Looking Into Holidays Past Through Primary Sources

This is one of my old favorites. Part of the Library of Congress American Memory Project presentations section, Looking Into Holidays Past Through Primary Sources uses sound, images, movies and documents to provide context and understanding to students about the past. Viewing these resources gives students the opportunity to experience history while honing their observation and critical thinking skills. This LOC resource is split into the four seasons (Spring, Winter, Summer, and Fall) with each section containing seasonal appropriate sounds, images, movies, and documents for students to explore. A graphic organizer is included for students to record their observations. Recommended for grades 4-12 by the LOC.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a "nonprofit organization supporting the study and love of American history through a wide range of programs and resources for students, teachers, scholars, and history enthusiasts throughout the nation" and their website is a treasure trove of resources. So many, in fact, that I probably won't be able to mention all the wonders I explored. I was led to this site by its information on the abolitionist John Brown and, once I started exploring, I was hooked. Online exhibits, teachable documents, curriculum modules, podcasts, and (my favorite thing) a quarterly online journal (History Now). The journal, all by itself, is wondrous. It contains articles; lesson plans for High School, Middle School, and Elementary School; and interactive modules you can use with students. My mind was just whirling with ways to use this site in the classroom. So check this one out. You won't be disappointed.

Introduction

In my 25 year career in libraries, I have served in various roles. I started out as a School Library Media Specialist in Norfolk (VA) Public Schools, working with Pre-K through 5th grade. After moving to Washington State, I found my first library job working in a prison library. A challenging experience and still one of my favorites. I moved on to become an Electronic Government Information Librarian, which has expanded to include other digital projects and changed my title to Digital Collections Librarian. So, as you can probably tell, I spend a great deal of time online. This allows me the opportunity to discover many wonderful resources. I must still think like a School Library Media Specialist because whenever I find an especially good resource I immediately start thinking about how it could be used by students and/or teachers. I have shared my collection of resources several times at the Washington Library Media Association Conferences and I have created a delicious account of my collection. But it is time to expand and share further through this blog. I hope to post often and will try to work my way through my current collection as well as add new finds. I hope you will find this a useful blog and will share it with others.