Orientations and Introductions to Primary Sources

This collection of videos extends beyond the Manuscript Division, connecting viewers to orientations, webinars, and discussions around the search, discovery, and use of primary sources. These videos aid in developing practical skill-sets that can enhance and enrich research and use of collections at the Library of Congress.

  • Film, Video
    Teaching with Primary Sources This film defines primary and secondary sources and explores the value of using primary sources in instruction.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Teacher Resource: Inquiry & Primary Sources Overview Using primary sources with inquiry empowers students to ask their own questions, construct their own understandings, draw conclusions, create new knowledge and share the knowledge with others. Watch Barbara Stripling discuss why primary sources are essential to the inquiry process.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Foundations: Selecting Primary Sources Thoughtfully selecting a primary source can be critical for the success of an educational activity, to ensure that students will be engaged and able to work effectively with the source. In this webinar, Library of Congress education specialists share their criteria and processes for selecting primary sources. Participants practice the selection process as well and reflect on how they can select appropriate and effective…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Engaging Young Learners with Primary Sources Can teaching with primary sources engage young learners? Exposure to these raw materials can spark students' imaginations and support inquiry, historical thinking, and constructive learning. If you've ever wondered how early elementary students develop historical thinking skills, take a look at this lesson as Teresa St. Angelo works with a group of kindergarten historians.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2017
  • Film, Video
    Analyzing a Primary Source This film presents a short primary source analysis activity for teachers that includes observation, reflection and questioning.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Making Thinking Visible with Primary Sources This session modeled how to use visible thinking strategies to enhance the power of primary sources in your classroom. A wide variety of easy-to-use routines were introduced. Two educators provided examples of how they have used these routines with primary sources to help students learn to think and think to learn.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Teacher Resource: Shortcuts to Primary Sources This short film is designed to show teachers how to quickly access primary sources from the Library of Congress website, including resources from the Teachers Page, Today in History, and Ask a Librarian.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Provoking Inquiry Through Primary Sources As educators, we have answered the question: Why inquiry? This session engaged participants in answering the question: Why use primary sources during inquiry? They investigated ways that primary sources bring inquiry alive in our students: creation of intellectual space, building authentic connections to the real world, integration of inquiry skills, and the development of empathy.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Pairing Primary Sources and Picture Books A picture book that focuses on a historic event or individual can introduce students to a piece of history. Layering in primary sources allows for new engagement and understanding. This session focuses on how the pairing of primary sources and picture books can enhance the awareness of a historic event or individual, the research process taken by authors of historically based picture books, as…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Building Literacy Muscle with Primary Sources This session shared examples of instructional strategies which use diverse and thoughtfully selected primary sources to develop understanding, academic language and fluency, freeing students to focus on content.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2015
  • Film, Video
    Teaching Civic Ideals through Primary Sources A one-hour webinar demonstrating how the use of primary sources can offer students specific examples of civic principles, highlighting ways that a civic ideal has been tested, interpreted, and applied throughout American history.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Foundations: Information Literacy and Primary Sources Information literacy involves multiple skills, including examining information sources in a variety of media; evaluating claims and evidence; identifying bias; and researching for additional information. In this interactive webinar, participants will apply these information literacy skills to historical primary sources from the Library of Congress and reflect on how these strategies may be used with their students.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Foundations: Information Literacy and Primary Sources Description: Information literacy involves multiple skills, including: identifying where information comes from, evaluating claims and evidence; identifying bias; and researching for additional information. Join Library of Congress education specialists as we apply information literacy skills to historical primary sources from the Library's collections. We'll practice these skills together and reflect on how they may be used in your educational settings.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2021
  • Film, Video
    Parallel Primary Sources for Enhancing STEM Experiences The interactive session will have our guest STEM educators' model strategies to help your students examine primary sources from multiple perspectives. How can students identify different perspectives from which a single primary source may be examined? And how can examining multiple sources with different perspectives add to their understanding of a topic? We'll practice a number of related strategies and reflect on how they…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2022
  • Film, Video
    Mathematics and Primary Sources (Online Office Hours) How can analyzing primary sources through a mathematics lens help students gain insights into the evolution of the U.S. Postal System? Thomas Jefferson's plan to send secret messages to Lewis and Clark? Rosa Parks' culinary tastes? Come join a conversation where we'll look at how students can apply a mathematical approach to the analysis of primary sources, both sharpening their math skills and unlocking…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Eagle Eye Citizen: Interactive Engagement with Civics & Primary Sources Eagle Eye Citizen is an engaging, online, mobile-friendly interactive for middle and high school students focused on Congress and civic participation. Learn how to solve and create challenges that encourage students to explore Library of Congress primary sources. Part of the Library's 2016 online conference for teachers.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2016
  • Film, Video
    Teaching with Library of Congress Primary Sources Three teachers from PS153, the Helen Keller School in the Bronx, New York, describe how teaching with primary sources from the Library of Congress had a positive impact on how they teach in their elementary school.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2013
  • Film, Video
    Foundations: Finding Primary Sources on LOC.gov The Library of Congress web site (aj.sunback.homes) contains millions of digitized primary sources free to use with your students and a variety of free teacher resources. In this webinar, Library of Congress education specialists share tips and strategies for finding resources in the Library's extensive digitized collections, by navigating the website and using the search engine.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2021
  • Film, Video
    Analyzing Primary Sources with a STEM Lens This interactive session will focus on the primary source analysis process and its application for STEM teachers at all grade levels. The breadth and depth of mathematics beyond what students typically see in their textbooks is something educators aspire to deliver on a regular basis. Students connect (or disconnect) with math in different ways and for different reasons and asking students to observe, reflect,…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2022
  • Film, Video
    Kindergarten Historians: Primary Sources & Early Grades Learners If you've ever wondered how early elementary students develop historical thinking skills, join the 2016-17 Teacher in Residence to learn about her experiences teaching historical thinking routines to kindergarteners. Part of the Library's 2016 online conference for teachers.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2016
  • Film, Video
    Scientific Literacy, Citizenship, and History: Analyzing Primary Sources In this one hour webinar, we share resources and strategies for educators interested in helping their students analyze Library of Congress primary sources to explore connections between scientific literacy and citizenship.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Primary Sources for Science Classrooms (Online Office Hours) Learn more about teaching science and technology using the Library's robust collections. Hear from the Library's Albert Einstein Teaching Fellow, Amara Alexander, about her experiences creating teaching resources using Library of Congress primary sources.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2020
  • Film, Video
    Primary Sources for Research on North Korea A panel discussion relating to providing practical skill-sets that can enhance and broaden a career in North Korea analysis and research. As nuclear anxieties and high-stakes diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula overtake the international stage and fill news headlines, it is not surprising that more and more students and young professionals are taking a deep interest in North Korea. However, knowing where to find…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Asian Division
    • Date: 2018
  • Film, Video
    Primary Source Teaching Strategies for the STEM classroom In this webinar, we use primary source analysis tools to explore these artifacts and consider opportunities to make connections with oceanography, chemistry, and human impacts on ecosystems. Teachers will be able to discuss classroom strategies that can be used to engage all grade-level science students.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Library of Congress. Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives
    • Date: 2022
  • Film, Video
    Primary Sources on American Women in Science and Mathematics 2021 Junior Fellow Sam Correia worked with the Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office to develop a resource for teachers that incorporates primary sources for the classroom. The focus of this project was to curate and analyze primary sources about women in the fields of science and technology. Correia conducted research in the online collections of the Library of Congress to find resources related…
    • Contributor: Library of Congress
    • Date: 2021