Teaching Notes

In order to create historical thinking and source analysis, students must have historical background knowledge and an understanding of its modern impact. This requires the ability to check primary and secondary sources for validity and to understand how to use these sources as supporting evidence. Making connections to the Ludlow Massacre and the Labor Movement during the Progressive Era, students will be able to trace the connections from the past to the present and analyze their causes, effects, and significance in a critical manner. This lesson was designed for the Fall of 2020, but can be adapted for any current event. The focus is the Ludlow Massacre and the broader effects of the Labor Movement at that time.

Spark Link: US History

Network Album Link: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/tps-commons/the-labor-movement-and-conflict-in-america-through-the-lens-of-us-history

Teaching Notes

To fully understand the relationship between humans and the environment, it is important to look at the production of natural resources and the fallout. To do this, students can analyze historical labor sources, the resources that led to prosperity for some, how humans were used as a resource, and how resources can perpetuate conflict. This album is designed to examine the Ludlow Massacre through a geographic lens and how it is different and similar to current day labor conflict

Spark Link: Geography

Network Link: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/tps-commons/the-labor-movement-and-conflict-in-america-through-the-lens-of-geography

Teaching Notes

In order to understand civic action and how the United States government can respond, students must have historical context as well as modern examples. This requires an analysis of what has happened during periods of social and political unrest in American history, and what led to that unrest, and what is happening in the United States today. This album is designed to compare the labor unrest in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s to the issues facing the United States leading up to 2020. It can be updated based on current issues. The historical context is based in both the Ludlow Massacre in Colorado in 1914, but also the broader context of the Labor Movement.

Spark Link: American Government

Network Album: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/tps-commons/the-labor-movement-and-conflict-in-america-through-the-lens-of-american-government 

Teaching Notes

Circle of Viewpoints is a routine that explores various and diverse viewpoints.

Paired with primary sources, this routine helps learners identify and reflect on multiple viewpoints. It helps the learner understand that others may think and feel differently about the same topic or idea.

Circle of Viewpoints can help build empathy for historical people; students can also learn historical thinking skills, inquiry strategies, and historical context.

Spark Link: Exploring Viewpoints

Network Album: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/tps-commons/viewpoint-activities-no-tech-low-tech-and-high-tech

Teaching Notes

Though we may not always realize it, primary sources are everywhere. Whether it's a cereal box, a souvenir from a field trip, the apps on our devices, or even the content of our pockets, all of these items tell us something about ourselves and the world around us. Beginning with a classic exercise such as Lincoln's Pockets, which analyzes the contents of Lincoln's Pockets on the night of his assassination, this Spark extends that initial activity and describes two student-focused follow-up activities: Your Pockets: Your Bedroom and Your Pockets: Your Digital Pocket.

These activities should contribute to student understanding about what primary sources are and the role of primary sources in the study of history by making primary sources personal to our students. When we study history, we often work with information or items that don't give us the full picture of a person or time period. We work with materials that are inherently incomplete--whether it's a lack of context or perspective or that some of the relevant materials just didn't survive for us to study in the present day--and we must make inferences and judgments based on the information we do have. Knowing how to look at the study of history and the world around us with a critical eye is a helpful skill for all subjects and contributes to higher order thinking skills vital to ensuring our students are information literate individuals.

Spark Link: Lincoln's Pockets
Network Album: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/tps-commons/lincolns-pockets-and-your-pockets 

Teaching Notes

Children discover and explore new things, each and every day. The following activities foster the curiosity of 3rd-5th grade students by encouraging close observation of nature, the study of scientific drawings, and questioning through scientific inquiry. Students will understand that scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and analyzing and interpreting data to eventually construct explanations and engage in argument from evidence (Next Generation Science Standards). Each activity idea a) promotes scientific inquiry, b) links to resources from the Library of Congress Website, and c) offers suggestions for use with or without access to technology.

Spark Link: Exploring and Discovering
Network Link: https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/teaching-online-with-primary-sources/exploring-and-discovering-at-home