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.
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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!
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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
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This is exciting. I am a retired school media specialist; some of my favorite memories are of working with teachers who were incorporating local or family history in instruction. In another projects I worked with the Winona County Historical society to do develop displays in the school media center, create web sites about local history and to acquire funds for more local resource information. I would be happy to shave more with you. As a historical society volunteer I make arrangements with schools to bring over 500 students to the annual cemetery walk which has to do with local history. When I was working, I also did a few activities. I have taught several workshops and graduate courses to teachers and future teachers. I see a great need to help teachers discover how to access local history resources.
Yes, I would love to hear more--especially your successes and challenges!
Edited
Successes:
small, short, less formal activities that were part of a bigger instructional unit, or "incidental" incorporation of primary sources in reading a historical fiction novel or visiting a museum or someplace such as the National Eagle Center
Introducing primary sources by guiding students (children and adults) in a search for a map or photo etc pertaining to their home town or neighborhood
working with students who interviewed a family member and then searched for a local and national primary source (or other info) that had to do with a memory the family shared shared. They also brought in an artifact to share. I remember a ticket to an Elvis concert, a military uniform and a toy tractor because the interviewee was a farmer
Just off I-35 https://maryalicea.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/just_off-i-35_.pdf 2010 article
Not always successful or easy: developing interest in using primary sources or taking time to use them in the curriculum.
These comments represent a time when digitalization was relatively new and the sources were not always so easily accessible.
Meghan Davisson I will send more via email
I am new to the grant programming and it is really reassuring to see that we are on a similar path to your successes! I am taking notes for our next steps, as well. Thank you for the article link! It's exciting to recognize the locations you included (confirmation for our local history focus? I think yes!). I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and message me with your experiences.
Edited
Meghan Davisson This sounds like a great project. You might want to investigate the William G. Pomeroy Foundation https://www.wgpfoundation.org/ for two reasons: 1 - They maintain a national historical database. One of their missions is to work with community members and put up historical markers that have been researched and documented. 2. Some of your teachers and students may want to submit a person to add to the database. Steve Bodnar is the man I worked with.
Thank you--another interesting resource!
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I love that there is new info on the site daily!
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I had a wonderful time working with the Library of Congress and learning about all of the resources at my fingertips!
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