NHD Categories & Rules NHD category infographics (.pdf) National History Day Contest Rule Book (.pdf) Curated resource lists for NHD 2018 topic ideas NHD 2018 U.S. History Topic Ideas NHD 2018 European History Topic Ideas NHD 2018 World History Topic Ideas Selecting, Using & Citing Sources Selecting a Topic for a History Project Selecting Sources: Tertiary, Secondary, Primary Selecting Primary Sources for Research Projects Tech Tools: Citation … [Read more...]
Finding Resources: Accessing Contemporary Articles
October 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
In our new Timely Connections section, we will be linking contemporary articles to primary sources and teaching ideas. Some of the articles may come from websites, such as The New York Times and the The Washington Post, that restrict access to their content. Most sites provide subscription discounts to educators and allow anyone to access a limited number of free articles per month. But what happens if you don't have a subscription or when you've reached the monthly limit? Turn to your … [Read more...]
Integrating Tech: Let’s Recap & Primary Source Analysis
June 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This is a guest post from veteran teacher Heather Klos, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher and the Social Studies department chair at Crownover Middle School in Corinth, Texas. Primary sources are one of the most valuable tools we have as social studies teachers. What better way to incorporate primary sources for the 21st century learner than through the use of technology. This year I discovered Recap and realized quickly that this could be a powerful tool in the analysis process for my … [Read more...]
Tech Tool: Creating a Google Form Zoom-in Activity
March 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This is a guest post from Sara Conyers, a middle school history teacher at Longfellow Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia. Creating a Zoom-in primary source analysis activity using Google Forms is quick and easy. Step 1 – Select Image Select a primary source image that will challenge your students to dig deeper into the meaning and message of the creator. Images can be photographs, fine art, political cartoons, sheet music, printed ephemera and more. Step 2 – Create … [Read more...]
Integrating Tech: Zoom-in to Primary Source Analysis
March 15, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This is a guest post from Patti Winch, the Middle School Social Studies Specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia. I first learned about Zoom-ins about 10 years ago when taking a class with Northern Virginia’s Teaching with Primary Sources program or TPSNVA. Zoom-ins were originally developed by a FCPS teacher and subsequently shared via the TPSNVA platform. The strategy is also highlighted in Making Thinking Visible by Ron Ritchart, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison … [Read more...]
Finding Resources: LOC.gov Quick Links
February 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This teaching resource blog was created to help educators and students teach and learn with primary sources from the Library of Congress. There is a lot of material to browse and search on the Primary Source Nexus, but sometimes you just need to go directly to a particular section of the Library website. But how do you quickly locate and access that section? We've compiled a list of 30 links to get you to the resources you're looking for lightning quick: LOC.gov Quick Links page. … [Read more...]
Using Sources: Chronicling America Newspaper Pages
December 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Historic newspapers contain a wealth of information about the past, providing a snapshot of social and cultural values of a certain place and time. You will find news stories, feature articles, editorials, cartoons, advertisements, stories, poems, art and more. All of these can be useful to help contextualize events and people from history. According to the Center for History and New Media, George Mason University, “Historians generally use newspapers for three purposes: learning facts about … [Read more...]
Integrating Tech: NHD 2017 Digital Resources
November 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment
General resources National History Day Contest Rule Book NHD 2017: Taking a Stand in History Themebook NHD 2017: Taking a Stand sample topic ideas Chicago Metro History Fair (CMHF) 2017 suggested topic ideas NHD 2017: Selecting a Topic for a History Project Curated resource lists for NHD 2017 topic ideas NHD 2017 U.S. History Topic Ideas Part I NHD 2017 U.S. History Topic Ideas Part II NHD 2017 European History Topic Ideas Part I NHD 2017 European History … [Read more...]
Finding Sources: Exploring the Digital Collections
June 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Summer is the perfect time to take some time to explore the Library of Congress digital collections. From the Library homepage, simply click the Digital Collections box in the center top row under Collection Highlights. There are close to 300 digital collections so there's plenty to explore. The default view is Gallery so you can easily get an overview of each collection and how many digital resources are available. Click on the thumbnail image or the title to read more about the … [Read more...]
Finding Sources: Library of Congress YouTube Channel
May 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Library of Congress YouTube™ channel features, "Timeless treasures and contemporary presentations from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C." On the Library's YouTube homepage you will find a featured video as well as a browsable list of the most recent uploads and the Library's playlists. Video Uploads To access all the videos the Library has uploaded, click the Videos tab. The default view shows all uploads with the list view of videos by date added (newest). Use the … [Read more...]
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