Primary sources, as described by the Library of Congress, "are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place. Bringing young people into close contact with these unique, often profoundly personal documents and objects can give them a sense of what it was like to be alive during a long-past era. Helping … [Read more...]
TPS Spotlight: TPS Virginia
September 16, 2020 by Leave a Comment
A Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium member since 2003, TPS Virginia (TPSVA) partners with schools throughout the state as well as providing resources accessible to teachers throughout the country. TPSVA offers teacher professional development to help educators access and use primary sources from the Library of Congress in curriculum and instruction. They offer summer institutes, courses and webinars throughout the year, now fully online. Currently, TPSVA is … [Read more...]
Timely Connections: Civics, History & Multidisciplinary Connections
December 19, 2018 by Leave a Comment
The overarching goal of a general education in the United States has been, and should continue to be, to promote civic competence. Teaching with primary sources, no matter the content focus, provides students with the skills necessary to be competent and active citizens. Digging into primary sources and grappling directly with different perspectives provides students practice in information literacy skills that they will employ in numerous contexts throughout their lives. When students "do" … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: Information Literacy & Inquiry
May 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment
The Library of Congress has long realized that teaching with primary sources engages students and promotes critical thinking skills and helps them to construct knowledge. With a shift from a primary focus on content knowledge to the process of interacting with and comprehending, analyzing, and evaluating content, we can help forge deeper content knowledge while also emphasizing enduring understandings and reinforcing cross-discipline connections. Learning with primary sources helps students … [Read more...]
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