Look closely at this source and respond to the questions below. Where is your eye drawn to first? Next? After? What do you notice about the source's design? What, in particular, stands out to you? Why do you think this source was created? How do you know? (Be sure to point to evidence from the source that supports your conclusion.) Take two minutes to make a list of names that you recognize and one fact about each. Pair up with another student and take one minute to share what you … [Read more...]
Guided Primary Source Analysis: Black Women Achievements Against the Odds
May 25, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Primary Source Learning: Film & Video
May 2, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Analyzing Primary Sources: Learning from Video Recordings Teaching with the Library of Congress blog posts All-American News: Newsreels for African American Audiences February 7, 2019 Explore Library of Congress Professional Development Videos April 11, 2017 Exploring America's Cinematic Heritage through the National Film Registry December 17, 2015 Football Through Film and Other Primary Sources January 31, 2019 Inspiring Citizen Action with the National Screening Room … [Read more...]
Collections Spotlight: African American Perspectives
February 14, 2021 by Leave a Comment
"African American Perspectives" gives a panoramic and eclectic review of African American history and culture and is primarily comprised of two collections in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division: the African American Pamphlet Collection and the Daniel A.P. Murray Collection with a date range of 1822 through 1909. Most were written by African-American authors, though some were written by others on topics of particular importance in African-American history. Among the authors … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: U.S. Presidential Inaugurations
January 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
"I Do Solemnly Swear..." U.S. Presidential Inaugurations primary source sets “I Do Solemnly Swear...” Inaugural Materials from the Collections of the Library of Congress online exhibition Inaugurations: Stepping into History presentation An Orderly Transition The Inaugural Address Looking Back and Looking Ahead Select historical newspaper articles The Inaugural--The Past Reign, the Coming Reign The Herald (New York [N.Y.]), March 7, 1837 (Martin Van Buren) William … [Read more...]
World Spotlight: Afghanistan
September 18, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Afghanistan primary source set World Digital Library The Great Game and Afghanistan story map Voices from Afghanistan online exhibition highlighting citizen letters Afghanistan maps Afghanistan image set Films & webcasts related to Afghanistan Books & articles about Afghanistan Dance styles Pashtu Afghanistan Alan Lomax Collection Veteran oral histories Current Conflicts: Afghanistan and Iraq Persian Gulf and Iraq/Afghanistan:Women of Four Wars More … [Read more...]
Primary Source Spotlight: Margaret Chase Smith
March 26, 2020 by 1 Comment
Historical newspaper coverage: Representative Margaret Chase Smith Historical newspaper coverage: Senator Margaret Chase Smith Margaret Chase Smith image set Margaret Chase Smith brief bio and image set Margaret Chase Smith Library Margaret Chase Smith biography and bibliography United States House of Representatives Margaret Chase Smith: A Declaration of Conscience background with link to her speech United States Senate The Senator Who Stood Up to Joseph McCarthy When No One … [Read more...]
Primary Source Learning: U.S. Constitution
September 7, 2017 by 2 Comments
Congress.gov Constitution Annotated analysis & interpretation of the U.S. Constitution Guided primary source analysis activities The Constitutional Amendment National Anti-Suffrage Association Lessons from the Citizen U Multidisciplinary Civics Lesson Library Find Your Freedom Beyond the Bill of Rights Citizen U Constitutional Rights Foundation Introduction to the Constitution California History-Social Science Project Journalists and a Free Press Citizen U … [Read more...]
Guided Primary Source Analysis: Presenting Party Platforms
November 1, 2016 by 1 Comment
Zoom into this 1888 presidential election document online or in a .pdf document. Look closely at the graphical elements of the complete document and compare and contrast the presentation of information in the Harrison and Cleveland maps. Which is more pleasing visually and why? How does the visual presentation affect the tone of each map? Describe your findings using specific details from the maps to support your conclusions. Now compare and contrast the textual information presented on each … [Read more...]
Presidential Spotlight: Barack Obama
February 4, 2016 by 1 Comment
Barack Obama first inauguration primary source set January 20, 2009 Barack Obama second inauguration primary source set January 21, 2013 President-Elect Obama To Take Oath of Office on Lincoln-Inaugural Bible News from the Library of Congress December 23, 2008 The Lincoln Bible used by Barack Obama at his first inauguration The Book Lincoln and Obama Have In Common video Foreign Affairs oral histories mentioning Barack Obama Barak Obama being sworn in as President of the United … [Read more...]
Guided Primary Source Analysis: Spiro Agnew parody
September 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
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 you learn about the art of caricature from the notes? The title of the featured poster mentions that it is a parody. Explain why you think or … [Read more...]
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