[Detail] Printing Press mural in Evolution of the Book series
Lesson Preparation
Have the necessary materials ready before the activity:
Materials
- Primary Source Analysis Tool (PDF, 79 KB) (print two copies for each student; plus six additional copies for student reporters)
- “Aerial view of Capitol Hill featuring the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building behind the U.S. Capitol” (PDF, 1.93 MB)
- “Exterior view. Torch of Learning, cupola, and dome” (PDF, 1.21 MB)
- “Exterior view. Illuminated west façade view at night” (PDF, 926 KB)
- “Great Hall. View of first and second floors” (PDF, 2.5 MB)
- “Guiding Questions” (PDF, 19 KB) (print six copies for student guides)
- “The Cairn” (PDF, 306 KB) (print three copies)
- “Oral Tradition” (PDF, 339 KB) (print three copies)
- “Hieroglyphics” (PDF, 283 KB) (print three copies)
- “Picture Writing” (PDF, 345 KB) (print three copies)
- “Manuscript Book” (PDF, 333 KB) (print three copies)
- “The Printing Press” (PDF, 365 KB) (print three copies)
- “Thinking about Images” (PDF, 54 KB) (print one copy for each student)
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Magnets/tape for posting printouts on the board
- Computer projection screen for showing images from the Library’s Web site (Option: project images using overhead projector.)
Resources
Before leading students through this lesson, teachers should be familiar with the following Library of Congress resources:
Online versions of the mural images:
- “The Cairn”
- “Oral Tradition”
- “Hieroglyphics”
- “Picture Writing”
- “Manuscript Book”
- “The Printing Press”
Additional resources:
- Marshall, Blaine and Alexander Hovan. The Thomas Jefferson Building, The Library of Congress. Washington: The Library of Congress, 2003.
