Stone fence in Litchfield, Connecticut

Learning from the Source: Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors?

Overview By pairing primary sources with poetry, students consider the proverb, “Good fences make good neighbors” in the context of their own lives as well as in a local, national or global context. Lesson Steps Display the primary source image and analyze it together as a class using the Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis…

Bonus Veterans

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Bonus Veterans

Carefully study the details of the Bonus Veterans photograph above. Brainstorm a list of questions you would need answered in order to write an article about this image. Share your questions with an elbow partner, then investigate this primary source image set to see what questions you were able to answer. Write a brief summary…

Themed Image Set

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Form & Function

Take a close look at the collection of images above (.pdf). What common theme can you identify? Note similarities and differences between the images. Now take a look at the bibliographic records of each image by clicking the links below. What is the function of the main object in each image? Choose one of these and investigate…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Boeing aircraft plant – production of B-17F

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Boeing aircraft plant – production of B-17F

Zoom into the picture above (.pdf file) and analyze the photo using the primary source analysis tool. First, just use the picture to complete your image analysis, then review the bibliographic record to add to your analysis. Share your analysis with a partner, group or the class. This image lists some letters and numbers at the bottom of the picture. Enter…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Gauchos, Argentina

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Gauchos, Argentina

Be a primary source investigator. Zoom into this photograph. Look carefully at the details in the image. What did you learn about gauchos from your photo investigation? Read this entry on Gauchos from Encyclopædia Britannica or watch this National Geographic video about gauchos or both.What more did you learn about gauchos? How does that information compare with your primary source investigation? Tell…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Astor Theatre – The Great Ziegfeld

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Astor Theatre – The Great Ziegfeld

Where do you think this photograph was taken? Zoom into the photo and describe this place using details from the image to inform your description. (Save the link in the previous sentence to download the image to your computer which will allow you to zoom in with greater detail.) Next, make a guess at what decade this photo is…

Guided Primary Source Analysis: I Won’t Stand for Segregation

Guided Primary Source Analysis: I Won’t Stand for Segregation

Complete a primary source analysis of this image using the Library’s primary source analysis tool (see links below). Then click the image above to see if the information found in the curator’s note answers any of your questions. paper (.pdf) digital padlet Can you find a discrepancy between this primary source document (be sure to look…