Professional Development Activities

Use ready-to-facilitate PD content taken directly from Library of Congress teacher institutes and workshops. All the materials and instructions you need to deliver are included.

Introducing Primary Sources

• Connecting with Primary Sources (30-45 minutes)

  Participants select a primary source, study it and find other participant(s) with a related item. The pairs/groups discuss and report how items relate. Activity makes an excellent icebreaker.

• Leaving Evidence of Our Lives (45 minutes)

  Most people produce a variety of primary sources daily. Participants will consider what primary sources they have left behind over the previous 24 hours, and how such items may be interpreted in the future.

• Understanding Copyright (60 minutes)

  Participants will practice finding copyright information for the Library’s digitized materials and learn where to find guidelines on fair use for educational purposes.

• Primary and Secondary Source Sort (45 minutes)

  What are the differences between primary and secondary sources? Participants will be able to justify their conclusions about whether a source is primary or secondary depending upon the time or topic under study.

Analyzing Primary Sources

• Analyzing Photographs (60-90 minutes)

  After participating in a model photograph analysis, participants independently practice analyzing a photograph. The group will discuss ways to use photograph analysis in instruction.

• Analyzing Maps (60-90 minutes)

  After participating in a model map analysis, participants independently practice analyzing a map. Finally, they will discuss ways to incorporate map analysis into instruction.