Archive for the ‘Primary Sources’ Category
Primary Source Sets from DPLA
Posted on: January 26, 2016
The Digital Public Library of America is a relatively new aggregated collection of digital resources in varied formats from more than 1,600 contributing institutions, including libraries, archives, museums, and entities such as public radio stations. DPLA released 30 primary source sets for educators last fall; additional sets were recently released.
The sets are designed by educators and an education advisory panel to help teach content, facilitate inquiry, and support research in overlapping curriculum topics related to American history, literature, and culture.
The set landing page has a clean, uncluttered look. An easily identifiable pictorial icon for each set invites a quick browse through the available titles. Each set includes 15–20 resources represented by an icon, a teaching guide, and additional resources for research. Set topics include the Panama Canal, Chinese immigration, the atomic bomb, A Raisin in the Sun, Little Women, and the postwar rise of the suburbs.
All Primary Source Sets have the same layout and features. As an example The Impact of Television on News Media includes photos, text, and video and audio recordings. A brief black-and-white video clip of President John F. Kennedy urging the press to use discretion when covering news events intrigued me. In an audio interview, a journalist explains the increasing power of television network news. Photos depict early television personalities and televisions; a text chapter addresses the impact of television on news. These resources all invite close reading, viewing, and listening while also offering multiple approaches to learning at different levels. The set teaching guide includes discussion questions, classroom activities, and primary source analysis suggestions. There are also links to Document Analysis Worksheets from the National Archives and Using Primary Sources materials from the Library of Congress.
Excerpted from THE NEW MEDIA CENTER: Resources for the New Media Specialist–DPLA’s Primary Source Sets and Ben’s Guide, Refreshed! January/February 2015, Published by Information Today Full article
Learn more about using Primary Source sets in your classroom
Harlem Rens Poster Collage
A fun part of exploring primary sources is discovering unique artifacts that are not what we typically expect. One example is an interview with James Naismith, the inventor of basketball that was recently discovered by a Kansas University Professor.
The interview inspired me to renew my search for Library of Congress resources about the Harlem Rens. I learned about the Rens while watching On the Shoulders of Giants: An Audio Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, a movie based on Kareen Abduhl Jabbar’s audio book. The film is about so much more than basketball! Primary sources support the fascinating narrative of segregation, civil rights and of course the Rens. Jabbar was at the showing. It was incredibly inspiring.
LOC has a few items related to the Rens.
Genial Robert Douglas, who operates the Renaissance Casino, with his cat Rennie (Photograph showing Douglas, owner of the Renaissance Casino in Harlem and founder of the Renaissance Five basketball team, holding his cat.)
S.Con.Res.57 – A concurrent resolution recognizing the contributions of African-American basketball teams and players for their achievements, dedication, and contributions to the sport of basketball and the Nation.
I could almost hear everyone’s head spinning with curriculum ideas!
What are your ideas for incorporating sports and sports history into the curriculum?
More Resources
Today in History & New York mayoral proclamation (2013)
The Harlem Rens (Black Fives Foundation)
LOC: Primary Source Sets , eBook Student Discovery Sets and teaching ideas
Harlem Renaissance
Jim Crow and Segregation
On the Shoulders of Giants: The Story of the Greatest Team You Never Heard Of, 2011 historical sports documentary film directed by Deborah Morales, written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse.
KU professor discovers only known audio recording of James Naismith, inventor of basketball
Learn more about using Primary Sources in your classroom
Keeping geraniums over winter!
Posted on: October 16, 2015
September
I get lots of compliments and questions about how I successfully keep my many pots of geraniums over winter. It’s so easy!!! When it begins to freeze I move them to a dark, cool basement room. The only light comes through a small east facing window. We do nothing with them. When they begin to show signs of green (usually March) we move them in front of a large south-facing main floor window. As they grow I fertilize and prune tall stalks. In May, or earlier if is warm enough, we move the outside! I continue fertilizing and pruning as needed, using pruned stalks to fill in any gaps. Some of the larger plants are six or seven years old!
March
July
“It’s been such a good thing for the school!” The comment from Julie, a parent involved in planning a new high school media center implemented a decade ago, summed it up well. Yes, it was and still is a good thing. And for me, it was one of several media-center-planning experiences. But what would I do now? Are the media centers we were proud of that many years ago still adequate and functional?
Planning was once relatively prescriptive. We considered the number of square feet needed per student; shelving for books and magazines; designated spots for circulation, reference, conference rooms, storage, and perhaps for some, a video production studio; a teaching classroom; soft seating; and, by the early 1980s, computer labs. Within a few years, school-wide internet access and wireless technology added further complexity to the decision making. The challenge of making good decisions about facilities continues to evolve.
Perennial design questions, Internet@Schools, Sept/Oct 2015)
Facilities: Designing School Media Centers, A collection of article
New article of interest: From Library Media Center to MEDIAPLEX, School Library Connection, October 2015. The article by Diane Rupertand Michael McCullough describes on an interesting approach to a remoded, some new concepts and challenges two to high school media specialists.
I didn’t expect a book about rowing to be so exciting! – The Boys in the Boat
Posted on: September 10, 2015
This crew was like a band of brothers” Husky Crew Foundation photo: University of Washington
The Boys in the Boat (Penguin, 2013) is the newest addition to my “memorable books” list. Daniel Brown’s nonfiction account of the University of Washington’s competition at the 1936 Berlin Olympics is almost as exciting as listening to a broadcast of a tie-breaker basketball ball game. While Washington the team was victorious, winning and getting there was not easy. Brown describes life in Seattle and America during the Great Depression, the life-long struggles of Joe Rantz (the team member most highlighted) team training, competition with a rival California team, competing against prestigious Ivy League teams, and the art and physics of rowing.
Hitler’s emerging power and the conniving put into creating a positive impression for visiting teams are woven throughout the narrative. The work of Leni Riefenstahl, a producer of Nazi propaganda films, and the massive work dedicated to building the Olympic stadium are especially intriguing. I was also interested in the depictions of East vs West (reminded me of The Great Gatsby) and lt a “younger” and yet unknown Seattle. The art, woodworking skills, and influence of George Pocock who built the shells are another fascinating part of the story.
As with other non-fiction, I was curious about the author’s resources. They are extensive, including interviews with surviving family members and friends, letters, diaries, photographs, Universal Newsreels, other films, newspapers, log books, and unpublished manuscripts. The end notes provide exhausting insight into just how much research goes into researching and writing a book like this. A few of these many primary resources are:
- University of Washington beats California in a boat race in Seattle, Washington, a Universal newsreel, highlights Washington’s defeat of California in 1936.
- The Washington rowing history web site has provides detail about the 1936 Olympic team.
- Audio tape, coxswain Bob Moch describes the Olympic rowing condition and race.
Read the book about this band to brothers to learn just how hard the team worked and how close the Olympic competition race was! You will learn some new vocabulary and gain an appreciation on rowing along the way.
I never imagined a book about rowing could be so informative, interesting, and exciting!
The Polish Cultural Institute and Museum celebrates Winona’s Kashubian heritage and the prominent role Kashubian Poles and their descendants have played in Winona’s history and culture since the mid 1800’s.
The museum is located in the original headquarters of the Laird-Norton Lumber Company, a large lumber mill that operated during Winona’s heyday as a lumber milling town. Many immigrants were employed in the lumber industry.
Notable exhibits include wedding dresses and photos, household tools, lumber and farming tools, household objects,musical instruments, photos, religious artifacts and contemporary history artifacts.
Grants and other funding have provided opportunities to translate, digitize and archive archives and documents. A portion of the web site is in Polish Language translation services are provided by a young man who immigrated to Winona from Poland as a nine year-old.
The museum’s web site has biographical information on many deceased and living Winonans of Polish, links to genealogy sites, a list of pictures and stories related to Winona landmarks with Polish and Kashubian connections. The original (Washington) Kosciuszko School, the Hot Fish Shop and the Basilica of Saint Stanislaus Kostka are examples of significant local structures represented.
The Heritage and Community center has a large pictorial timeline display reflecting significant events and people (including contemporaries.) A large sign showing language differences in English, Polish and Kashubian spellings caught my eye. The adjacent heritage house is furnished with artifacts representing Polish culture and used as a guest house.
The impressive museum is maintained by people who are passionate about preserving their heritage. Notable exhibits include wedding dresses, wedding photos, household tools, lumber and farming tools, vehicles, musical instruments, photos, religious artifacts and contemporary history artifacts. Many Winonans and residents of Western Wisconsin where Kashubians also settled maintain ties with Winona’s sister city Bytow. What’s in your backyard?
Resources
Polish Museum of Winona
Laird Norton Company & Family Foundation
Making Learning Interactive, Part 2. New e-books from the Library of Congress
Posted on: June 22, 2015
Exciting news! The Library of Congress has released 3 new Student Discovery Sets. The titles and topics are:
- Japanese American Internment
- Political Cartoons and The American Debate
- Women’s Suffrage
The new ebooks and the 9 previously published ebooks support commonly taught curriculum topics; they will be helpful for teachers supporting learning with primary sources in a 1:1classroom or for whole group inquiry and engaged learning. Library of Congress Teachers Page sets complement the primary source sets on the same topics.
Resources
- Read about one teacher’s experience using the Cosmos ebook and how to download and install them a the March/April Internet@Schools article The New Media Center: Making Learning Interactive .
- Primary Source sets that complement and support the Ebooks.
- June 15 Library of Congress Blog Post announcement
- Descriptions of all Ebook sets
- Earlier blog posts: Students Discovery Sets ~ Making Learning Interactive Part I
Winona Republican Herald Ad, October 26, 1915
Winona’s Municipal Band is celebrating it’s centennial! The celebration began with a showing of Antony and Cleopatra, a silent film produced in 1913 and first shown in Winona in 1915. What’s the connection?
The big production a score composed by George Colburn, the band’s original director who later worked for the Chicago symphony. The composition is one of America’s “first feature length” original scores.”
Antony and Cleopatra was filmed on location in Egypt and Italy, part of a trilogy produced by Enrico Guazzoni that included Qua Vadis and The Last Day of Pompeii
This was my first full-length silent movie; I was surprised by the huge cast, elaborate costumes, big epic scenes, barges, and animals – wild cats, a camel and alligators. Title cards helped the audience understood the love story and war between Egypt and Rome. My favorite scene was “The long silent march” depicting Roman soldiers landing in Egypt. They kept landing and marching forever. (I thought of D-Day. Wonderful, non-stop music played on a Steinway Grand by Professor James Doering from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia added to film’s mood and the evening’s fun.
Winonans first viewed Antony and Cleopatra in 1915 at the Winona Opera House. Composer Colburn conducted a 15-piece orchestra. Admission was 15 cents. We saw the movie at the Winona County History Center. Part of the museum is housed in the former Winona Armory, also celebrating its 100th birthday!
Credits
Winona Municipal Band Website
Antony and Cleopatra: cast and references Wikipedia
Winona Newspaper Archive
Winona Republican Herald, October 26, 1915 Advertisement
Winona Republican Herald October 27, 1915 Movie Review
St. Paul Gangster Tour
Posted on: May 11, 2015
Don’t commit crimes in St. Paul! Rule #1 defined the cozy relationship between the St. Paul Police Department and notable gangsters residing there in the early 1930’s.
“St. Paul Police Chief” Tom Brown entertained us with tales of John Dillinger, Ma Barker and sons, Creepy Karpis and other notables during an entertaining bus-tour of St. Paul’s gangster locations.
We drove by a home once inhabited by the “nice neighbor” Ma Barker and the apartment once home to John Dillinger and site of a shoot-out. We visited the site of a payroll robbery and shootout in SOUTH St. Paul and enjoyed entertaining stories of “Madam” Nina Clifford’s” brothel with its tunnel connecting it to a men’s club.
“Chief Brown” at Swede Hollow Park, the former site of the Hamm Mansion.
We stopped at the site of the former Hamm mansion (home of the brewing family) in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood to see where William Hamm Jr. was kidnapped and taken away from the Land of Sky Blue Waters to Chicago.
Historic Photo: Reporters and onlookers at the Hamm residence following the kidnapping.
The Gangster tour is a fun and an interesting way to learn about a seamier side of St. Paul’s history. The tour includes a bit of literary history with glimpses of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Summit Avenue home and Garrison Keillor’s current residence. The mansion of railroad builder James J. Hill is nearby.
The tour begins at the man-made Wabasha Street Caves, known as a gangster hideout but originally used to raise mushrooms. The Caves are open for tours and for weekly swing dance parties. A fun spring day in the Saintly City!
Wabasha St. Caves bar
Lib Guide Minn. Historical Society
Gangsters in St. Paul
Gangster images and artifacts
What’s in your back yard?
Lincoln’s Pockets
Posted on: April 12, 2015
What was in Lincoln’s Pockets the night he was assassinated?
Lincoln’s Pockets, a Library of Congress professional development activity answers the question. These artifacts are available to teachers and students digitally in Lincoln’s Pockets, a LOC Teacher’s Page Professional Development Activity. The complete packet includes facilitator directions, participant questions, and links to the artifacts. Some objects are easily identifiable, most, such as the object on the left, are not. (What do you think it is?)
The engaging (and easy to implement) activity generates interest and questioning as participants try to identify each object and decide what they have in common. The contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the evening of his assassination are part of the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniania.
Numerous museums and cultural organizations are holding special events and exhibits to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination. Remembering a Fiendish Assassination is an especially unique event sponsored by the The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. One commemorative experience will be a reenactment of Lincoln’s funeral train procession from its arrival in Springfield, Illinois, to Springfield’s Oak Ridge Cemetery. Funeral Train Reenactment website.
The 10-year old Springfield museum is incredibly fascinating and educational. Visitors enter the extensive Presidential Journeys Gallery through a replica of the White House entrance. John Wilkes Booth stands off to the side, watching the Lincoln Family, Frederick Douglas, and other White House visitors.
An especially moving exhibit is a recreation of the Ford’s Theater assassination and a recreation of Lincoln’s closed casket.
The museum utilizes extensive technology to heighten the visitation experience. A battlefield scene is loud and intense; in another live presentations it is hard to distinguish a live actor from a hologram. The museum and nearby Lincoln sites such as his home and office are well worth the visit. There is a lot to see in Springfield. Allow at least two days!
Making Learning Interactive
Posted on: March 29, 2015
Last September I introduced the recently published Student Discovery Sets from the Library of Congress. These ebooks are collections of primary source sets designed to provide interactive, inquiry learning while introducing students to primary sources on common curricular topics. I was curious about how teachers and media specialists are using these hands-on materials in their classrooms. Tom Bober, a school media specialist in Missouri shared his experiences with elementary students in his blog and for “Making Learning Interactive,” the NEW Media Center column in March/April Internet at Schools.
When Tom Bober was looking for resources to help 5th grade students understand a science topic, he used Understanding the Cosmos, an ebook primary source set from the Library of Congress. The Missouri media specialist realized students didn’t understand different models of the solar system; he thought specific examples depicted in primary sources would help them better grasp selected geocentric models. He downloaded the ebooks to iPads and assigned each student a specific primary source to examine. They marked and annotated the image using built-in tools and recorded handwritten notes on paper copies f of the Library’s Primary Source Analysis Tool. Continue reading about Bober’s experiences, downloading the ebooks, and other ideas for using these and other resources for elementary students.
Primary sources like these offer engaging learning opportunities for classrooms. Learn how!
Thumbnails of selected primary sources in the Dust Bowl Primary Source ebook collection.
The Mindoro Cut
Posted on: March 13, 2015
The first warm weather of 2015 means it’s time for a road trip to visit undiscovered sites in the Driftless Region of Western Wisconsin. Last weekend’s drive took us to County T and State Highway 108 between Mindoro and West Salem in LaCrosse County.
The trip highlight was the Mindoro Cut. Built in 1907-1908, the Cut is considered the 2nd largest hand-hewn cut in the United States. It is listed in the National and State Register of Historic Places. County T and Hwy 108 are popular with motorcycle riders and convertible drivers. Both feature scenic views; Hwy 108 has wonderful hairpin turns.
I didn’t know about the Mindoro Cut before our road trip! It’s fun to keep discovering what’s in my backyard.
The Mindoro Cut: National Historic Marker Database
Mindoro Cut Makes History, LaCrosse Tribune, Nov 30, 2006
What’s in your backyard? Be a tourist in your own community; discover local history in unexpected places. Check out some ideas in Just off I-35
(Library Media Connection, November/December 2014)
Random Thoughts: Change, Primary Sources & Other Stuff 
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