Christmas is found at the Library of Congress. Here are just of a few blogs, and other articles that I found with a quick search. Please feel free to add to the fun. Christmas is coming quickly!

https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/technology/item/who-invented-electric-christmas-lights/

https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/12/an-international-christmas-quiz/

https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/december-25/

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/12/capitol-christmas-tree-pic-of-the-week-2/

https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-yes-virginia?&loclr=reclnk

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2010/12/twas-the-day-after-christmas/

https://blogs.loc.gov/music/2015/12/sheet-music-of-the-week-a-world-war-i-christmas/

https://blogs.loc.gov/music/2022/12/ill-be-home-for-christmas/

https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2015/12/santa-claus-speaks/

. Coal miner's children play in front yard, Chaplin, West Virginia. Chaplin West Virginia United States, 1938. Sept. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017752783/.  Pre K - 2    3 - 5    Special Education    English/Language Arts    Physical Education  

Rothstein, Arthur, photographer. Children playing, New York City, New York. New York State United States New York, 1941. Dec. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017727523/.

Vachon, John, photographer. Children playing with boats, Grundy Center, Iowa. Iowa Grundy Center United States, 1940. Apr. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017719604/.

Children playing in snow in Norwich, Connecticut. Norwich United States Connecticut, 1940. Nov. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017748574/.

  Mountain children playing marbles after school in Breathitt County, Kentucky. Kentucky Breathitt County United States, 1940. [Sept.?] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017757406/.

https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Step%20In%20-%20Step%20Out%20-%20Step%20Back_2.pdf

Looking at perspective: How Children Play.

Using these primary sources in the near 1940’s, have your students look at the way children play (I was intentional to pick various locations in the United States.) Students can look at how a child’s environment affects their play or what they play. Students can also compare their own play and how their play is the same and different. Using the thinking routine by Harvard’s Project Zero, Step In, Step Back, Step Out, allow students time to take each “thinking step” to examine each source.

I am looking for ideas for the book Blood on The River, about Jamestown. I found some great sources in the network, but I am stuck on what do I should do with 4th graders reading this book. Our curriculum says this book is for fourth grade. Any ideas and suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.  3 - 5    English/Language Arts  

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/jamestown/

https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/album/66237-jamestown-resources-to-support-the-book-blood-on-the-river

The Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

 The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a great way to begin a school year while establishing your own classroom community. Have your students look at the meaning of this one paragraph to view their community and how they want to create this year’s community in whatever grade you are in. I will make sure that this lesson also involves some vocabulary study on what the bold words mean as well as those “tier 3” words.

We the People of ________________, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish ________ insure ___________, provide  ____________, promote  ___________, and secure _______________ to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the _________________.

I think you will be surprised just how much they will learn and use throughout the year. This also provides ownership to their community, the classroom.

I will use The Preamble again when speaking about our election also. I will ask my older students to view a debate and fill out a “Preamble” for each of the candidates.

_____________________ in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish ________ insure ___________, provide  ____________, promote  ___________, and secure _______________ to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the We the People .

I am hoping that this will promote a focus on the issues of each candidate. If you use this approach in your classroom, I hope you will share with me and this community your success of this lesson. Thoughts?

Below I have collected some links you may find helpful in explaining The Preamble to your students as well as some great interactives for them.

https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/preamble/

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2013/01/the-preamble-to-the-constitution-making-inferences-about-intent-using-two-drafts-from-the-library-of-congress/

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/interactives/constitution/

School House Rock video

  3 - 5    6 - 8    9 - 12    13+    Social Studies/History    English/Language Arts    Special Education  

https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/#:~:text=COLLECTION,Highlights%2C%201860s%2D1960s

Note page 4

My 4^th Graders will read “A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut Johnson” by Michele Y. Green to begin the school year. I had to do some research at the Library of Congress to learn more about this fascinating woman and the accomplishments that she shared in baseball. What a gift to the American Negro Baseball League and to all Americans. I hope others will use these primary sources to share with their students what endurance and perseverance really means.

https://youtu.be/qCreNCuqfuo?si=yjTTnHOqakkGpXVr  A video about three women in the Negro Baseball League 

https://www.loc.gov/item/2021692484/ Author Michelle Y. Green tells the story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, one of only three women to play in the Negro Leagues and the first woman who pitched in a men's professional baseball league. Green discussed her close friendship with Peanut Johnson and shared information about their extensive interviews, research, media appearances and inspirations

I was drawn to the article from the Library of Congress Magazine (which is free online) called Postcards From America in the July/August edition. It was interesting to learn that postcards were not only a form of communication but a prized possession of some who collected them and placed them into albums.

What a great way to start the new school year with students creating a “real" postcard of their own about their vacation or about their family. I think this is a great way to introduce children to primary sources and to also learn about the beginning of the postcard. https://guides.loc.gov/postcards

Checking out these teachers guides created for teacher by the Library of Congress got me thinking how great these guides are. Just wanted to share a direct link to inspire you and your lessons and learning.  Pre K - 2    3 - 5    6 - 8    9 - 12   Each guide is truly a spark for inquiry.

 https://www.loc.gov/programs/teachers/getting-started-with-primary-sources/guides/

I just read a delightful blog post describing the work of pre-K, 1st grade, and 3rd grade teachers using the Question Formulation Technique, with young learners.

Little Wonderers: Adapting the QFT for Early Learners, by Maame Conduah,  Katy Connolly  ,   Sarah Westbrook  , Dr. Cora Causey and Dr. Amelia Spencer.

https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/album/106480-inquiry-starter-set-democracy

I created a great way to begin teaching students about Democracy while finding connections in with words. Try this hexagonal thinking strategy in your classroom and you will see student thinking and finding connections that they have never made before.

What is democracy?

How do we connect to democracy?

How does democracy affect my life?

After this lesson I would have students find a picture of democracy to share. 

The Minnesota Historical Society (Inquiry in the Upper Midwest project) is proud to share our most recent grant project: Empowering Communities with Local History. This program aims to develop elementary school teachers to find local, reputable primary sources that they can use with their students to learn about the history of their communities in connection with larger events and turning points required by new social studies state standards. In a series of four presentations, trainers instruct teachers in finding and evaluating primary sources, uncovering local stories through which students can study national and international historical events, and centering stories and histories that have been marginalized, erased, or ignored to create a more community-driven classroom, providing opportunities for students and teachers to unite with community members to tell their stories and advocate for their future. Ultimately, this project will develop a process for finding local history sources that can be replicated across the state and the TPS consortium through future grant-funded projects by the TPS Midwest Region as well as potentially the East and West Regions.

---------------

Here's a snippet from one of our sessions:

We started with this image from the Library of Congress (also part of our Youth Movements primary source set):

Clinton, TN, school integration conflicts

After engaging in an "Observe - Reflect - Question" analysis, we made connections. As Minnesotans, we may think of the Civil Rights Movement as something that took place far away in the Southern states. Students may not see a personal connection to their place and history here. How can we connect this to St. Paul?

Enter local community organizations! Here are two primary source photographs to enrich understanding: 

NAACP members picketing outside Woolworth's for integrated lunch counters, St. Paul.

One way Minnesotans participated in the Civil Rights Movement was through boycotts. Woolworth's lunch counters in Minnesota were integrated, but these NAACP members in St. Paul still picketed to push the company to integrate their stores nationwide. 

“NAACP Youth Group,” circa 1960. Courtesy of Hallie Q. Brown Community Archives.

Searching a local community organization, the Hallie Q. Brown Community Archives, pulled up this photo. From left to right, the young men are Sandy Stephens, Ronnie Harris, and Judge Dickson. Further digging suggests all three were football players at the University of Minnesota!

These stories can connect students in St. Paul, Minnesota to the nation-wide Civil Rights Movement, making it come alive! 

---------------

What are your experiences with teaching local history with primary sources and community organizations? What questions or ideas do you have?

Contact: Meghan Davisson 

  3 - 5    Pre K - 2    Social Studies/History     Primary Sources    Local History