This class applies an inquiry-learning model using primary sources available through the Library of Congress website.  The LOC has digitized over 50 million primary sources to bring learners the raw materials of U.S. society and culture spanning more than 200 years. Crossing multiple disciplinary areas, these sources inspire curiosity, prompt interesting questions, and support investigations of these questions—thereby creating conditions that promote deeper thinking and understanding.

Goal 1: Justify conclusions about whether a source is primary or secondary depending upon the time or topic under study.

Goal 2: Describe examples of the benefits of teaching with primary sources.

Goal 3: Analyze a primary source using Library of Congress tools

Goal 4: Access teaching tools and primary sources from loc.gov/teachers 

Goal 5: Identify key considerations for selecting primary sources for instructional use (for example, student needs and interests, teaching goals, etc.)

Goal 6: Access primary sources and teaching resources from loc.gov for instructional use 

Goal 7: Analyze primary sources in different formats

Goal 8: Analyze a set of related primary sources in order to identify multiple perspectives

Goal 9: Facilitate a primary source analysis using Library of Congress tools

Goal 10: Demonstrate how primary sources can support at least one teaching strategy (for example, literacy, inquiry-based learning, historical thinking, etc.)

Goal 11: Create a primary source-based activity that helps students engage in learning, develop critical thinking skills and construct knowledge

Annotated Resource Set (ARS) - An ARS combines a set of primary sources with a lesson plan.  The ARS contains thumbnail images and links to thematically chosen primary sources along with suggested instructional design components such as essential questions, standards, objectives, learning activities, assessment strategies and links to other related resources. 

Primary Source-based Learning Activity - Design an activity utilizing primary sources from the Library of Congress using one or more of the inquiry based strategies/techniques learned in this workshop (e.g. RQI, Multiple Perspectives, etc.)