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African-American Soldiers in the Civil War - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (138), african american (111), civil war (134), lincoln (60)
In the Classroom
The site could be the basis for dozens of lesson ideas, as well as an ideal starting point for a research paper. Have students view authentic letters from Abraham Lincoln on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge students to write a letter (or a blog) in response to Lincoln's letter.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Today in History - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): history day (40)
In the Classroom
This site provides excellent historical research! For a classroom-ready activity each day to build understanding of historical events in the context of your students' prior knowledge, also try TeachersFirst's Dates That Matter. Include both links on your teacher web page for instant access by students both in and out of class. Maybe start a class wiki for your own "This Day" collection and assign student groups a day of their own. Add to it from year to year. Or have students write blog responses on class or individual blogs as they choose an event for the day from several sources and react to it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Meet Amazing Americans - The Library of Congress
Grades
1 to 8tag(s): composers (16), explorers (65), inventors and inventions (71), presidents (121), scientists (62)
In the Classroom
This site could be used throughout the entire year. Why not highlight a "hero of the week." Share the information on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students write diary entries, or replace paper and pen by asking students to write blogs sharing information learned using a site like Edublog, reviewed here, from the perspective of the "hero of the week." Use this Meeting Amazing Americans for individual research projects and have students create multimedia presentations about their hero: a Powerpoint, website, blog, wiki, or video. This site can be used in more than just social studies topics. Music classes, science classes, and gifted classes can also benefit from the many research areas.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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America's Story - Library of Congress
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): animation (62), comics and cartoons (54), songs (44)
In the Classroom
Interested students could spend hours on this site, so provide some specific directions for use before turning them loose! Use to supplement the study of a particular era in American history or as an enrichment activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Map Collections Home Page - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): battles (18), environment (238), maps (207), transportation (32)
In the Classroom
Teachers with interactive whiteboards or projectors will find these maps a natural companion to lessons involving history, geography, and cultural changes. Sometimes seeing a map drawn at the same time as the event under discussion can lend a whole new understanding of the culture of the people being studied. It's far more dramatic to imagine sailing into the unknown on a voyage of discovery while you look at the only maps available to those aboard.Be sure to have students use the whiteboard tools to draw in their own "corrections" or annotations showing the movement of people or strategies used in battles. Since thee resources are in the public domain, you are allowed to copy them into your whiteboard software and keep the student annotations atop the maps, as well. The maps also make good visuals for "mock" blog entries by historical figures!
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September 11, 2001 Documentary Project - Library of Congress
Grades
7 to 12In the Classroom
This site would be most useful to students doing research on the 9/11 attacks, but also could provide teachers with supplemental material for a lesson on the events of that date. Although teachers will remember the day vividly, most students were either not born yet, or young enough when it occurred that their memories will be clouded. Another use for this site is as an example of the power and necessity of primary sources in documenting any event. Compare these resources to accounts we have of Pearl Harbor and other major events as you ask students to conduct an interviewing project of their own, perhaps of local history. As an introduction and for students to get a feeling for the drama of the event you may want to use the video posted with live footage of an ABC broadcast as the events of 9/11 were unfolding. You can access the Encyclopdeia Britanica's version of the video on YouTube here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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U.S. Presidential Speeches Tag Cloud - Chirag Mehta
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): debate (37), elections (80), politics (113), speech (66), speeches (18)
In the Classroom
Share the tag cloud on a projector-- or ideally interactive whiteboard-- as you ask students to hypothesize about the words that appear at key times: the start of a war, after Sept 11, etc. Then include the link on your teacher web page so you can assign them (in or out of class) to write an essay or prepare a visual presentation explaining why certain terms were vital in the political and policy landscape of the times. Using primary sources from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection, students can create multimedia (PowerPoint or video) shows "portraying" a year, decade, or era and the importance of its tagged words (Word art would make a great way to show the words on screen).With the 2008 presidential election quickly approaching, have students analyze presidential speeches and create their own Speech Tag Clouds about the message. Or have students create a "mock" candidate and then design a "tag cloud" about the candidate.
Note that this tag cloud site DOES identify its sources-- something you want to be sure to highlight to your students. Then ask if students think the choice of sources is the best possible--should it include others?
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Lewis Carroll Scrapbook - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): authors (103), literature (217)
In the Classroom
Use with author study or as a resource for a student doing biographical author study. This is also a good base for a lesson on the kinds of things authors keep to inspire their own writing as part of a biographical criticism lesson. Share the "scrapbook" on a projector or interactive whiteboard so you can highlight the writing process.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Cultures and History of America - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): aztecs (9), explorers (65), mayans (11), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Use portions of this site on a projector in class or spend a day on a "web hunt" with students answering questions you give them to find within the site. There is plenty to explore.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American History - Primary Documents - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): primary sources (117)
In the Classroom
Try using this site as a way to actually connect students to the time periods they are studying.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What Are We Fighting For Over There? - Library of Congress
Grades
10 to 12tag(s): 1900s (73), foreign policy (12), world war 1 (72)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan in your classroom during a unit on WWI - the documents are all very revealing and an excellent example for students of reliable primary sources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bound for Glory: America in Color - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): 1930s (20), 1940s (14), great depression (28), images (264), photography (125)
In the Classroom
It's interesting how viewing the images in color makes the viewer feel as though the Great Depression was something far more recent - perhaps due to the dated feeling of black and white images. In a discussion of the Great Depression, spend some time comparing these images and the traditional black and white images on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Ask students about the differences and if one is more revealing or not. This can also lead into a discussion on the reliability of primary sources and the effects of seeing something rather than reading it.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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1492 - An Ongoing Voyage - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): explorers (65), native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a picture walk activity in your classroom. Select 10-15 of the more descriptive images, preferably with different subjects. Assign students to stand at specific images, rotating every 30-45 seconds. In that time, students should quickly jot down what they observe, infer and predict about each. After the walk is done, have a class discussion based on the notes that students have taken. This is a great way to introduce the beginnings of the New World in a non-lecture format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Child Labor in America - Library of Congress
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): evolution (85), industrial revolution (20)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plan hosted on this site! Save this one as a favorite on your classroom computer, to allow for easy retrieval later on.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Newspaper Pictorials: WWI Rotogravures - Library of Congress
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): 1900s (73), 20th century (59), images (264), photography (125), world war 1 (72)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the images on this site to supplement text in an ESL classroom. Include the images in your classroom and presentations to give students a visual concept to grasp on to while learning the terms and concepts of WWI.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stars and Stripes - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): journalism (72)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free images and printables from this site. The site not only provides primary sources, but maps and timelines that could also be used to supplement your lecture. Be sure to look at this site before designing any presentations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Earth as Art - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): ecology (100), landforms (37), photography (125)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an Earth Day activity! Use the maps on deforestation to lead to a conversation on conservationism.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ask a Librarian - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): resources (88)
In the Classroom
Have students use this as a resource while working on a research project. Just check with your school technology policies and make sure it's acceptable to use the live chat option.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Humor's Edge: Cartoons by Ann Telnaes - Library of Congress
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to discuss the role political cartoons can play in US government. Select a few of Telnaes's images, displaying them over the projector. Have a class discussion about the images, discussing perspectives, effects and what is being portrayed by the cartoons. This is a great way to discover how humor can affect opinions, and dissect how it is done.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War Through a Child's Eye - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): civil war (134)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free lesson plan offered by the Library of Congress. The lesson plan has a nice interdisciplinary twist, so it could be utilized in either an English or History class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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