A battleship explodes in Havana harbor—and across the pages of American newspapers. Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders stage a heroic charge—against a movie camera. The United States declares war to protect U.S. citizens in Cuba— and finds itself fighting around the globe. A new primary source set from the Library of Congress, “The Spanish-American War: The …
“The Library of Congress means many different things to many people,” wrote Stephen Wesson at the start of the second year of the Teaching with the Library of Congress blog. “But for teachers and students it represents a source of discovery and learning unlike any other.” He noted that the first year of the blog …
A recent blog post on presidential inaugurations noted that while the Constitution requires only an oath of office, presidential inaugurations have evolved to include many more activities. Many of these elements, including inaugural addresses, are documented in primary sources from the Library of Congress. George Washington delivered the first presidential inaugural address to a joint …
This is a guest post by Meg Steele, who works with K-12 teachers at the Library of Congress. “Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:— ‘I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and …
Congress.gov, the official congressional information system from the Library of Congress, is a new public beta site for accessing free, fact-based information on the legislation and members of the United States Congress.
Are there statues in your community created to honor those who have made a difference? Have buildings in your town been named or renamed for important people in history? Martin Luther King, Jr. is one such person. Ask your students to analyze a mural documenting the life of Dr. King, as seen in a photograph from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive at the Library of Congress.
Recently a Summer Institute teacher shared a science lesson she implemented using primary sources from the Library of Congress. She described how students eagerly explored early photos of rug cleaning – a boy beating a rug with a whisk and a giant gas-powered machine – then successfully made connections to their own lives today, gaining …
Gift giving, a centuries- old tradition, is an important part of human interaction. It is also an important part of government diplomacy. Consider using the Library’s primary sources to help students understand the historical significance of gift giving.
For centuries, national and global leaders have appeared to take important steps toward peace, while still pursuing political concerns. The Library of Congress’s collections of primary sources can encourage students to explore the impact of a variety of peace settlements and how we can find peaceful solutions in our own lives.
Most students think of maps as wayfinders, resources to help find their way from point “A” to point “B.” However, maps have been created for a variety of different reasons, and studying maps from the Library of Congress can show students how maps can do more than provide directions.