Imagine having a window into the past – an unfiltered access to the record of artistic, social, scientific, and political thought and achievement during the specific period under study, produced by people who lived during that period.  One of PBS TeacherLine’s newest courses, Teaching with Primary Sources from the Library of Congress, brings young people into close contact with these unique, often profoundly personal, documents and objects.

While the Library of Congress has digitized millions of items and made them freely available through its website, this course helps educators understand how to quickly get to the materials they need as they explore digital collections and identify ways to incorporate them into their classroom curricula.  For example,  “Analyzing Primary Sources Activity: Analyzing Photographs” is a lesson created for  learners to observe and analyze a primary source, and then develop instructional strategies to help students examine and analyze primary sources.

Other motivating resources include those such as Teacher’s Guide:  What is Material Culture?, from the the PBS program Antiques Roadshow, that helps teachers complement their use of primary sources.

Summer enrollment in  PBS TeacherLine courses  has begun and closes June 22.  If you’re interested in registering but need assistance, contact Bess Kapetanis via phone at (413) 781-2801 x. 292.