Today in History–February 7–the Library of Congress features writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, born on this date in 1867. Ingalls Wilder became well known for her semi-autobiographical stories collectively known as the Little House on the Prairie series. Learn more this iconic writer of American pioneer life and discover primary sources that will help illuminate her stories by visiting the Today in History section and then clicking…
Today in History–February 1–the Library of Congress features writer and poet Langston Hughes, born on this date in 1902. Famous for his illuminating and moving depictions of African American life, Hughes was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance movement. Learn more about this treasured American author by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more stories,…
On August 28, 1963 a march organized by supporters of stronger civil rights legislation drew more than 250,000 people to Washington, D.C. Encouraged and inspired, Martin Luther King, Jr. strayed from the short speech he had prepared and delivered instead his famous extemporaneous I Have a Dream speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Primary…
Image sequencing activities help students better understand written or spoken texts. Image sequencing requires groups of students to review an image set and match individual images with designated lines of text, discussing and justifying their choices. These activities give students great practice in the skills emphasized by the Common Core State Standards, particularly the CCSS standards…
The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides an overview of the resources found in America’s Library and some great teaching ideas for using the website with younger students or older English language learners. For more involved projects, click the links below to access two primary source projects using America’s Library resources from TPS-Barat….
Today in History–November 18–the Library of Congress features French photography pioneer Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, born on this day in 1789. The daguerreotype was a convenient and effective process which rapidly gained in the United States. Learn more about Daguerre and the daguerreotype by visiting the Today in History section and following the links below. America’s First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Portraits and Views,…
Below you will find teaching ideas related to Civil War prisons and prisoners. Civil War: First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920 This collection chronicles the experiences of southerners from all stations in life — white and black, rich and poor, including many accounts that relate the common soldier’s perspective on the war. Some of these accounts…
In celebration of Native American Heritage month, the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides some great suggestions for teaching students to view the experiences and contributions of Native Americans from various perspectives. Comparing sources from multiple perspectives provides students with practice in critical thinking and evaluating evidence and arguments. Links to more Native American…
“The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.” The Teaching with the Library of Congress blog provides some great starting points for using the Veterans History…
This morning I saw a tweet mentioning primary sources related to immigration in the Gilded Age and I began to wonder . . . What learning activities related to the Gilded Age could we imagine using Library of Congress primary sources? What other teaching resources and strategies are available on LOC.gov and elsewhere? See the results…
The Teaching with Library of Congress blog provides activity suggestions for using the transcript of World War I veteran oral history to provide students with personal insight into a historical event and help them to value the individuals behind the history of World War I and Armistice Day. Teachers might also choose to have students compare accounts, looking for…
The Teaching with Library of Congress blog highlights a collection of videos featuring Library curators briefly describing treasured items and their historical importance and provides some ideas for using the treasure videos with students. You can access the collection of Hidden Treasure videos at the Library of Congress or from the Hidden Treasures playlist on…