Library Of Congress
Teacher Productivity
Teacher Productivity
Carol LaRow
Contact: 518-377-8332
Email: tech33@nycap.rr.com
Library Of Congress Sites For Teachers And Students
Photo Sources: Public Domain
The Library of Congress (LOC) was started as a research library for the U. S. Congress in 1800. It is located in Washington, D.C. and is considered to have one of the largest collections in the World. It was started when President John Adams established it as the "Library of the United States." Although it is primarily used by scholars
researchers, and the government, it's open to the public, and anyone can use its resources.
In addition, the Library of Congress has resources for teachers and students. There are pages devoted to the following:
primary source documents - Teachers and students can see original sources of information about various topics, which provide first-hand accounts of historical events, current events, and past eras. For example, students can study primary source documents on topics such as the American Revolution, World War II, Louisiana Purchase, California Gold Rush, etc. Primary sources can include things such as photos, videos, newspaper articles, letters, diaries, artifacts, etc.
lesson plans - Teachers can find lesson plans on different topics they teach. The lesson plans include learning objectives, materials needed, procedures, assignments, and ways to differentiate the instruction.
access to the LOC's extensive digital online collections - The LOC houses a digital collection of maps, photos, manuscripts, artifacts, prints, and books. Visitors to the online, digital collections are free to use these resources because they are in the "public domain."
professional development - The LOC also offers workshops and webinars for teachers to learn how to use primary source documents in their classes.
Mission
The Library of Congress' primary mission is serving the research needs of the U.S. Congress. However, the Library serves all Americans through its popular Web site and in its 22 reading rooms on Capitol Hill.
The LOC is largest library in the United States, located in Washington, D.C., and maintained largely by federal appropriations. Its original purpose was to provide research facilities for members of Congress; today it serves the public as well. Most copyrighted publications are catalogued by the Library of Congress, whose classification system is used by major libraries around the country. It also houses many collections and artifacts that are in the public domain, making them accessible to the public.
Digital Collections
The Library of Congress has digitized its collections so that they are available online for the public. The goal was to make its collections more accessible to people.
The Digital Collections section of the library acts as a valuable resource for teachers and students. The collections can be used for research, teaching lessons, self-paced studying, and personal enjoyment.
The Digital Collections include photos, maps, manuscripts, books, music sheets, and more.
A few of the collections are listed below:
The American Memory Collection
The World Digital Library
Chronicling America Collection
The Thomas Jefferson Papers
American Folklife Center
Exploring the Early Americas
Native American Collections
World War II American Memory
Abraham Lincoln Papers
Classroom Materials
Classroom Materials has several resources for teachers and students. The resources are searchable by grade level, topics, keywords, or resource type. There are a wide variety of resources that can be used for classes. The resources are searchable and browsable.
In the left sidebar, teachers can sort by:
classroom material type: primary source set, lesson plan, or presentation
topic - subject areas to search for materials
era - choose topics from periods of time relevant to topics students are studying
recommended grade level
teachers' home - professional development
analysis tool and guide - for studying primary sources
Some of the resources are:
lesson plans
primary source documents and artifacts
interactive activities
games
quizzes
writing ideas
Lesson Plans
Classroom Materials has Lesson Plans for teachers, organized by topic, era, recommended grade level, and more. There are 92 lessons posted, and more are being added all the time.
In the left sidebar, on the Classroom Materials page, click on "Lesson Plan." The image at the left shows the "grid view" of some of the lessons.
Choose your topic; topics will be listed in grid view, with pictures and links
From the results that are listed, click the blue link under the picture
An entire lesson plan will open with objectives, time required, procedure, discussion questions, small group research suggestions, lesson evaluation, and more.
Students can be directed to the "student tab" in the lesson that has the following:
group study suggestions
problems for students to think about
search tips
study questions
a brief history or summary of the topic being studied
Today In History
"Today In History" searches the American Memory archives and historical collections to discover what happened in American History on a specific date.
You will see today's date when you click on the link
Use the arrows < or > to scroll through days of the same month
You can also search other dates by using the search box on the right to type in specific dates
This is a great tool for students to use as they do research on the WEB
There is a "Listen to This Page" feature on each page of "Today in History."
Click on the button above the title of the article (red circle on image on the left)
The mp3 player will start reading the selection
As the selection is read, the text is highlighted in green for the students to follow along (arrow on image on the left)
America's Story
America's Story - originally intended for younger children, but the older ones like it too. Students an search this area by keywords and explore some of the following topics:
Meet amazing Americans
Jump back in time
Explore the states
Join America at play
See, hear, and sing
Amazing Americans - Discover things you may not know about Abraham Lincoln and what he had in his pockets the day he was assassinated, the heroism of Harriet Tubman, the inventions of Thomas Edison, and more.
Jump Back In Time - find settlers who landed on Plymouth Rock, jump back to a time period of your choosing, see what happened on the day you were born, and more
Explore the States - find fascinating facts and stories about all the states and Washington, D.C.
See, Hear, and Sing - see how the first cartoons were started and then animated. Learn about unusual musical instruments and how they influenced today's instruments, and more.
Learn more about this site
Exhibitions
Exhibitions - See some of the actual exhibits housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. See exhibits on topics such as:
the Gettysburg Address
drafting the Declaration of Independence
a re-created version of Thomas Jefferson's library
the first sustained contacts between native American people and the European explorers and settlers
the roots of baseball and its changing traditions
books that shaped America
creating the United States
comedians such as Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and others
Maps in our lives
Women in World War II
and more
Prints and Photographs
Prints and Photographs - from the LOC's online catalogs. The online catalog provides access to about 65% of the Division's holdings, as well as to some images found in other units of the LOC. Many of the catalog records are accompanied by digital images - about one million digital images in all.
Some of the images in the catalog are NOT in the public domain. Read the site carefully before you download and use images you find.
This is a great resource for student projects and teacher lessons!
Blogs: Primary Sources & Ideas For Educators
Library of Congress Blogs helps teachers as they use the LOC's resources. The LOC has millions of primary sources available for free online. See how teaching with primary sources is a powerful way to have students "engage" with course content, build critical thinking skills, and incorporate information into their learning styles.
Discover and discuss techniques for using the LOC's primary sources in the classroom
Discuss:
teaching strategies
outstanding primary sources
lesson plans
teacher resources
current thinking on effective classroom practices
others
The blog has a dropdown menu of categories from which to choose
There are archives of blogs to choose from also
Online Map Collection
Photo Source: Library Of Congress - Robert Sayer And John Bennett, Holland, S. & Pownall, T. (1776). Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/74693073/>.
Map Collection - Browse through maps, charts, and atlases of different time periods in our history. See the National Parks, Civil War maps, panoramic maps, and much more.
Some of the maps can be interactive. For example, you can zoom right down to the street level of Colonial America.
Each map will give you information such as:
title
creation date
published
notes
call number/physical location
digital ID
rights and access
how to write the citation for giving correct credit
Map Of The 13 Original Colonies
Ask A Librarian
Ask A Librarian - Librarians and program specialists are ready to help. You may pose questions, which go into a collaborative reference service. You will receive a reply within five business days.
Ask a librarian
Ask a specialist
Use filters to narrow by subject, programs, services
Chat feature, Mon - Fri, 12:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Research guides
Video tutorials
Research and reference services
Browse FAQ's
News From The Library Of Congress
News From The Library Of Congress - LOC highlights current events and places in the news. The page provides pictures and information about topics in the news. There is a geography and map division.
You will find:
news from the LOC (covers its events and resources)
places in the news (covered 1999 - 2016)
Handout
