I'm excited about JuxtaposeJS - a new free web-based "storytelling" tool from the Knight Lab at Northwestern University. Here's my how-to and samples link

I think it's a great tool for students and teachers who want to explore themes of continuity and change. While it could be used to compare and contrast in subjects across the curriculum, I've created a few examples using historical content.

I selected pairs of historical and contemporary images with elements that are consistent and aspects that change. But the challenge is to size and crop the images so that the consistencies align. To accomplish that, I used another free tool - Google Slides - to position and crop each pair of images and export as JPGs before importing into JuxtaposeJS. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for my workflow video that illustrates each step of the process.)

Strange Fruit: Media Coverage of the Waco Horror » Interactive Primary Source #DBQ http://bit.ly/1nTotXP

I’m pleased to announce that my iBook Portland's Japantown Revealed was just named “Best Textbook”  at the international iBooks Author Conference. "The iBAs" are the only peer-nominated, peer-voted awards for best-in-class achievement with Apple's iBooks Author. More on the iBook | Download free at iTunes

The iBook is a collection of historic documents, photographs and video interviews with former Japantown residents that tell the story of Portland’s “Nihonmachi” (Japantown) - a once vibrant community that disappeared with the forced removal and incarceration of its citizens. It's the fourth title in my Homefront USA series of iBooks. 

The “iBA's Best Widget of the Year” award was given to my iBook’s “Portland Revealed” widgets that allow the reader to blend historic and contemporary photographs. I created them by seeking out locations of historic photographs where the architecture had been preserved and re-photographing the contemporary setting. The resulting overlay lets the user “paint” the historic figures into modern settings - it's demonstrated in this video.

Here's a group of 15 lessons based on SHEG HATS model. These were created by my preservice teachers at University of Portland, Ore. Here's the assignment page http://edmethods.com/fall-15/class-4-historical-thinking-2/

and you can find the student-created lessons here http://edmethods.com/category/sheg-15/

Enjoy

I'm excited to be teaming up with LOC American Memory Fellow, Marta Turner of NWRESD to offer a workshop this summer for 20 Oregon teachers and librarians (grades 4-12). It's jointly sponsored by the Library of Congress, the TPS Regional Program & NWRESD.