Resources Abound at the Library of Congress for Educators

Educators, if you have not looked into the resources available at the Library of Congress, it's time to check it out.  I have to admit the searches can be overwhelming.  I had a couple of weeks at the start of my fellowship to browse and search.  There were so many relevant resources but at times I couldn't find specific items for topics.  It took me a couple of months to learn some of the techniques from my colleagues in the Learning and Innovation Office.  The exploration was well worth the effort.  Elementary educators cover all the content areas except for a few specials. As educators that cover so many subjects, the Library of Congress digital resources is perfect for making great connections for your students.  

The primary and secondary resources available at the Library of Congress come in a rich variety.  There are audio files, webcasts, YouTube videos, hand-written notebooks, pictures, newspapers, books, and more.  Not only can you use these resources to enhance your instruction, but students can also use them to make connections between their learning and historical context.  Imagine students creating their own products with Library sources and learning to cite them appropriately.  For younger students, I might create a folder of possible resources for them to use in a shared Microsoft or Google folder.  

Searches can be made easier by creating a list of potential search terms.  Terms are used differently throughout the year.  It's important to understand that a refrigerator used to be an icebox and light bulbs were incandescent lamps.  This is where an internet search can help to identify additional terms to search under. Below are some easily accessible resources ready for educators.  Primary Source Sets include groups of various primary sources that address particular subjects.  Another great resource is using the Ask a Librarian feature available on the Library of Congress website.

Teacher Resource Page - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/

Blog - http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/

Classroom Materials - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/

Primary Sources Sets - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/

Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey - https://www.loc.gov/collections/historic-american-buildings-landscapes-and-engineering-records/about-this-collection/

Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers at the Library of Congress - https://www.loc.gov/collections/alexander-graham-bell-papers/about-this-collection/

Resources from the Science Reference Division (research guides, everyday mysteries, etc.) - http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/

Teaching with Primary Sources Network has a STEM Group - https://tpsteachersnetwork.org//

Congressional information https://www.congress.gov/

Congressional Research Services has some reports that are also available to the public https://crsreports.congress.gov/

Remember each item you find in the Library's resources has a citation tool towards the bottom of the page.

Scratch and Paper Circuits with Primary Sources

The breadth of primary sources available from the Library of Congress present an excellent opportunity for elementary educators to connect and integrate content areas through historical context.  As an Einstein Fellow, I am identifying ways to make STEM connections through primary sources.  A couple of recent projects include using Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) to create programs using primary sources and creating paper circuits with primary sources.

Instructions for the Civil War Bugle Calls Scratch project are still in development https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/268767799/. The instructions include information on original sheet music and how to use the original bugle calls to code the music using Scratch 2.0.  Students could do a variety of project using Scratch and primary sources. This is just one example.

Lighting the first National Christmas tree with paper circuits allows students to understand the importance of early electricity and the history of some of our holiday traditions.  The 1923 National Christmas tree was the first and lit with electric lights.  A card can be created with any primary source and then used to light up with a paper circuit on the inside.  Additional uses could be examining electrical circuits, incandescent lamps, and more.

 

Any feedback you might have on these types of projects would be greatly appreciated.  If you are local in the DC area, I would love the opportunity to visit your classroom and work on some of these projects with you if we can find times in both of our schedules to connect.  

So Much Fun Creating Lessons!

I have spent several weeks now exploring, or should I say scratching the surface, of interesting and engaging primary sources at the Library of Congress.  There is something for everyone in the digitized resources, not to mention the vast materials housed by this amazing institution.  I am finally at the point where I can bring in my own classroom experiences and connect them to the primary sources for use in the classroom or a makerspace.  It's been interesting and frustrating that it took me three months to get my feet under me, but my excitement as I developed two new lessons this week, one connecting iceboxes from the 1800-1900s and insulation boxes and another using Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) to code Civil War bugle calls, brings back memories of collaborating at my school.  The Scratch lesson was even more fun to develop because I was able to collaborate with our Teacher-in-Residence to share with her the possibilities of Scratch with music.  It never ceases to amaze me how fun it can be to collaborate with other educators on projects.  Lessons also come out so much better when they build off of each other's strengths.  These lessons are still being developed, but keep an eye on the Library of Congress, Learning and Innovation, Teacher's Blog for these and other lessons https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/.