For Educators and Students
Our Resources:
Celebrating Constitution Day in the Classroom
The United States government has mandated that September 17th be observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the September 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. The National Archives encourages teachers and students at all levels to learn more about our Constitution and government.
We have prepared a special Constitution Workshop for teachers to use in the classroom. Go to the:
U.S. Constitution Workshop
Contact Us
Douglas Bicknese, Director of Archival Operations
Telephone: (773) 948-9001
E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov
The Great Lakes Region facility in Chicago is an active supporter of education initiatives throughout the region. We encourage educators and students to visit, research our microfilm and archival records, attend our public programs, and take advantage of our services.
Potential Research Topics
We hold a large amount of primary records for Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio that can be easily developed into research projects. The records cover a wide scope of topics including, but not limited to:
- Mining and Railroads
- Indian Affairs
- Civil Rights Movement
- National Parks and Forests
- Chicago and Regional History
- Immigration and Naturalization
- Labor History
- Fugitive Slaves
- World War I and II Homefronts
- Maritime History of Great Lakes and Inland Waterways
- Depression Era
- Science and Technology
- Organized Crime
- Prohibition Era
- Sports
- Legal History
- Popular Culture
- Military History
- Women's History
- African American History
- Ethnic History
- Famous and Infamous Personalities
- Disasters
- Environmental History
- Inventions and Patents
- Film and Entertainment
- Farming and Agriculture
- Espionage and Sedition
- Infrastructure and Development
- Military Intelligence
We also hold over 60,000 rolls of microfilmed records. The bulk of the collection is the Federal population census schedules from 1790-1930 for all states. These holdings are complimented by microfilm rolls relating to:
- Native Americans
- Revolutionary War Service and Pension
- U.S. Customs Department Ship's Passenger Arrival
- FBI, Kent State University Investigation
- Freedman's Bureau
- Records of the Continental Congress
- Captured World War II German Records
- Diplomatic and Consular Affairs
- 54th Massachusetts Infantry (from the film Glory)
- Flight 19 Bermuda Triangle
- Development of the Atomic Bomb
- Selected Court Cases argued by Abraham Lincoln
- Maritime History
- Selective Service System
- Letters of Application and Recommendations During Presidential Administrations
- FBI Investigative Case Files (1908-1922)
- Slave Ship Amistad
- Civil War Prisoner of War Camps
- Investigation and Trial Papers relating to the Assassination of President Lincoln
- 1864 Massacre of Cheyenne Indians at Sand Creek, Colorado Territory
- East St. Louis, Illinois Race Riots, 1917
- Military Intelligence relating to "Negro Subversion" 1917-1941
- Appellate Case Files of Brown vs. Board of Education
- Southern Claims Commission
- Sultana Disaster, April 27, 1865
- Selected 19th Century African Americans Awarded the Medal of Honor
- Northwest Territory
- United States Supreme Court, 1790-1950
- United States Postal Service, 1832-1971
- Trial of Aaron Burr and Harman Blennerhassett
- Records relating the Military Service of Ulysses S. Grant
- Territorial Papers of the United States
- Nuernberg War Crime Trials
For Teachers
Teacher Workshops
We are an active supporter of education initiatives throughout the Great Lakes Region, with special emphasis on assisting teachers in the use of primary source documents in the classroom. Resources permitting, we:
- teach workshops for educators at our facility or in schools or other settings
- provide copies or images of primary sources suitable for use in the classroom
- co-sponsor workshops with recipients of Teaching American History (TAH) grants
Primarily Teaching Workshop
The National Archives-Great Lakes Region, Chicago, will host Primarily Teaching in the summer of 2009. More about Primarily Teaching workshops
Lesson Plans
We encourage teachers who have or want to contribute lesson plans derived from research conducted at our facilities to contact us.
Professional Development
We're licensed by the Illinois and Indiana State Boards of Education to award Continuing Education Credits to teachers for participation in public events.
- Illinois teachers can earn Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDU's), and Continuing Education Units (CEU's).
- Indiana teachers can earn Certification Renewal Units (CRU's).
Please see our Public Programs Calendar for upcoming events where CPDU's can be awarded.
For Students K-12
Students can find a wealth of primary source material useful for many kinds of student research in the Federal documents located in our Regional Archives. Use these materials:
- as the foundation for extensive research projects
- as a resource for answering or illustrating specific questions
- for supplementing other sources
Staff archivists are available to assist you in your research and to explain related resources in other historical institutions.
For College and Graduate Students
Our staff is interested in helping you use our resources in your scholarly research project. Please feel free to contact us directly to receive assistance in defining your topic and finding primary resources useful to your research.
National History Day
The Great Lakes Region is an active supporter of the National History Day program for the States in our region.
In addition to judging in both city and state History Day competitions, we are readily available to help students use our primary resources to support and contribute to their selected topic.
Chicago Metro History Fair
The Great Lakes Region is an active supporter of the Chicago Metro History program for the city of Chicago and suburban Cook, Lake, Kane, and DuPage counties.
In addition to judging in competitions, we are readily available to help students use our primary resources to support and contribute to their selected topic.
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