Library of Congress
Loc: Political Cartoons: Finding Point of View
A careful analysis of political cartoons can provide a glimpse into key moments of U.S. political history. In this activity, students will closely examine political cartoons about the Stamp Act; make inferences about the political,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Twentieth Century Entertainment: When Work Is Done
An analysis of leisure time activity in the early 20th century.
Library of Congress
Loc: The American West: Images of Its People
Different peoples have contributed to the history of the western United States. To gain an understanding and appreciation of this history, students investigate the region's cultures and identify the contributions that each make to the...
Library of Congress
Loc: Geography and Its Impact on Colonial Life
European settlement patterns were influenced by geographic conditions such as access to water, harbors, natural protection, arable land, natural resources and adequate growing season and rainfall. Examine a variety of primary sources to...
Library of Congress
Loc: African American Identity in the Gilded Age
Examine the tension experienced by African-Americans as they struggled to establish a vibrant and meaningful identity based on the promises of liberty and equality in the midst of a society that was ambivalent towards them and sought to...
Library of Congress
Loc: Immigration History Firsthand
Immigration History Firsthand has been designed to provide elementary children with experiences which enable them to begin understanding primary sources. Students move from personal artifacts to the vast Library of Congress online...
Library of Congress
Loc: The Titanic: Shifting Responses to Its Sinking
In 1912, popular media headlined the sinking of the world's largest luxury passenger ocean liner while on its maiden voyage. Newspapers captivated the world's attention with stories from survivors and about victims who did not survive....
Library of Congress
Loc: The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources From the Roaring Twenties
In order to appreciate historical fiction, students need to understand the factual context and recognize how popular culture reflects the values, mores, and events of the time period. Since a newspaper records significant events and...
Library of Congress
Loc: A Russian Settlement in Alaska
In the early 19th century, most of the land that is now Alaska was claimed by the Russian empire, and its most significant community was Novo-Arkhangelsk, which today is called Sitka. From 1808 until the sale of Alaska to the United...
Library of Congress
Loc: Civil War Photographs: What Do You See?
In this lesson students analyze a single photograph from the Library of Congress collection Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. Using the skills developed, students then find and analyze other images. Conclusions reached will allow...
Library of Congress
Loc: Migration During the Great Depression: Living History
Most people in Central Florida came from somewhere else. Students first analyze life histories from American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940 to learn oral history techniques. They then interview...
Library of Congress
Loc: Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
People have always tried to understand the natural world in which they live. In early times, they created myths to explain their experiences with fire, flood and other violent forces. Over the centuries, new scientific discoveries added...
Library of Congress
Loc: Immigration and Migration:today/during the Great Depression
Students address these questions through activities using oral history methods and investigating life in the 1930s. They compare the immigration/migration experiences of their families to those of people living through the Great...
Library of Congress
Loc: Child Labor and the Building of America
Students are immersed in primary source materials that relate to child labor in America from 1880-1920 to gain a personal perspective of how work affected the American child within a rapidly growing industrial society. This project is...
Library of Congress
Loc: Thomas Jefferson's Library: The Case for a National Library
Students examine a letter written by Thomas Jefferson and identify techniques he used to persuade Congress to purchase his personal library. Students consider a selection of Jefferson's books and then write their own persuasive letters...
Library of Congress
Loc: Found Poetry With Primary Sources: The Great Depression
Students explore poetry using American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940 collection of American Memory, which covers personal stories collected by the Works Progress Administration. In particular,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Local History: Mapping My Spot
Students often think of history as tattered documents, worn photographs, and musty books, all of which have little or no relevance to their lives. Maps provide an often-overlooked source of information and a new and compelling...
Library of Congress
Loc: The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress
Students take a close analytical look at the historic Minerva mosaic from the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, and discover what it can tell them about the mission of the Library's founders. They will perform a basic primary source...
Library of Congress
Loc: The Huexotzinco Codex
Students will analyze a set of pictograph documents created by native peoples of Puebla, Mexico in 1531. Students will take on the role of historians, study the documents, and create a scenario to explain what these documents were for,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Waldseemuller's Map: World 1507
The 1507 World Map by Martin Waldseemuller is one of the world's most important maps. For the first time, this map labels America and shows the continent as a separate land mass. It is often referred to as America's Birth Certificate....
Library of Congress
Loc: The Alaska Purchase: Debating the Sale
The 1867 Treaty of Cession, in which the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian empire, marked an unusually peaceful transition. The purchase of Alaska was done under amicable circumstances, and both Russia and the U.S. felt...
Library of Congress
Loc: The Conservation Movement at a Crossroads
The debate over damming the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park marked a crossroads in the American conservation movement. Until this debate, conservationists seemed fairly united in their aims. San Francisco's need for a...
Library of Congress
Loc: World War I: What Are We Fighting for Over There?
The Great War of 1914-1918 significantly shaped the course of the twentieth century, both at home and abroad. How can this pivotal event be personalized and brought to life for students in the new millennium? Unfortunately, increasingly...
Library of Congress
Loc: Immigration and Oral History
The primary goal of this activity is to give students the genuine experience of oral history in order to appreciate the process of historiography. We identified immigrants in our community who reflect the ethnic diversity of our student...