Learning Page Chat, February 17, 2005:

Civil War

Room: ASO

LeniD joined the room.
LeniD: Hello everyone :-) Good to see you here!
LeniD: Michael...I have a great deal to show. Perhaps we should get started. Would you do the honors, please?
MichaelH: sure, Leni!
LeniD: Thanks:-)

MichaelH: Hi, everyone,
MichaelH: Welcome to tonight's Learning Page Chat
MichaelH: I've been waiting for this one for quite a while, and Leni has bunches of stuff to show us,
MichaelH: so, without further adieu...
MichaelH: let's start with introductions from everyone (hopefully we will spell our names correctly!)

MichaelH: would everyone tell us who you are, and where you're located?
LisaHS: I am Lisa and I am from the New Orleans area
StephaniLa: I'm Stephanie from Arkansas.
BonnieRJ: Bonnie from Brevard, NC
HerschelS: I'm Herschel from Los Angeles
MichaelH is a social studies teacher and independent lesson consultant from southern Indiana
SusanR: Sue from Ottawa, Canada

DavidWe: I'm David Weksler and I grew up in New Jersey. I help teachers with math and science and technology and I've been to the Library of Congress
LeniD: Leni Donlan, Educational Outreach staff, Library of Congress...DC.
MichaelH looks to see if anyone else is ready to sign in, please

MichaelH: Leni, looks like we're ready for resources :)
MichaelH reminds all that all the resources Leni will share tonight will be in the transcript
LeniD: Then here we go!

LeniD: Though history tells us that Lincoln tried to hold the nation together, by April 12, 1861, it had become irrevocably divided.
LeniD: At this time in our nation's history, many Americans feel that we are becoming an increasingly divided nation, too.
LeniD: What issues divide our nation, today?
LisaHS: Social Security? (LOL)
DavidWe agrees as he was recently in the northwestern United States
MichaelH: race still does, 140 years after the Civil War
HerschelS: the war in Iraq
LeniD: What else?
HerschelS: immigration policy
MichaelH: probably the division between rich and poor?
LisaHS: Affirmative action quotas
BonnieRJ: Role of gov in private lives of individuals
JamesAG: I would say that we are becoming more separated by class.
LeniD: How do you deal with students' need to discuss issues such as these?
LisaHS: Right. Value of Safety versus value of Privacy
HerschelS: there will always be some things that divide us
DavidWe: How about World War II, Herschel?
LeniD: True, Herschel.
LeniD: You know the power of considering the parallels in the lives of our forefathers and our lives today....
HerschelS: remember the America First Committee, Lindbergh?
MichaelH does
DavidWe remembers learning about that

LeniD: It helps students to understand that history is NOT just the boring story of "dead people"...
LisaHS: LOL
LeniD: But is truly the story of people like themselves who confronted many of the same concerns we have today.
DavidWe thinks there ARE a lot of dead people in history, though
LeniD: David's right, of course :-0
DavidWe . o O ( well, naturally, but thanks, Leni )
JimB: So, having student read letters of a CW soldier and seeing how their lives parallel their own
DavidWe: I've read some of them, Jim
LisaHS: Yes. Some identify with their ancestors' homeland and others prefer to think themselves as American only
LeniD: Now...off my soapbox and into tonight's topic! :-)
LindaU thinks the separation goes beyond class and economics, but also culture and ethnic origin.
DavidWe agrees with Linda
LeniD: I agree, too, Linda.

MichaelH listens to Leni....

LeniD: With the shots fired on Fort Sumter, the United States entered a devastating Civil War. The Library of Congress offers depth and breadth of digital content that can make studies of this time period quite fascinating.

LeniD: Buckle up.... Ready???
MichaelH fastens his seatbelt....
DavidWe nods
StephaniLa: Ready
JimB: click

HerschelS: could you say something about American Memory, NARA and their relationship with the Library of Congress?
LeniD: American Memory part of the Library of Congress' online content. It is contains over 9 million primary source historical items. NARA, National Archives and Record Administration, is a separate agency and reports to the executive branch of our government.

LeniD: Let's start with this Learning Page feature presentation - The American Memory Timeline: Civil War and Reconstruction. It provides a nice framework AND points to treasures from the Library's holdings.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/features/timeline/civilwar/civilwar.html
LeniD: Michael, would you explain the protocol?
MichaelH: sure...
MichaelH: Leni has a lot of great resources...
BJ . o O ( if you have a pop up blocker, click on the ctrl key when you click on the url )
MichaelH: take a minute or two to surf through them, you can click on the blue link...
MichaelH: watch the pop-up blockers...
MichaelH: and get back here ASAP to continue with the discussion... Leni will have more for us as we go along.
BJ . o O ( also remember that all the urls will be in your transcript that you will receive about 10 minutes after you log out )
LeniD: Thanks, Bj :-)

LeniD: Such as...
Selected Civil War Photographs. I'm going to take you to the collection through the Learning Page collection connection...
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/cwp/index.html

LeniD: Or...
This collection connection....
talk about humanizing history...
Poet at Work: Recovered Notebooks from the Thomas Biggs Harned Walt Whitman Collection
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/ww/index.html

DavidWe can't imagine a better introduction to the Civil War than the Ken Burns film
LeniD: Yes, it is excellent.

JimB: may I ask a question?
LeniD: Of course, Jim.
JimB: What is the copyright on the photos if I want to use them in a PPT?
JeffC: Fair use should cover them for educational uses Jim.
StephaniLa: Good question, Jim.

LeniD: For classroom use, you can pretty much use most content as you wish. It's when you want to use them for many classes that you need to consult us :-)
LeniD: Right, Jeff.
HerschelS: what about their use for commercial purposes?
JimB: No, I give presentations on using technology to teach the CW
LeniD: For commercial purposes, you need to check the copyright statement within the specific collection, Herschel. The Library does not and cannot give you permission to use content, but we will tell you what we know about restrictions and other copyright considerations.
HerschelS: thanks
LisaHS: You want to star in a civil war commercial? (Just kidding)

LeniD: moving on...
LeniD: Take a look at Civil War Maps (again through a collection connection). How might you use these resources in your classroom?
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/cwmaps/index.html
JimB: compare them with modern maps
MichaelH: oh, I think there are a lot of connections, Leni
JimB: and discuss the changes
LeniD: Definitely!
LeniD: Did you try the zoom technology?
MichaelH: for example, think of the closeness (geographically) between Union and Confederacy
LeniD: Yes, good strategy, Michael :-)
MichaelH is less than 70 miles away from a slaveholding state that remained loyal to the Union
JimB: to analyze why certain battles were fought at certain locations
DavidWe has a book about blacks who were slave owners
JimB: multiple roads to Gettysburg for example
LeniD: Yes, Jim...another excellent strategy.
MichaelH: maybe to look at union/confederate strategies to win the war?
MichaelH . o O ( Anaconda strategy, for example )
HerschelS: What about resources, transportation systems etc
LeniD: Hmmm... Michael's secret historian side is showing :-)
LeniD: Definitely, Herschel!
MichaelH: you dance with what brung ya, Leni :)
LeniD: LOL

DavidWe smiles
LisaHS: brang
DavidWe . o O ( brang? )
LeniD: DID you try the zoom technology? You can all but see inside rooms in some of those maps!
JimB: the map of the railroads is an excellent example
DavidWe . o O ( like "rang"? )
HerschelS: Does the library use any GIS technology?
MichaelH has seen the zoom feature before... very, very cool
LeniD: To be honest, I'm not sure how or if the Library is using GIS, Herschel. Here's a brief article about it "An Illustrated Guide to Geography and Maps":
http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/gmilldma.html

LeniD: And what about the president with whom we associate the Civil War
JimB: heh... my 7yr old's favorite president
LeniD: visit...
The collection connection - Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/collections/papers/index.html
LeniD: Lincoln's a favorite of many people, Jim :-)
MichaelH: he IS such a complex figure...
JimB: Younger students enjoy learning about how Lincoln grew up. They are also fascinated about how a young girl told him to grow a beard
MichaelH . o O ( Lincoln... not Jim's seven year old... )
LeniD: His folksy image is very appealing to young people.
MichaelH: Lincoln crossed into Illinois about three miles from where I am sitting right now...
LeniD: He is very near and dear to your community, I'm sure, Michael!
MichaelH: Well, not as much as George Rogers Clark, Leni, but he is up there...
MichaelH: we named our high school after him...

LeniD: Here's a wonderful collection...chock full of photographs, drawing, posters and letters that document the lives of real people who were involved in the Civil War...
Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society... Be sure to look at the special presentation: Before, During and After the Civil War!
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/nhihtml/cwnyhshome.html

LeniD: How about this collection...
Washington During the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865
...once again, a memorable special presentation, The Washington Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, will help humanize the events and people of this era.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/tafthtml/tafthome.html

JimB: when you reference photos from the period, do you always use the photographer's description? For example, Alexander Gardner photos of dead at Gettysburg near the Rose woods where he lists them as soldiers from Iron Brigade.
LeniD: We do use the language of the time, and the words of those who contributed them.
DavidWe needs to go to Gettysburg sometime
JimB: going this weekend
JimB: ;-)
DavidWe: Geez, you live closer, I think
JimB: 3 hours
DavidWe nods
BJ thinks Jim better dress warmly

MichaelH listens to Leni for more resources
MichaelH smiles
DavidWe grins at Michael's subtlety
LeniD: I think I'm lost :-)
LeniD: Did I show you this already?
DavidWe laughs
DavidWe: Sorry, Leni
MichaelH: Leni, you just left off with the Taft Home
LeniD: Thanks!

LeniD: Civil War Soldier in the Wild Cat Regiment: Selections from the Tilton C. Reynolds Papers ...documents the experience of Captain Tilton C. Reynolds of the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers through correspondence, photographs, and other materials dating between 1861 and 1865.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/tcrhtml/tcrhome.html

MichaelH thinks Leni is back on track
LeniD: Phew! :-) Derailed by a phone call, am I :-)
DavidWe congratulates Leni on switching modes
LeniD: Thank you sir :-)
DavidWe believes it is EASY to get lost in the LOC
JimB: 105th is the Wildcat Regiment right
LeniD: Very true!
DavidWe . o O ( which one, "lost" or "Wildcat"? )
LeniD: Right, Jim.
DavidWe . o O ( ...or... )
BonnieRJ: Maybe not lost but easily sidetracked!
DavidWe smiles
LeniD: Very easily, Bonnie :-)

LeniD: And of course, the Civil War was about slavery...its costs and its tolls. This collection, Voices From the Days of Slavery: Former Slaves Tell Their Story, will introduce a voice sometimes not heard in studies of this era.
LeniD: Be sure to visit the Essay (linked on the left), Faces and Voices from the Presentation.
LeniD: Think about how you might use these materials...
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/
MichaelH: Leni, is this related to the Slave Narratives? (what was that, WPA?)
JimB: then students could research engagements of the 105th
LeniD: Yes, Michael. Works Progress Administration.
LeniD: Yep...that would be a plan, Jim :-)
JimB: http://www.hikarikat.com/105thpvi/history.html
LeniD: Thanks, Jim!
DavidWe is constantly amazed by what came out of the WPA project to collect slave narratives - remarkable project
JimB: np
StephaniLa: The slave narratives are amazing.
LeniD: They are, Stephani...marvelous material.

LeniD: And we can't forget the music of the time! It documents social history in a special way.

LeniD: Visit the collection connection, "We'll Sing to Abe Our Song": Sheet Music about Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Civil War, from the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana...
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/collections/lincoln/index.html
MichaelH: this one is cool, Leni
HerschelS: is there any music to download and play?
LeniD: I like it too, Michael.
JimB: music of the period is often overlooked
LeniD: Coming right up, Herschel.
DavidWe: well, it's before Elvis, after all
JimB: even though it played a vital role for soldiers and civilians
LeniD: After all! :-)
DavidWe nods
JimB: a soldier's day was regimented by the fife and drum

LeniD: Be sure to visit the special presentations in the collection, Band Music from the Civil War Era!
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwmhtml/cwmhome.html
StephaniLa: The music was very important to the time.
DavidWe wonders if Jim is a re-enacter
LeniD: Music is very important in any era, isn't it, Stephani?

LeniD: And from the Library's Music Division... Patriotic Melodies - When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000024/default.html
LeniD: There you are, Herschel :-)
JamesAG: Are there sound files of these?
MichaelH is listening to "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" right now...
HerschelS: Thank you, I'm getting tired of just midi files
BonnieRJ: It strikes me that the term "sheet music" may not have meaning to present generation.
DavidWe knows what sheet music is
LeniD: You are right, Bonnie. Another lesson to be learned...and more social history :-)

LeniD: You can learn the history, explore song sheets and sheet music, and listen to this patriotic melody from the Civil War period in: Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000003/default.html
JimB: ah John Brown's Body

LeniD: How about some Civil War lesson plans?
MichaelH is listening

LeniD: What Do You See? (grades 5-12)
A really wonderful lesson for teaching about document analysis, as well as this period...
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/civilwar/hinesday.html

LeniD: Do you have budding journalists in your 6th - 12th grade classroom? If so, the Mathew Brady Bunch would be a terrific lesson to try...
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/98/brady/home.html
StephaniLa: I like seeing student work!
LeniD: Yes, I like that, too, Stephanie. A number of Learning Page lessons include that :-)
JamesAG: The Brady lesson can be easily adapted to photos from other eras.

LeniD: And how about viewing this period through the perspective of women? Try the lesson, Ladies, Contraband and Spies for grades 10 - 12.
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/01/spies/index.html
DavidWe . o O ( Women!?! )
LeniD: Yep :-)
JimB: another aspect of the war that gets very little coverage
LeniD: So true.
JimB: talking about soldiers usually only engages boys
HerschelS: totally cool!!!
DavidWe . o O ( Civil War recipes? )
StephaniLa: This is wonderful! Those women deserve the recognition.
JimB: however if civilian aspects are covered then the girls become more involved
JimB: what types of clothes
LeniD: The Civil War touched all people.
DavidWe agrees with Leni
JimB: what girls did

LeniD: And don't forget the child's perspective. In this lesson for grades 6 - 8, students use literature and photographs to view the Civil War from a child's perspective.
The Civil War through A Child's Eye...
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/civilwar/index.html
JimB: Leni was reading my mind
LeniD: Sometimes I get lucky, Jim :-)
HerschelS: New York Draft Riots?
DavidWe: She's good at that, Jim
LeniD: We do have content on that, Herschel. I wasn't planning to share that tonight...but look in our Immigration Feature on the Learning Page for info about that!
HerschelS: Thanks
LeniD: You are very welcome :-)
JimB: so you take the photo of the family on the main page and discuss the clothes the little girl is wearing
JimB: and what her life would be like
JimB: no TV
JimB: no gameboy
LeniD: You could definitely do that, Jim.
JimB: discuss schools, courting
DavidWe . o O ( courting! )
DavidWe smiles
LeniD: Bring in life at the time in all its aspects, Jim :-)

LeniD: From the American Treasures Exhibition comes...
LeniD: The Diary of a Confederate Woman
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm135.html

A Civil War Sketch Artist ...
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm041.html
JimB: Alfred Waud
JimB: Very famous photo of Alfred Waud at Gettysburg taken by Gardner
DavidWe: Who was Alfred Waud?
JimB: Waud was a Harper's Weekly artist
DavidWe nods to Jim

Walt Whitman and the Civil War
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm074.html
JimB: didn't Whitman go to Antietam to look for his son?

LeniD: Women's War Relief
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm161.html

LeniD: And here I must stop! :-) I see participants for Bernie's chat gathering in the wings.

LeniD: All of these resources, and a good deal more, can be found in the Learning Page Community Center, Civil War...
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/community/cc_civilwar.php

MichaelH looks at the clock on the clubhouse wall and sees it's about time to say goodbye...
DavidWe takes a quick look at the clock on the wall
JimB: thanks Leni
StephaniLa: Wonderful information. Thanks Leni.

LeniD: Be sure to join us next month on March 17 at 8:00 P.M. ET. We will be sharing resources about Women's History...Her Story :-)

DavidWe agrees with Michael AND notes that Bernie is up next
HerschelS: Thank you so much!
JamesAG: You showed us some great stuff tonight!
LeniD: Thanks, Stephani. Thank you all for joining us tonight.
DavidWe: Leni is great, folks
BonnieRJ: Thanks!
DavidWe . o O ( also, the Library of Congress )
MichaelH applauds!
HerschelS: more applause
LeniD: LOL...I think the Library should have come first, David :-)
DavidWe: Well, it did, Leni. You are not that old, right?

LeniD: Have a great chat, Bernie!
DavidWe: If I recall, Mr. Jefferson donated his library to the LOC after it burned down
BernieD: Thanks, Leni
BJ: Come back next month for the LOC topic on Women's History!
MichaelH waves goodnight to all...
JimB: night
DavidWe waves night to Michael
LeniD: Bye!
SusanR: Thanks Leni... looking forward to Women's History
LeniD left the room.