Digital Collections

Use digital collections (i.e. documents, images, audio, video) to locate primary source materials useful in providing real-world examples.

Seek out school, library, museum, government, and nonprofit collections.

Old Way - Look in the vertical file

New Way - Search collections around the world

Explore Tools

Hot Choice - Library of Congress: Teachers

1. Archives - US National Archives, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom
2. Libraries - NYPL Digital Gallery, Library of Congress
3. Historic Sites - NPS US Historic Sites, Parks Canada
4. Museums - Smithsonian, AMNH, US Holocaust Museum, Great Chicago Fire
5. Organizations and Comapnies - idebate, Big Universe (read books like Grandma's Feather Bed)

Design Projects

1. Famous Photos and Documents - What makes a photo famous? Explore World's Famous Photos , the National Archives Digital Vaults, and Our Documents.
2. Lesser Known Photos and Documents - Analyze well-known and lesser known documents such as treaties and diaries.
3. Comic Projects - Use bubbles to bring historical photos to life
4. Chronologies - Track a history through images
5. People and Places - Explore people and places through history. Look for birthplace, libraries, and museums.

Avoid Wrecks

1. Pre-select Collections
2. Cite Sources. Look for the permanent link in a digital collection, so users can get back to the original document or image.
3. Choose Unique Examples. In addition to famous works, look for lesser-known images and examples of every day life.
4. Try Activity-based Resources. Explore the many interactive websites such as CHNM.
5. Use Evaluation Tools. Use National Archives worksheets.

Pit Stop
Let's go the the Library of Congress Teacher Page. Explore Primary Sources Sets. Make a content area connection. Then, think of ways to connect to today's students.

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