of the Center on Congress and U.S. Representative from Indiana (1965 to 1999), wrote: Citizenship requires both knowledge about government and the ability to be involved in governance. It means knowing how to identify and inform yourself about issues, explore…

1915-fake-news

Timely Connections: Fake News & Civic Reasoning

Practicing primary source analysis helps students develop historical thinking skills that also happen to be very important civic literacy skills. In an article from the Fall 2017 issue of American Educator, Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) provides assessments of online civic reasoning and tips for going beyond identifying news as “fake” or “real” to understanding where…

Showing them up

Primary Source Spotlight: Enemy Aliens & Internment During the World Wars

World War I Historical newspaper coverage Enemy alien historical newspaper coverage 1917-19 German internment historical newspaper coverage 1917-19 Political cartoons Stripped! N.Y. Evening World c1917 Showing them up – see the Herald’s enemy alien list I April 12, 1917 The Limit New York Herald March 3, 1918 The Breath of the Hun New York Herald March 28, 1918 Images Internment camp, Fort…

Romanian-born Joseph Rosenblum was conscripted into the U.S. Army.

Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers

The United States is a nation of immigrants, many of whom have served the country in times of need. Below you will find links to news articles about immigrant soldiers, historical background resources, and related primary sources and teaching resources. How does studying sources from the past inform your understanding of the contemporary debate surrounding…