Join us for the second annual Library of Congress online conference for educators, October 25-26 from 4-8 pm ET (3-7 pm CT, 2-6 pm MT, 1-5 pm PT). Over the course of two days, there will be 15 one-hour sessions facilitated by Library specialists, instructional experts from the Library’s Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium, and other recognized K-12 leaders. Each session will be recorded and, for a limited time, certificates will also be available to those who view the recordings. The … [Read more...]
Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Newspapers
December 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) strike a balance between the reading of literature and informational texts and promote the use of a wide range of text types: “Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.” [English Language Arts Standards: Key Design Considerations] Some items in … [Read more...]
Analyzing Primary Sources: Journalistic Analysis
October 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Your assignment is to prepare to write an article to accompany the image you were given. Take time to carefully study the image details. Then brainstorm a list of questions you would need answered in order to write the article about this image. Be deliberate and creative about the point of view from which you would choose to write the article. Journalistic Analysis printout (.pdf) CCSS writing standards 8, 9, 10 … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Grade 5 Writing Prompts & Activities
September 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards for writing. The grade 5 writing prompts and activity ideas below build on the K-4 writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes CCSS Grade 5 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. a. Introduce a topic or … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Grade 4 Writing Prompts & Activities
August 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards for writing. The Grade 4 writing prompts and activity ideas below build on the K-3 writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes Grade 4 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. a. Introduce a topic or text … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Grade 3 Writing Prompts & Activities
August 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards. The Grade 3 writing prompts and activity ideas below build on the K-2 writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes Grade 3 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Grade 2 Writing Prompts & Activities
August 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Primary source images, including maps, are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards. The Grade 2 writing prompts and activity ideas below build on the K-1 writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes Grade 2 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that … [Read more...]
Learning from the Source: Zooming into Documentary Photography
August 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Zoom into the picture above and you will see a face recognizable to many. The mother in the photo is Florence Thompson, most famously known as the migrant mother. This photograph was one in a series taken in 1936 by Resettlement Administration photographer Dorothea Lange. In this primary source activity, students will examine photographs individually and as a set. They will then analyze a variety of primary sources and texts to use as evidence in an essay that defines documentary photography, … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Grade 1 Writing Prompts & Activities
August 21, 2013 by 2 Comments
Primary source images, including maps, are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards. The Grade 1 writing prompts and activity ideas below build on the kindergarten writing prompts and activities. Text Types and Purposes Grade 1 Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, … [Read more...]
Connecting to the Common Core: Kindergarten Writing Prompts & Activities
August 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Primary source images are great resources for integrating language arts with social studies into activities that meet Common Core State Standards. Text Types and Purposes Kindergarten Writing Standards Writing Prompts / Activity Ideas 1. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My … [Read more...]
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