Guided Primary Source Analysis: What Do You Hear?

Guided Primary Source Analysis: What Do You Hear?

Listen carefully to this audio recording. You will hear six different sounds. What do you hear? Where do you think this audio recording was made? Why do you think that? What questions do you have about this audio recording? Now listen to the full audio recording, then find out who made this primary source audio recording (be sure…

Today in History: United States Military Academy at West Point

Today in History: United States Military Academy at West Point

Today in History–March 16–the Library of Congress features United States Military Academy at West Point, founded on this date in 1802. Located on the Hudson River north of New York City,  West Point is one of the world’s oldest military service academies and was attended by many of the nation’s leading military commanders.  The academy is well…

Primary Source Learning: Great Depression

Primary Source Learning: Great Depression

Primary source sets & activities American Memory Timeline: Great Depression and World War II 1929-1945, background information with select primary sources & teaching activities American Memory Timeline: Photographing People of the Great Depression Dust Bowl Migration includes teacher’s guide Dust Bowl Songs & Photographs Primary Source Learning: Great Depression & World War II Primary Source Set Teaching Now:…

World Spotlight: Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

World Spotlight: Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon prior to 1972. It has a long rich history. Prime Minister Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias was the world’s first woman prime minister, serving three terms: 1960-65, 1970-77, and 1994-2000. Sri Lanka country study Sri Lanka – Places in the News April 2009 Sri Lanka timeline BBC Sri Lanka maps U.S. veteran oral histories (service in…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Science & the Suffragettes

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Science & the Suffragettes

Zoom into the top half of this newspaper page that contains only the article’s headline and subhead and photos and captions. Based on this information, explain the points you think the newspaper article will discuss. Now read the article. What is the main point, or claim, of the article. List the arguments the author makes and…

Nez Perce Indians, Montana

Primary Source Spotlight: The Nez Percé

Nez Percé images Indian (Nez Percé) Land Cessions in the U.S. 1784-1894 The Nez Perce War The Galaxy, Volume 24, Issue 6, Dec 1877 “Lawyer of the Nez Perces” Washington Historical Quarterly 1934 Vol. 25, No. 1, p. 37-48 Historic newspaper coverage of the Nez Percé Oral history mentioning Nez Percé Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection Reports & other texts of the…

Spiro Agnew in a parody of a World War I poster

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Spiro Agnew Parody

What do you think the artist is trying to tell you through this poster? What details support your conclusion? Find out more about Spiro Agnew. Read the following curator notes: Anything Goes: Caricature Since the 1960s: Edward Sorel, Author and Caricaturist. What three reasons are given for the resurgence of caricature in the mid-1960s? What more did…

Concerning the American girl

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Concerning the American Girl

List the different career paths illustrated in this political cartoon. Did any surprise you? Why or why not? Political cartoons often contain irony. What example of irony do you find in this political cartoon? (If you need help, review the post Analyzing Primary Sources: Reading Cartoons.) What do you think were the “old ideals” of womanhood in 1904?…

Take me out to the ball game

Primary Source Learning: Baseball

Baseball: Across a Divided Society (primary source set) Baseball, Race and Ethnicity: Rounding the Bases Baseball, Race Relations and Jackie Robinson Black Diamond! Satchel Page and the Negro Baseball Leagues Past and Present: Using Baseball Statistics to Teach Math (student worksheet) Tinkers to Evers to Chance Collection Connections: Baseball Cards Collection Connections: Jackie Robinson Recreation Yesterday and…

Twelve Years a Slave

Primary Source Learning: Oral Histories & Personal Narratives

LOC.gov contains numerous oral history and personal narrative resources. Check out the lists below! Teaching resources Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Oral Histories Learning from the Source: Chicago Meatpackers & the Unions Learning from the Source: Digital Stories of Our Heroes Learning from the Source: Media & Migrant Laborer Perspectives Primary Source Learning: September 11,…