The Library of Congress and C3: Teaching w/ Primary Sources and the Inquiry Arc

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Details February 3, 2015through April 28, 2015

Description

"I always feel.... the movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end." -Alice Stokes Paul, suffragist and author of the Equal Rights Amendment (1885-1977)

Join us for this complimentary webinar series, Tuesdays from 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00-5:00 p.m. PT on February 3, March 3, March 31, and April 28.

Webinar Sessions:

• February 3: Analyzing Photographs to Develop and Answer Questions
  Some of the most powerful primary sources in the collections of the Library of Congress are visual images. From photographs to prints, from political cartoons to advertisements, from posters to architectural drawings, these images document the human experience.
  
  Examining historical photographs is an effective way to enter into an inquiry on the women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century, providing just enough information for students to develop questions and plan further inquiries around this public movement.
  
  Analyzing images lets students discover new topics for exploration, and also build visual literacy skills that they apply not only to primary sources, but also to anything they see.
  
  Education experts from the Library will discuss the power of images, model how to analyze photographs and prints with a focus on developing compelling questions, and demonstrate how to find images from the Library of Congress. Experts will also detail how to apply a set of considerations to selecting primary sources.
  
  C3 Focus Indicator: D1.5.3-5. Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.


• March 3: Thinking about Bias and Perspective with Primary Sources
  From its beginnings, the United States has been shaped by people from many nations. Some considered to have been the founders of the United States were born far from the thirteen original colonies. Alexander Hamilton, for example, was born on the island of St. Kitts in the British West Indies. Nonetheless, issues surrounding immigration and citizenship have caused debate-and controversy--since the 1790s.
  
  History is most fascinating when we feel connected to the people with direct experience of the events. One way to pique student interest is by using primary sources from the Library of Congress - letters, photographs, and sound files - that document real people's lives.
  
  The more complex the issue, the more varied the perspectives on it. Inviting students to engage with these raw materials of history requires them to understand and evaluate complex texts.
  
  In this activity, participants will analyze a set of primary sources and consider strategies for identifying different perspectives. Participants will then deconstruct the activity to discuss how the introduction of each new primary source identifies multiple perspectives.
  
  C3 Focus Indicator: D3: D3.1.3-5. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.


• March 31: Analyzing Sources to Think Like a Historian
  To historians, history is an argument about what facts should or shouldn't mean. Even when historians are able to piece together the basic story of what happened, they rarely agree about its causes or significance. Historians argue about the past's meaning and what it has to tell us in the present. In history, a persuasive opinion is one backed up by evidence.
  
  How can teachers help their students to begin thinking like historians? Teaching a way of thinking requires making thinking visible. We need to show students not only what historians think, but how they think, and then guide students as they engage in this process.
  
  The webinar will demonstrate several specific strategies for reading historical documents: sourcing, contextualizing, close reading, using background knowledge, reading the silences, and corroborating. Participants will analyze a set of primary sources, and then consider how historians examine sources and the impact this can have on instruction.
  
  C3 Focus Indicator: D2: D2.His.13.3-5. Use information about a historical source, including the maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose to judge the extent to which the source is useful for studying a particular topic.


• April 28: Teaching With Primary Sources to Communicate Conclusions
  The conflicting nature of primary sources helps students see the complexity of issues and recognize the importance of context for credible interpretation. Teachers play a crucial role by carefully selecting primary and secondary sources, encouraging and sustaining curiosity with probing questions, and modeling analysis and reflective practice.
  
  The most challenging part of any teaching practice is for students to construct knowledge. Teachers must guide students to organize and draw conclusions from information they have found, to confront conflicting ideas and form their own evidence-based opinions, and to be ready to take a stand and defend it. When students demonstrate their new understandings and share with others, they solidify their own learning. Students should know how they will be expected to demonstrate their learning so that they can find appropriate evidence as they conduct their investigations.
  
  In this webinar, participants will examine the inquiry arc in relation to communicating conclusions; deconstruct a piece of student work and discuss strategies for building students' reading, writing, and inquiry skills.
  
  C3 Focus Indicator: D4: D4.1.3-5. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources.

Required Reading: College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History.

Facilitators

Cheryl Lederle-Ensign, Educational Resources Specialist, Library of Congress.
Taking on this role in December 2003, she has advanced the Library's educational mission by providing more than 1000 teachers with professional development through workshops, presentations, and intensive institutes, both in person and via webinar and videoconference. She has also played a significant role in shaping the Library's online repository of classroom materials and resources for teachers, loc.gov/teachers and continues to contribute to the development of those materials. Ms. Lederle holds a B.A. from Kent State University, an M.A.T. from the University of Chicago, and a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University. She has fifteen years' experience teaching English at both the high school and community college levels.

Rebecca Newland, 2014-15 Library of Congress Teacher in Residence.
She comes to the Library from Virginia Beach where she has been both a high school English teacher and a middle school librarian. Her background includes experiences in directing musical theatre as well as public speaking. She has significant experience with curriculum writing, facilitating professional development with teachers and librarians, and recommending books to kids that they end up loving. She holds a B.A. in English from Albright College in Reading, PA, as well as an MS.Ed from Old Dominion University.

Kathleen McGuigan , Education Resources Specialist, Library of Congress.
She has over 20 years of experience working on behalf of K-12 education for national groups. In her current role, she is responsible for the online teacher professional development for the Library of Congress. Ms. McGuigan works with staff developers, educators, administrators and others to build and deliver a high-quality professional development program focused on how to use primary sources to enhance instructional goals. Additionally, Ms. McGuigan has developed and led many conference presentations, face-to-face workshops, and distance learning workshops to educators across the nation.

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