They say pictures are worth a thousand words. Primary source images, whether they are photographs or prints, provide windows into unique perspectives of people, places, and events. The analysis of primary source images helps scaffold and differentiate learning and aligns closely to the Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS). The Library of Congress is a treasure…
Primary source analysis promotes information literacy, a vital skill for competent citizens. When selecting primary sources to use with students, keep the criteria listed below in mind to ensure valuable learning experiences. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS Engagement Will your students want to dig deep, ask questions, and learn more about the primary source? Is the source interesting?…
From the Library of Congress bicentennial exhibition—With Malice Toward None—we learn a bit about the profound effect Abraham Lincoln’s death had on people all over the world. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, had a tremendous impact both in the United States and abroad. People in Great Britain, which…
Today in History–April 14–the Library of Congress features the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, who was shot on this day in 1865. Learn more about tragic day in United States history by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access secondary sources, all types of primary sources, and teaching resources related to the death of President Lincoln….
Educational consultant and author Dr. Bertie Kingore has some great ideas for teaching. TPS-Barat adapted her thinking triangle for use with primary source image analysis. This activity requires students to use higher level thinking skills as they interact with a primary source image. The thinking triangle also gives students practice in the visual equivalent of…
Using details from the cover of this sheet music, describe what you think this song is about. Use the Primary Source Nexus search box to find out about Normandy. Where is it? What was happening there in 1917? Look inside at the song lyrics and music notation. What is the tone of the song? Does…
Questioning & the Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Reading emphasize teaching students to become active questioners beginning in kindergarten. RL/RI.K.1. With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL/RI.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RL/RI.2.1. Ask and answer such questions…
Although image analysis activities do not generally require reading (apart from reading bits of text found in an image), the skills required to extract information from visual content are similar to those required to extract information from text. Practicing these skills using primary source images provides students with a great scaffolded learning opportunity. The table below…
The Chicago meatpacking industry began its rise to prominence in 1865 with the opening of the Union Stock Yard. Meatpacking unions had their ups and downs over the years and company antiunionism took two basic forms: repression and paternalism. Armour, for example, was a company that “provided individualized pay, insurance and promotion incentives (including stock…
Today in History–March 16–the Library of Congress features James Madison, born on this day in 1751. (Actually, he was born on March 5 under the Julian calendar but when Great Britain and its colonies switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1752 his birthday, along with everyone else’s, was shifted 11 days forward.) Learn more about the man known…
History textbooks give overviews of people and events of the past. Primary sources provide varied perspectives, adding details, nuance and, often, a sense of immediacy that make history come alive. Oral histories and personal narratives allow us to step into someone else’s shoes for a moment and make personal connections to history. Students who completed…
During the civil war Walt Whitman worked in Washington D.C. and spent much of his spare time visiting wounded soldiers in the hospital. He was a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln whom he saw around the city frequently. Like many, Whitman was deeply saddened at the loss of President Lincoln, assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on…