Primary Source Seminar

Media Literacy During Election Years

2012-02-02T09:20:00.019-05:00

This presidential election year presents a great opportunity to teach media literacy in the classroom. Several sites and columns focusing on responsible journalism, campaign ad analysis, and fact finding can be useful tools for drawing kids into current events.

http://newstrust.net/truthsquad

http:www.factcheck.org

http://www.politifact.com

(click)

World History Portal

2011-11-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media provides an easy connection to world history sites!

http://worldhistorymatters.org/

The Veterans History Project: Making Veterans’ Stories Come to Life

2011-11-10T09:20:00.006-05:00

Four women being inducted into the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps

Check it out HERE

Photo taken from the Library of Congress website.

http://www.loc.gov/vets/

9/11 Teaching Resources

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

This list taken from TeachHub.

US Department of Ed 9/11 Resource Page

This new website by the US DOE collects resources provided by federal agencies or developed through federal grants. Some resources include creating a positive environment in schools, how to teach 9/11 in relation to the constitution and 9/11 documentaries.

PBS America Responds

Valuable resources and lessons regarding tolerance, peace, Afghanistan, terrorism and Amerca at war.

Teaching 9/11 – Award Winning Lessons

The Clark Forum at Dickinson College has a useful collection of K-12 syllabi, lesson plans, relevant documents and videos, including 9/11 award-winning lessons divided by grade level.

New York Times 9/11 Resources

Whether you’re looking for op-eds on the topic, lesson ideas or historical documents, the New York Times is a great place to start.

How Do You Teach about 9/11?

September 11: On This Day

Teaching Topic 9/11: Coming soon

Rethinking Schools Handouts

Rethinking Schools has a series of special reports that make great classroom reading materials to launch classroom discussions.

Scholastic 9/11 Resources

Scholastic has an array of lessons, advice, a themed booktalk, an activities adapted specifically for younger children.

9/11 “I will” Classroom Tribute Project

Share how your classroom is commemorating September 11. Need ideas? Scholastic is working with them to provide lessons and service learning activities.

Teaching 9/11 Forum

Educators discuss curriculum and implementation plans for teaching about September 11. There is also curriculum for purchase.

9/11 Remembered: Pearson Online Exchange

The collection is meant to help teachers present 9/11 in its historical contexts to students who have no memory of the event itself. It includes age appropriate resources for elementary, middle, and high school students, with timelines, historical accounts, activities, and more.

ADC Anti-Discrimination Education Resources

While 9/11 spurs feelings of patriotism, it can also incite stereotypes and discrimination. Here are some valuable resources to help inform students and discourage anti-Arab discrimination.

9/11 Memorial Creation Activity

This lesson on violence involves creating memorials for September 11th through poems & painting.

9/11 Map & Web Research Lessons

McGraw Hill offers an array of Social Studies activities focused on the historical events from 9/11. There is a map project and several web activities.

Heroes of Ground Zero Unit

Inspired by the heroic firefighters from 9/11, PBS has a week-long, standards aligned civics unit for middle and high school students. It focuses on community needs.

Teaching Tolerance: Tips for Introducing 9/11 to Students

Teaching Tolerance: 9/11 Lessons

This article introduces interesting ways you can use the anniversary of 9/11 to explore what students really know about this historical event and to raise the issue of tolerance in the classroom.

TeacherVision Sept. 11 Lessons

TeacherVision has categorized a plethora of worksheets, classroom activities and reading activities that relate to September 11.

September 11 Digital Story Archive

This collection brings together more than 12,500 experiences of people from September 11 which is a great source of firsthand accounts for historical research and cultural studies.

9/11 Student Book List

The lists starts with lower reading levels and gets more advanced as you move down the list.

The Little Chapel That Stood

Beautifully illustrated book tells of the historic chapel less than 100 yards from the Twin Towers that miraculously survived on 9-11. Firemen hung their shoes on the fence and raced to help the people in the towers: Oh what gallant men did we lose/Who never came back to get their shoes. The story of terror overcome by courage and bravery that teaches us no one is too small to make a difference.

America at War

In this ever-timely collection of more than fifty poems and paintings divided into eight sections, one of America's most distinguished poets and anthologists, Lee Bennett Hopkins, and internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker Stephen Alcorn trace emotions of warfare from the American Revolution to the Iraq War.

September Roses

On September 11, 2001, two sisters from South Africa are flying to New York City with 2,400 roses to be displayed at a flower show. As their plane approaches the airport, a cloud of black smoke billows over the Manhattan skyline. When they land, they learn of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. All flights are canceled; the sisters cannot go home, and they are stranded with boxes and boxes of roses.

In the days that followed September 11, Jeanette Winter was drawn to Union Square and saw, among the hundreds of memorial offerings, twin towers made of roses. In the pages of this small and vibrant book, she tells a moving story.

14 Cows for America

This New York Times Bestseller, from award-winning author Carmen Agra Deedy, is a true story of hope and generosity, and the gift a small Kenyan village makes to the people of America.

With Their Eyes: September 11th--The View from a High School at Ground Zero

Tuesday, September 11, seemed like any other day at Stuyvesant High School, only a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. The semester was just beginning, and the students, faculty, and staff were ready to start a new year.

Within a few hours that Tuesday morning, they would experience an event that transformed all their lives completely. Here, in their own words, are the firsthand stories of a day none of us will ever forget.

We the People: September 11

On a bright sunny morning on September 11, 2001, hijackers took control of four U.S. commercial airplanes. This book tells the facts from 9/11 in a way that children can understand.

Messages from Ground Zero: Children Respond to September 11^th

This is a collection of letters, poetry, and art by children in response to September 11th. All were sent to other children reflecting innocent support, outreach, and caring. This book is an archive of what children were thinking and feeling through their honest and heartfelt messages.

102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers

Eight weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and translated into a dozen languages, 102 Minutes is a gripping narrative that is also investigative reporting of the first rank—"in a class by itself," according to Reader's Digest. Dwyer and Flynn reveal the decisions, both good and bad, that proved to be the difference between life and death on a day that changed America forever.

Report from Ground Zero

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 forever altered the American landscape, both figuratively and literally. Immediately after the jets struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, Dennis Smith, a former firefighter, reported to Manhattan's Ladder Co. 16 to volunteer in the rescue efforts. In the weeks that followed, Smith was present on the front lines, attending the wounded, sifting through the wreckage, and mourning with New York's devastated fire and police departments.

This is Smith's vivid account of the rescue efforts by the fire and police departments and emergency medical teams as they rushed to face a disaster that would claim more than five thousand lives.

Last Man Down

On September 11, 2001, FDNY Battalion Chief Richard "Pitch" Picciotto answered the call heard around the world. In minutes, he was at Ground Zero of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center began to burn-and then to buckle.

This is the harrowing true story of a true American hero, a man who thought nothing of himself-and gave nearly everything for others during one of New York City's-and the country's-darkest hours.

Interpreting Deeds

2011-09-08T15:18:00.003-04:00

Trying to decipher an old family deed? Interested in legal documents? Teaching with primary sources?

The University of Nottingham has excellent manuscript tutorials available online for your research needs.

Find Resources On:
Using Archives/Caring For Collections/Dating Documents/Weights and Measures/Account Records/Deeds/Deeds in Depth/Manorial Records/Maps and Plans/Medieval Books/Medieval Documents

Conveyance, North Muskham, 1853 (Ne D 2745)
Image taken from University of Nottingham (via)
Manuscripts and Special Collections Guidance

Date

The date of execution of the deed is always listed at the beginning. This may be in the modern form we would recognise today (i.e. 29 June 1665), or it may be in the form of a 'regnal' date, indicating the year of the reign of a particular monarch (i.e. 29 June 17 Charles II). In addition, the actual day and month may sometimes be indicated by reference to a particular event or saint's day (i.e. the feast of St Peter and St Paul, 17 Charles II). A separate Research Guidance module is available to assist with dating documents.

Parties

These are simply the names of the individuals or organisations involved in the deed. They are listed in order, in the form 'First Party, Second Party, Third Party' and so on, and so are easily identifiable

Recitals

These provide a summary of the activity which has led up to the present deed, so, for example, they may recite details of a person's will, or of a previous conveyance or of a mortgage and so on. They will normally by introduced by the word 'whereas' and can be several in number. Normally the recitals are not essential to interpreting the current deed, and so do not always need to be looked at in detail

Operative Part(s) or 'Testatum'

This states the purpose of the deed, for example the effecting of a conveyance or a lease from one person to another. It can be identified by the phrase '(Now this indenture) witnesseth' or 'further witnesseth' and will normally include a 'consideration' (e.g. amount of purchase money, amount of rent) or other motive for the transaction (e.g. 'natural love and affection' shown by one relative to another)

Parcels

These provide a description (often detailed) of the property which is subject of the deed and can usually be identified by the words 'all that'

Habendum

This word comes from the Latin phrase 'Habendum et Tenendum', that is 'to have and to hold' and this section defines the terms of the estate. Therefore, freehold property may be conveyed forever, whereas leasehold property may be conveyed for a term of years

Covenants, Conditions and Provisos

These record details of agreements made between the parties which affect the property and transaction. For example, one party may promise to produce the deeds to the property as proof of title, may promise not to use land for a particular purpose, may promise not to sub-let a property and so on

Witnesses

Each deed will normally contain a list (and often signatures) of people who are acting as a witness to the transaction. Normally these will be the parties to the deed itself, but sometimes, particularly with earlier deeds, independent witnesses are listed. Each witness will normally make a seal

Endorsements

Literally things endorsed (or written) on the reverse of a deed. This could be a subsequent sale or agreement, a record of the receipt of purchase money, a record of the delivery of possession and so on

*Example borrowed from University of Nottingham (via) Manuscripts and Special Collections

Reading Like A Historian

2011-08-31T13:33:00.000-04:00

Check out these wonderful lesson plans, original documents, posters, and guides!

The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features sets of primary documents modified for groups of students with diverse reading skills and abilities.

This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on issues from King Philip's War to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and make historical claims backed by documentary evidence.

(Description taken from Reading Like a Historian, A Stanford University Project)

ONLINE LESSONS : Reading Like A Historian

The Reading Like a Historian:Teaching Literacy in Middle and High School History Classrooms handbook also includes teacher/lesson guides.

Ambassador Group Reflections: Final Thoughts

2011-07-18T10:11:00.006-04:00

Group 1: As the week drew to a close, the three unlikely friends reflected on everything they had learned. The three unlikely friends gathered their notes and incorporated this knowledge into their final presentation. The three unlikely friends then waited nervously to give their presentation. To be continued...

Group 2: What does stewardship mean to us? Stewardship is the act of taking care of things that aren't necessarily yours. We learned about taking care of documents that would be used by our generation but of future generations; we were helping to protect the past. Throughout the week we've come to understand historians and the time it takes them to complete their important task. We'd like to thank everyone who made this program possible for us, so that we too could practice stewardship.

Group 3: Today is the last day of our very informative and enriching week here are Morristown National Historical Park. From looking at historical documents to touring Jockey Hollow to being the Jeopardy champions, we've really enjoyed our time here. The museum staff and interns have been really helpful, encouraging, and fun. They were always willing to answer our many questions or talk about anything historical. We've learned a lot about the museum with its many exhibits, artifacts, and documents. Today, we are looking forward to presenting our project on Missing Voices for Community Day. We worked extremely hard on it all day yesterday and hope our efforts will pay off. We want to thank everyone who has helped to make this week so enjoyable and educational.

Group 4: Thursday: After finding our that an i-Phone can control the slideshow, we had to figure out two crossword puzzles using the Military and the Lloyd W. Smith exhibits. After taking a quick poll, we found out that the boys like the military, while the girls enjoyed a separate exhibit. Then, Peter took some time to tell us about the kinds of jobs that historians can have. At lunch, we had some original Jockey Hollows with wineberries. Friday: At the end of the week we worked on our final presentations. Instead of doing an actual tour, we decided to create a virtual tour guide. Each member of our group filmed a segment of the video, explaining primary sources, document care, and the microfilm reader. We finally edited the video at the end of the day for our presentation.

Group 5: Wow! What a week! Tours, primary source documents, making new friends and even picking berries; who knew something so educational could be so fun? Throughout the week, we learned about the important role Morristown played in the Revolutionary War through hands-on experiences. We also learned about the importance of preservation by handling documents over 100 years old, some signed by George Washington himself. This stewardship program has been a unique experience for all of us and now we get to share it with our community and our families. We hope you enjoy our presentation and learn as much as we did by making it.

Thanks to all of our Archival Ambassadors for your reflections this week!

Read Other Reflections Here:

Reflection 1
Reflection 2
Reflection 3

Reflection 4

Community Day 2011

2011-07-16T16:13:00.012-04:00

Archival Ambassadors
Class of 2011

The High School Ambassadors have had an exciting week full of document-based activities, Park history, reflective blogging, historical thinking techniques, tours, and scholarly discussion! On Wednesday, the Ambassadors explored Jockey Hollow, where the group learned about hut construction, home life during the Revolutionary period, and the myths surrounding Tempe Wick. This week has been dedicated to primary document investigation, making careful observations, and practicing diligent and responsible scholarship. We have all made some great new friends along the way!

Today, this fresh batch of Park Stewards shared what they have learned all week with family and friends! Congrats Ambassadors!

Thank you Elizabeth, Peter, Andrea, Lacey, and Lauren for an incredible experience!

Stay tuned for the group 4 video and the Ambassadors' final blog reflection!

Gearing Up For Community Day

2011-07-15T19:30:00.035-04:00

It has been a whirlwind of activity the past two days! The Archival Ambassadors have been busy preparing for Community Day, and that has meant a lot of hard work preparing exhibits, posters, power point presentations, imovies, and displays. They did manage to sneak in some fun, however.... Jeopardy, cake pops, a pizza party, and more!

This fresh batch of Park Stewards is excited to share what they have learned all week with family and friends! See you at Community Day, July 16, 10:00 am!

See photo gallery below.

Ambassador Group Reflections: Myth vs Reality

2011-07-14T09:51:00.013-04:00

Group 1: Three days in, the three unlikely friends were faced with a challenge. They had to face the hardship of the long and winding trail of Jockey Hollow. They discovered a passion for wineberries and historical geography. They were able to see through the eyes of an 18th century soldier and experience some of their living conditions. They were able to stand in the lifeless huts of the homes of the soldiers of the past. They saw how difficult and challenging the nail-less structure was to complete.

The trio also had their knowledge of how reliable primary source documents are challenged. The trio always rightly believed that primary sources were the most reliable source of information, but didn't know much about comparing and contrasting primary sources that contradict each other. After exploring the origins of certain historical myths (Tempe Wick, Washington's cherry tree, etc.), the trio's knowledge and analysis skills improved.

Group 2: Historians are often confronted with the problem of determining whether something is myth or reality. Reality is the actual facts we can infer from documents, but we can never be sure if our perception of reality is correct because it is merely an interpretation of these facts. We are sure Tempe Wick existed, however we can't be sure if any story we hear about her is correct; the story heard could be another person's interpretation of the facts. Historians must also use inference to recreate buildings from the past, such as the soldiers' huts at Jockey Hollow. Historian's ideas on how their huts may have looked could differ because not all historians would interpret things the same way. For all these reasons, history is often guesswork and contradictory.

Group 3: Yesterday was a fun, historical and overall great day. Jockey Hollow was the place we toured and we saw many amazing things that another person might see as worthless. We saw the soldier huts that Washington's men slept and lived in, the Visitor's Center where we were introduced to one of the best tour guides in the park, Eric, and we visited the Wick house. We learned about the impact of myth versus reality through the Tempe Wick story. When thinking like a historian, it is important to figure out what is true and what is not. Myths are more enjoyable in society but are not true. Reality, on the other hand, showcases some of the best moments in our country's history that cannot be forgotten. When thinking like a historian, you should not let myths influence your perception of reality. This is why it is important to check your sources. Remember, just because a story sounds exciting, does not mean it is real. We learned so much this week and cannot wait for the rest to come.

Group 4: We spent the day at Jockey Hollow, which was named because of its geography and the horse races that happened there. At the Wick house, we learned about the myth of Tempe Wick and her horse, a living example of how stories told over time may not contain any truth. All that is reliably recorded is that the wandering soldiers were looking for horses to use and Tempe appeared frightened, not that they attempted to steal her horse. Oftentimes, stories that suit an individual's self interest, like George Washington and the cherry tree, become repeated and intertwined with the culture.

We also saw the replicated log cabins that the soldiers lived in. This allowed us to relive the past and pay homage to the hardships that the soldiers endured at Jockey Hollow. Also, during our hike, we caught sight of a snake, deer, and other wildlife. The wineberries were delicious as well! All in all, our day at Jockey Hollow was a great learning experience and opened our eyes to history.

Group 5: Myth vs. Reality

We went to Jockey Hollow and learned a lot of good, interesting things about the place and the history in general. The topic of myth versus reality was a strong theme. Sometimes, we must question historical stories that are popular and well-known. We ask ourselves, "How do we know if it's true?" and "What sources count as reliable?" We must sort through the many different perspectives and find proof.

We saw soldiers' huts, but can only infer how they were made at the time and how they lived in them. We rely on pictures, drawings, and letters. We also heard about Temperance's legend where she hid her horse in her house. This could very well just be a myth, but because people love the story, it is passed on as a reality. History can be made up of lies and assumptions, but sometimes that is all we have to hold on to.

Read Other Reflections Here:

Reflection 1
Reflection 2
Reflection 3

Reflection 4

Hiking, Huts, Maps, and Myths

2011-07-13T11:00:00.001-04:00

Today the Ambassadors explored Jockey Hollow. The group learned about hut construction, home life during the Revolutionary period, and the myths surrounding Tempe Wick.

The Ambassadors spent time hiking, inspecting replica huts, and making maps.

*A special thanks to historians Steve Santucci and Eric Olsen for their intriguing lectures and excellent tours of the trails, huts, and Wick House.

See photo gallery below.

Ambassador Group Reflections: How Do Documents Shape Historical Thinking?

2011-07-13T09:14:00.004-04:00

Group 1: Armed with their new archival knowledge, the three unlikely friends set out to answer a question: "How do documents shape historical thinking?"

Their new experiences studying historical documents led them to multiple conclusions. Certain kinds of documents such as diary entries give us a first hand point of view, personal accounts of an event, and have the ability to prove or disprove certain theories historians may have.

After viewing old maps, the three unlikely friends learned that maps gave us the ability to see how people in the past pictured the world. One map depicted California as an island, while another didn't include Canada. Through all of these observations, the trio had learned the importance of documents in historical thinking.

Group 2: Through our time in the archive we realized that documents shape historical thinking in both positive and negative ways. Documents such as historical diaries offer an insight into the past, however historians must decipher whether the source is accurate. Only through comparison of more sources can a historian create a more accurate view of the past. Some problems with personal diaries or letters is the human tendency to exaggerate. Comparison of sources can help eliminate that problem. Contracts from the past can help a historian gain a view of the legal process of the period, as well as the economy of the time. These documents are difficult to preserve and keep in good condition, but the knowledge obtained through them is priceless.

Group 3: Looking at historical documents is very interesting. Documents help shape historical thinking in several ways. They help give an idea of what events were going on. In this way, documents not only give details regarding the life of the common man, but they also tell what life was like for the more famous people of history. Documents can also influence historical thinking by offering only one point of view. It is up to the historian to gather many documents about the same topic to get a balanced perspective on the event. Finally, when looking at historical documents, it is important to practice historical empathy by putting ourselves in the shoes of the person who created the document. We really enjoyed looking at documents yesterday, especially one signed by Abraham Lincoln.

Group 4: Historical documents present a written record of the past. These pieces are the only voices from history that we can hear. For example, the only way historians could figure out where the Wick property was was through written contracts from the King. People who interact with the documents can alter our present day perspective of the past. Underlines, marks, or notes on a historical document add to its history and mold our perspective of that document. As historians, we need to see the original intent of the document rather than the biased view that we have due to our present day opinions.

Group 5: Documents give us more information that we can rely on to be true as they are written by the people who lived in that event or era. We gain many different perspectives by numerous or even contradicting documents. It is important to place them in context in order to achieve a proper understanding.

These documents are important to experience what the people living in that time were feeling, like a means of catharsis. Historical thinking depends a lot on the many documents we discover. They each give us a piece of history to expand our knowledge and appreciate.

Read Other Reflections Here:

Reflection 1
Reflection 2
Reflection 3

Reflection 4

Ambassador Group Reflections

2011-07-12T15:28:00.022-04:00

Group 1: In what seemed like a history deprived summer, three unlikely friends banded together at Morristown National Historical Museum. Their knowledge was varied, but little did they know; their distinctness could help each other learn and broaden their horizons. In addition, with the help of the counselors, these three unlikely friends were taught about important historic theories. One of these theories was the Great Man Theory, which showed how certain characters in history can be viewed as more important than others, despite having inferior accomplishments. One example given was how the role of women in the revolution is often missing from the history books, even though women played a very large role.

Group 2: Upon our entrance into the Archival Ambassadors program we all had a basic knowledge of the American Revolution. Even after just one day we’ve already expanded our knowledge by great lengths. Not only did we learn how to think like a historian using the eight Habits of Mind, but we also had an in-depth lesson on the role of Morristown in the Revolution. However, we still have questions we’d like answered, such as how people besides “the great men” of the period felt and lived during the Revolution, like servants or women. We are also excited to use the resources available to us through the program to finish out project for community day.

Group 3: Our first day in the Archival Ambassadors program was very interesting, despite some scheduling problems and TV malfunctions. Throughout the day, we learned about a wide variety of topics. After getting to know each other a little bit, we toured the Ford Mansion and learned about Washington’s time there. We then learned about the Great Man Theory and other ways to record history, and viewed some archived primary sources. After a movie and discussion about the winter encampment at Jockey Hollow, we had lunch. After lunch, we got into some interesting discussions about how to look at historical documents. We learned how to think like historians using the Habits of Mind. Our discussion about the Declaration of Independence was really interesting. We then broke into groups to look at a few historical documents. They were really hard to read due to elaborate handwriting, and we especially struggled with Darwin’s illegible letter. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week!

Group 4: Our first day was an enriching and enlightening experience. The Ford Mansion was interesting, and the presence of original artifacts was an exciting addition to the historical site. We were exposed to uncomfortable staircases and the GMT (Great Man Theory) and the missing voices of history. We had excessive trouble watching a 20-minute video, but after we actually got to see it, we all enjoyed it. After applying a historian’s Habits of Mind to previously documented and observed pieces, we saw more original papers of Adams, Washington, Hancock, and Darwin. It was awe-inspiring. We can’t wait for the rest of the week.

Group 5: Morristown was important during the Revolutionary War because of Washington using Jacob Ford’s mansion as his winter headquarters. Theodosia Ford gave up the comfort of her home to the patriot cause. She and her five children lived in two small rooms while Washington and over 50 of his companions stationed themselves in the rest of her home. While Washington lived in relative comfort, his troops of soldiers suffered in Jockey Hollow. In the freezing winter, the men had to build themselves log cabins out of the wood of the forest they had to clear. Although we know a good amount of information about the conditions of Washington and his men, we’d like to know more about how the citizens and the Fords felt about the troops being stationed in their town.

Check back later for more reflections!

Read Other Reflections Here:

Reflection 1
Reflection 2
Reflection 3

Reflection 4

Documents, Artifacts, and Thinking Historically

2011-07-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

The High School Ambassadors have had an exciting first two days full of document-based activities, Park history, historical thinking techniques, tours, and scholarly discussion!

See what they have been up to in the photo gallery below, and come back each day to read their reflections!

Report 3: Reflecting on the Past Three Weeks

2011-07-08T16:50:00.012-04:00

Now that we are wrapping up our third week of the program (and our final week before the students join us), we wanted to take some time to reflect on what we have done thus far and why we have decided to do what we are doing with the students once they are here. Our first week here went by pretty quickly, full of tours that allowed us to learn the background information surrounding the Morristown National Historical Park sites, discussing and brainstorming to figure out topics and themes for both the student week and the Traveling Archives Box, and then looking through the Finding Aid and researching documents that we each found interesting. Once we had had a chance to explore the wide range of sources in the Lloyd W. Smith collection, we brought together our plethora of documents and arranged them under various categories in order to prepare ourselves for the next step: sorting through and selecting what documents we really wanted to use. The narrowing down process was difficult, since there are so many exciting and exhilarating documents in the collection, but we ultimately got down to a manageable sized group (have 3-6 documents per category). Using this group of documents, we were able to flesh out both the plan for the week and the lesson plans for the Box, developing various activities, lectures, and presentations to get the students thinking about both the documents and artifacts and the historical process.

While putting everything together, we realized that our actions and the process we were following would be helpful to share with the students for their future historical work. This became our philosophy behind the week with the students and the lesson plans. We decided we want to teach them not only how to think historically, but also how to be Mini-Historians. We will have each day reflect a particular step in what we see as the process for doing historical work: the first day will be about discovering interests and choosing topics, the second day will be about brainstorming different types of documents and artifacts that can be used while researching and then gathering these sources together, the third day will be about analyzing and interpreting those sources and understanding how a physical space can also be used for historical research, and the fourth and fifth days will be about presenting the work they have done and discussing how places, items, and parks are preserved and what career paths historians can follow. While doing all this, they will also be learning about the important role Morristown and other National Historical Parks play in the community and the extensive collection that is housed at this site.

We also composed a couple of worksheets pertaining to the anatomy of a history paper and tips we wish we had learned in high school about what to do and what not to do when writing a paper. Coupled with the week's activities and lesson plans, we feel these worksheets will be great tools that the students can continue to use throughout their high school and college careers.

We look forward to meeting all the students on Monday and cannot wait to see what their different personalities and interests add to the program! The week with them should be full of many exciting moments of discovery, in regards to not only the documents, artifacts, and sites, but also the historical process and skills associated with it. We are very eager to share everything we've found and learned with them!

Hard at Work

2011-07-07T16:57:00.038-04:00

With the high school program just around the corner, the Archival Ambassador interns have been keeping busy.

Interns organize student packets.

group meeting

putting together an activity agenda

Elizabeth and Lauren finalize notes and select manuscripts for next week.

folder preparation

Park Stewards Intern, Stephanie Daugherty, assists the group with participant mailings.

Mentor Teacher, Christina Wallace, gives advice on lesson planning and student activities.

Lauren prepares student activities.

Andrea transcribes a manuscript.

Lauren and Elizabeth prepare to photograph original manuscripts for document activities.

Park Stewards Teaching Fellow, Laurie Schmid, stops in for a visit.

Peter and Lacey examine an original manuscript.

Peter and Lauren conduct a live feed test run in the Ford Mansion.

Lauren organizes potential student workshop topics.

Ranger Thomas Winslow and Teacher-Ranger-Teacher, Steve Santucci, stop by to view a Nathaniel Greene manuscript the Ambassadors will use during the high school program.

The group visits Jockey Hollow to test run the outdoor game plan. (Wick Orchard pictured).

Elizabeth examines maps on microfilm.

Around the Corner: Community Day

2011-07-06T15:46:00.009-04:00

Our High School Archival Ambassadors are joining us July 11-16 for an academic day camp. The program will include working with authentic documents, refining historical thinking skills, touring historical sites, and learning about careers in the field of history among other activities. On Saturday, July 16 they will present their findings!

Join Us!

Archival Ambassadors Go to Jockey Hollow!

2011-07-06T13:42:00.012-04:00

At the end of last week we ventured out to Jockey Hollow to flesh out the logistics of the day that we are taking the students there. We went to the Visitor Center, checked out the gardens and Wick House, and then walked the trail to the soldier huts. Along the way, we kept track of time and came up with more activities we can do with the students. We also saw some neat things (like deer and toads) along the trail and became acquainted with nature.

Report 2: Wrapping Up Week Two

2011-06-30T14:20:00.024-04:00

We are now wrapping up our second week of the program and are getting things finalized for the week the students come in. Spending most of the week brainstorming our plans for each day and working together to gather documents and supplies, we were able to accomplish a lot. We have written out a tentative schedule (including activities and topics to cover on each day, as well as field trips), mailed a letter out to the students, and put together folders for each student that include various worksheets and resources.

Aside from all the planning for the week, we also each did some more research and went through the documents we have amassed in order to close in on which ones we want to focus on and ensure that all of them are printed out and labeled. We also began transcribing some of the more important documents to be sure that we have a full understanding of what they say and how we can incorporate them. We are planning on further discussing the documents to decide which ones we want to show the students and include in the Traveling Archives Box. In the upcoming days, we will also be building off of our plans for the week to develop the lesson plans for the Box.

Meet the Archival Ambassadors' Mentor Teacher!

2011-06-30T13:16:00.013-04:00

Christina Wallace
Hello! My name is Christina Wallace and I am currently a history teacher in Newark, NJ. I have been teaching for eleven years, and this past week I have had the great privilege and honor to serve as a mentor teacher for interns in the Archival Ambassadors program here at Washington's Headquarters Museum. I have taught US History for many years, but being here at the park and museum archives has truly been a treat. I have had an opportunity to examine and analyze several different primary source documents as well as work collaboratively with these amazing interns. For the past five days, my task has been to show them how to write lessons and create activities for the classroom. In addition, I have learned a great deal from them and the museum staff. I have learned that there are thousands of primary source documents, artifacts, maps, paintings, and so much more here in the museum archives. I have had the opportunity to create lesson plans, explore the teacher resources, and engage in many conversations about the importance of primary source documents in the classroom. Sarah, Jude, and myself have been exploring the many possibilities for teachers and students from Newark Public Schools to not only utilize the great museum archives and programs, but also to create new partnerships that foster collaboration on bringing the archives to the classroom in a variety of ways. I am very excited about all of the future opportunities to come. I am also very proud that two of my students will be participating in the Archival Ambassadors program starting July 11th. I know that they will have an amazing and life-changing experience as I have had. Thank you to all the interns and staff, especially Sarah for inviting me to be a part of this program.

Report 1: Greetings from the Archival Ambassadors!

2011-06-24T13:52:00.027-04:00

We are now wrapping up our first week working with the Lloyd W. Smith collection to put together a Traveling Archives unit box for high school students as well as a plan for when our students come to join us later on in the program. It has been a very successful week, full of brainstorming, planning, and researching the collection using microfilm and other sources. Together, we were able to come up with an overall theme for our project, focusing on the everyday lives of people (soldiers at rest, women, children, slaves, Indians, etc.) during wars and the behind-the-scenes workings of the military when both at war and peace. We’re interested in not only covering the Revolutionary War era, which is fitting given our location at Morristown, but also other wars overtime and various locations in order to provide a full understanding of colonial life in general.

So far, each of us has been focusing on various subsections of our overall theme in order to gather all the manuscripts and other documents in the collection that we can include in both the unit box and our time with the students. We have all been able to find a variety of interesting things that may end up being useful.

Andrea has been focusing on looking for manuscripts written by soldiers pertaining to any aspect of the workings of war (not including the battles themselves), as well as any letters or memoirs that can shed light on the lives of everyday people during the colonial period. She has also been looking into anything that may illustrate relations with Indians or the role religion played in the colonial period. Through looking through rolls of microfilm, Andrea has been able to find a couple of particularly useful documents, including a return of provisions and stores received for the use of General John Sullivan (who was stationed in Staten Island in 1777). This document is particularly important in understanding the types of goods soldiers would have needed during the war and how much they would have cost.

Peter has been focusing this week on the economic impact of the American Revolution. Because the military had very little money, they needed to borrow from local businesses and farms constantly, and luckily many of those transactions have been documented. Money for guns, powder, clothing, and food were all copiously transcribed by the Continentals, and much can be ascertained from their records. Peter found a very interesting set of transactions by a leading general in Quebec who wrote his accounts in both English and French. His ledger has been interesting not only because of the amount of materials he purchased, but also because we are able to compare his use of two languages side by side.

Elizabeth has been looking for maps and references to transportation. She has also been brainstorming ideas of activities for possible lesson plans to use with the students attending the program, as well as in the Traveling Archives Box. One neat document that Elizabeth has found is a map of Louisiana in French.

Lacey is focusing on various aspects of home life, including the experiences of women, children, indentured servants, and slaves. Since these groups tend to leave little in the way written documents, spaces themselves, such as the Ford Mansion, serve as excellent sources of information for clues as to the experiences of the eighteenth century home. Additionally, objects located in the gallery at the Washington Headquarters Museum, including dishes, clothing, and toys, provide insight into their owners' lives. Lacey has also had some success locating written documents about these subjects, some written by them and some only written about them. Types of sources she has found, and continues to search for, include family papers, personal letters, calling cards, deeds, and wills. A particularly meaningful source she found was the manumission documents of a slave owned by a woman. This document combines the experiences of both a person of color and a property-owning woman, two voices that are rarely heard in the written historical record.

Lauren is working on finding documents that contain poetry and other literary works. Some soldiers wrote beautiful moving letters. One letter that is particularly fascinating was one that was written by an ex-soldier to his friend that he met in prison. They were both captured by the British in the war. He finally recounted how he came to be captured and questioned by the British and escaped by digging a hole out of his cell. His story was moving and shows that there is always more to war than the battles. Also, Lauren is working on finding documents written by well-known people and finding another side of them that is rarely seen in public.

During the week the students are here, we will implement these documents and our process in explaining the role of a historian to them, so they can understand the process of formulating a broad topic based on their interests and then research it, shaping the topic to make it more refined and tight. Once they find good sources, they will learn how to analyze them to really understand the document and what it can tell us. Finally, after they have learned to analyze the documents they will be able to interpret them and learn how their interpretation of a document shapes how people perceive it. By the students putting together an exhibit of the documents and presenting their interpretations of them, they will be able to teach people who do not know about the documents. They will also learn about how sites and physical objects can also be interpreted and what the role of Morristown and other Historical National Parks is.

Meet the interns HERE.

This post written by the 2011 Archival Ambassadors Team.

Meet the Archival Ambassadors!

2011-06-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth Ambrose

"My name is Elizabeth Ambrose. I just finished my sophomore year at Kutztown University. I am working to get my Bachelors in history and secondary education. I am also volunteering at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morristown this summer."

Andrea Mehler

"My name is Andrea Mehler and I am currently attending Drew University for my Masters degree in History and Culture. Having graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelors in history and a minor in anthropology, I am particularly interested in cultural history and the preservation and use of historical documents and artifacts and how everyday people lived their lives. I am also interested in public history and museums and the way knowledge is disseminated to the general public. Through this program, I hope to develop my archiving, exhibit planning, and teaching skills in order to aide me in my career search. I look forward to working with everyone involved with the Archival Ambassadors program, especially the students!"

Lacey Sparks

"My name is Lacey Sparks and I'm currently pursuing my masters degree in women's and gender history at Rutgers University-Newark. I received my bachelors in history and French at Murray State University, a rural school in Kentucky, my home state. I'm interested in women's and gender history, feminist theory, critical race theory, and queer theory, especially within the context of imperial/ colonial history. Cultural history, or the history of everyday life, is of particular importance to me since I like to study groups who were previously left out of the historical record and don't leave many written documents behind. When I grow up I'd like to be a history professor. This program is an excellent fit for me because it combines historical research and teaching, the skills I'll use the most in my career in academia."

Peter Mabli

"My name is Peter Mabli and I am a third year graduate student at Drew University. I currently am working on my Ph.D. in early American intellectual history, specifically the development of universities in the early American republic and their impact on the young nation’s culture and politics. I graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelors degree in history and a Masters degree in secondary education. In the past I have worked as both a high school history teacher and an adjunct professor. I hope to instill my excitement and passion for history with all the students in the Archival Ambassadors Program, and I look forward to working with everyone!"

Lauren Talley

"My name is Lauren Talley and I am a second year graduate student in the Masters History Program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I received a Honors Baccalaureate degree in History for my undergraduate thesis on Vestal Virgins from the same university. My concentration is in public history but I am also greatly interested in European history. Experience has taught me that the way people perceive the past shapes the future and I feel that it is necessary for me to help people learn how to properly analyze and interpret history. The Archival Ambassadors program will help me learn how to guide and teach others as well as show me new and relatively untouched documents that make me interested in a part of history that I had previously not been interested in."

Learn more HERE.

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

2011-06-16T16:58:00.005-04:00

Wondering how you can utilize new technologies in your history classroom?

Have you considered starting a class blog?

Many free social media services, like blogger, are a big hit with middle school and high school students. Blogs are becoming an increasingly popular way for educators to communicate with students both inside and outside of the classroom.

Many blog features/tools, such as commenting, surveys, slideshows, and embedded media can be useful teaching tools. Classroom blogs give students the opportunity to publish web content, communicate what they have learned about history, and practice critical thinking and analysis skills with classmates, parents and outside readers.

For a great article on classroom blog use, teacher preparation, and pitfalls, click HERE.

Welcome Interns!

2011-06-02T16:21:00.006-04:00

Morristown would like to welcome our 2011 Archival Ambassadors Interns.

Later this month, you can follow their progress as they share their experiences on this blog. In July, they will be joined by a talented group of high school students.

Stay Tuned!

From left to right: Peter Mabli, Andrea Mehler, Elizabeth Ambrose, Lacey Sparks, and Lauren Talley.

Explore The Idea of America

2011-06-01T14:13:00.020-04:00

IdeaofAmerica.org is a companion Web site to The Idea of America curriculum that is free and open to the public. It is comprised of three main components: Current Events, the Virtual Republic, and the Teachers' Forum

CURRENT EVENTS

The Current Events extensions make direct connections to today’s news. The Current Events section of this Web site provides lesson strategies designed to help students compare the past with the present and allow the past to inform decisions made for the future. Regular updates ensure that students will always have genuine Current Events connections. Each topic includes links to relevant news articles and a lesson strategy for addressing the issue in the classroom. The lessons can be used in conjunction with The Idea of America curriculum or on their own. If a teacher uses The Idea of America, he or she can access the Current Events extension through the link provided in the case study. Teachers can also search for Current Events lessons by keyword or browse the chronological list of case studies.

VIRTUAL REPUBLIC

The Virtual Republic is a place for students to discuss and debate with other students from across the country. When students finish a Current Events lesson, they write a “We believe . . .” statement, which is a declaration of where they stand on the issue addressed by the lesson. Students can use the Virtual Republic to comment and vote on “We believe . . .” statements for other classes. Once students receive support for their statement, they are encouraged to take action in their own communities. The Virtual Republic can be used in conjunction with The Idea of America or on its own. However, it should be used to follow up on one of the Current Events lessons or other teacher-directed current events discussion in the classroom. The Virtual Republic can be used many ways. Teachers can divide their class into multiple groups or one single group and they can schedule the debate to last for a week, a month, or a whole semester. It’s up to them!

TEACHERS' FORUM

The Teachers' Forum is a section of this Web site for teachers. Each teacher can create a profile and use the forum to connect with other teachers, share ideas, or find a class to debate in the Virtual Republic.

*Text taken from IdeaofAmerica.org

The Role of Historical Sites

2011-05-25T11:23:00.044-04:00

Did you know Morristown was the first National Historical Park?

Signed into legislation by President Herbert Hoover on March 2, 1933, Morristown became the first site to fulfill National Park Service director Horace Albright's vision of historic preservation.

Since the 1930s, many historical battlefields, war memorials, national monuments, presidential homes and birthplaces, and other historic sites and landmarks have been incorporated into the National Park Service.

To learn more about Morristown National Historical Park, click HERE.

For a fun lesson plan on Historical Parks,
see Expanding The Mission: Historical Parks,
part of the National Parks: America's Best Idea Lesson Plans series, on PBS.

Photos by Park volunteer Daniel Beards
Historical announcement, Morristown NHP Library and Archives
Links, National Parks: America's Best Idea
NPS

Fun Summer Ahead

2011-05-24T15:42:00.010-04:00

We have an exciting summer ahead as we kick off our first session of Archival Ambassadors. Starting in June, a team of graduate-level history students and education majors will begin work on an extensive research project. Interns will develop a Traveling Archives curriculum unit, instruct high school Ambassadors, and create a temporary exhibit based on their studies. During the fourth week of the project, a group of high school Ambassadors will join the team for an enrichment program focused on artifact preservation, scholarly research, and primary document analysis. As part of this program, students will assist interns in assembling the exhibit and preparing activities for Community Day (Saturday, July 16). Archival Ambassadors was made possible, in part, by a one-time stewardship grant by the National Park Foundation. Preparation for this new initiative began in 2010 with the development of the prototype Traveling Archives unit by teaching fellow Laurie Schmid of Phillipsburg High School. Internship curriculum planning was completed by Archives Technician and Museum Educator, Sarah Minegar.

Follow coverage of this program HERE starting in June!

Primary Source Seminar's teacher resources are taking off as well. Schmid's summer 2010 contribution helped us get our Traveling Archives component rolling, and our first unit, "The Trials of the New Nation: 1789-1815," is now available for classroom loan. Teachers interested in learning more about integrating primary documents into their lesson plans may attend our annual fall teacher workshop (last year we focused on teaching Document-Based Questions or DBQs) or stop in and use our in-house Teacher Reference Shelf. For those who can't make a visit to the library and archives, our digital resources blog is updated bi-weekly with Mini Lessons and online primary source resources.

Digital History

2011-05-16T09:44:00.004-04:00

Digital History is your connection to digital resources! Through a collaborative project the University of Houston has put together a wonderful site full of primary sources, interactive multimedia, and online exhibits. Search annotated documents from the Gilder Lehrman collection, check out the interactive timeline, complete inquiry-based eXplorations, view e-lectures, browse lesson plans...and much more!!

Visit Today

Special Thanks to Westfield High School

2011-05-14T13:23:00.005-04:00

We would like to thank Ms. Stark and her A.P. U.S. History class for participating in the Primary Source Seminar! It is always a pleasure working with Westfield students!

PBS Teacher Resources

2011-04-12T12:54:00.004-04:00

Looking for materials on current events?

PBS Teachers, sponsored by the Public Broadcasting Service, is an excellent teacher resource. This site covers a wide range of topics and includes materials for pre-K through grade 12. The 9-12 link provides a portal to current events lesson plans on topics like "the state budget crisis" and "cyberbullying." Many of these lessons include images and primary document references.

See examples HERE

Mini Lesson: American Citizens and Philanthropy

2011-03-28T08:57:00.013-04:00

Review the microfilmed document written by John H. Finley (1919) and answer the following questions.

Microfilm

*Field Marshall Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby was a British soldier and administrator who, as leader of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, conquered Palestine and

Syria

in 1917 and 1918.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Look at all parts of the letter carefully. What can you learn about the author of the letter, John H. Finley, as well as its recipient, James H. Manning? What kind of men are they?

2. Use a textbook or the internet to locate Haifa and Asia Minor. Where are they?

3. Look at the date. What major event has just happened in that part of the world?

4. Based on your answers above, hypothesize as to why you believe John H. Finley was in that part of the world. Discuss.

5. After your discussion, read the headline of the article found in the New York Times on April 17, 1918. Why was Finley in Asia Minor?

6. Can you think of any recent examples where prominent Americans have gotten involved in relief campaigns?

New York Times Article

National History Standards:

Era 8, Standard 2B: The causes and global consequences of World War I

Historical Thinking: Standard 1: Chronological Thinking, Standard 2: Historical Comprehension, Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation, Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities, Standard 5: Historical Issues—Analysis and Decision-Making

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards:

6.2.12.C.4.c Assess the short- and long-term demographic, social, economic, and environmental consequences of the violence and destruction of the two World Wars.

Social Studies Skills: Chronological Thinking, Spatial Thinking, and Critical Thinking

Sources

“Finley Heads Palestine Mission.” The New York Times. 17 April 1918. http://query.nytimes.com

Finley, John H. Letter to James H. Manning. 26 May 1919. Lloyd W. Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park.

National History Standards: http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/us-standards5-12.html

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards: http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs

ML9: American Citizens and Philanthropy
Mini Lesson by Laurie Schmid

Teacher Reference Shelf UPDATE

2011-03-07T16:55:00.004-05:00

We've added new titles to the Teacher Reference Shelf.

Click HERE.

New upper elementary and middle school resources available.

New Jersey History Kids

2011-03-02T11:09:00.005-05:00

Want to share information about New Jersey history, geography, and state government with your elementary student? The New Jersey Historical Commission's New Jersey History Kids site allows educators to navigate through various locations in New Jersey and watch videos, read documents, and complete activities.

See more HERE.

Dr. Suess Went to War

2011-02-10T10:35:00.022-05:00

The Mandeville Special Collections Library is featuring an interesting online exhibit of Theodor Seuss Geisel's political cartoons, entitled
Dr. Suess Went to War.

SEE OTHER CARTOONS *HERE* This fascinating database is searchable by date and subject.

INTRODUCTION

by Richard H. Minear

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904-1991) was a life-long cartoonist: in high school in Springfield, Massachusetts; in college at Dartmouth (Class of 1925); as an adman in New York City before World War II; in his many children's books, beginning with To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street (1937). Because of the fame of his children's books (and because we often misunderstand these books) and because his political cartoons have remained largely unknown, we do not think of Dr. Seuss as a political cartoonist. But for two years, 1941-1943, he was the chief editorial cartoonist for the New York newspaper PM (1940-1948), and for that journal he drew over 400 editorial cartoons.

The Dr. Seuss Collection in the Mandeville Special Collections Library at the University of California, San Diego, contains the original drawings and/or newspaper clippings of all of these cartoons. This website makes these cartoons available to all internet users. The cartoons have been scanned from the original newspaper clippings in the UCSD collection.

Dr. Seuss Goes to War by historian Richard H. Minear (The New Press, 1999) reproduced some two hundred of the PM cartoons. That means that two hundred of the cartoons available here have received no airing or study since their original appearance in PM. The cartoons Dr. Seuss published in other journals are even less known; there is no mention of them in Dr. Seuss Goes to War. Dr. Seuss also drew a set of war bonds "cartoons" which appeared in many newspapers as well as in PM.

Excerpt taken from the Dr. Suess Went to War catalog website.

Producer: Mandeville Special Collections Library, University of California, San Diego

Mini Lesson: The Formation of Perth Amboy

2011-01-10T11:15:00.004-05:00

Do you know when the town or city you live in was formed? Was it a part of another city before it existed on its own?

Many towns and cities in New Jersey used to be parts of other cities before they were given their own names.

Below is a transcription of a document that created the city of Perth Amboy. Read the text, and then click the picture to view the actual document.

Assembly, No. 83—State of New Jersey

A Supplement to the act entitled "an act for erecting the north ward of Perth Amboy, and a part of the township of Woodbridge, in the county of Middlesex, into a city, and for incorporating the same by the name and title of ‘The City of Perth Amboy’, passed the twenty-first of December, seventeen hundred and eighty-four."

1 Sec 2. Be it enacted by the Council and General Assembly of this State,

2 And it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that from and after the

3 Passage of this supplement, the mayor, recorder, and alderman of the city of Perth

4 Amboy shall be chosen annually by the inhabitants thereof, who are or may be qualified

5 To vote for township officers, at such times and places and in such manner as the
6 Common council of said city, and the township officers of the township of Perth Amboy

7 Now or hereafter may be elected; but every person elected as such mayor,

8 Recorder, or alderman, shall be a freeholder in said city, and shall have resided therein.

9 For at least six months before such election; provided, that the present mayor,

10 Recorder, and aldermen of said city, shall continue in office for or during the term or

11 Terms for which they have been respectively appointed and commissioned, unless

12 The said offices shall be vacated by the death, resignation, disqualification or change

13 Of residence of the said the present mayor, recorder, or alderman, or either of them.

1 Sec 2. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately after the passage thereof.

Questions for discussion

1.) Who was this document written for?

2.) Do you think this document made any significant changes for the people living in the area of Perth Amboy?

3.) Do you know when your own town was founded? What do you know about the history of your own town?

4.) When the people living in a town have knowledge about the history of their own town, do you think it helps foster a sense of community? Why of why not?

5.) What may have motivated the decision to make Perth Amboy into its own city?

6.) According to the document, who will choose the government of the city of Perth Amboy?

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

6.2.4. C.2 Discuss how governmental bodies make decisions and explain the impact of those decisions on school and community life.
6.4.4. A.2 Compare family life in a community of the past to life in a community of the present.
6.4.4. A.4 Discuss the history of their community, including the origins of its name, groups and individuals who lived there, and access to important places and buildings in the community.
6.6.4. B.3. Describe the geography of New Jersey.
6.6.4. B.2 Explain changes in places and regions over time and the consequences of those changes.

National Standards

NSS-USH.K-4.1 Living and working together in families and communities, now and long ago.
Understands the history of the local community and how communities in North America varied long ago.
NSS-USH.K-4.2 the history of students’ own state or region.
Understands the people, events, problems, and ideas that were significant in creating the history of their state.

NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and regions
Understands the physical and human characteristics of places.
Understand that people create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.
Understands how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions.

NSS-G.K-12.6 the uses of Geography
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Sources

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2004/

National Standards

http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/us_history/5_12.shtml

Asssembly No. 83-State of New Jersey. Lloyd W. Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 735

ML8: The Formation of Perth Amboy

Mini Lesson by Karyn Pereny

Archival Ambassadors Accepting Applications

2010-12-09T09:22:00.008-05:00

Archival Ambassadors is accepting applications for our High School program, graduate internships, and Mentor Teacher position.

High School Program Requirements:
Teacher Nomination
Application
Transcripts
Teacher Recommendation
Essays
Guardian Signature

Teachers, if you are interested in nominating your high school student as an Archival Ambassador, please reach the contact below.

Session will meet July 11-16. * Application deadline: April 15, 2011.

Graduate Internship Requirements:
Current enrollment
Application
Transcripts
Instructor Recommendation
Essays

If you are interested in applying for an internship, please reach the contact below.

Session will meet: 9am-3pm, M-F June 20-July 15, Sat July 16 * Application deadline: March 1, 2011.

Mentor Teacher:
History/Social Studies degree
5+ years classroom experience
two week summer commitment

If you are interested in serving as a mentor teacher for professional development credit, please reach the contact below.

9am-3pm, M-F June 22-July 6

Contact
Sarah Minegar: sarah_minegar (at) nps (dot) gov

Evaluation Copy of Great Peacemakers

2010-12-01T10:09:00.004-05:00

Free Evaluation Copy of Great Peacemakers while supplies last.

click HERE

Book Description
It is said that the choices we make determine the lives we lead. In this book you will meet twenty inspiring individuals who have made peace their choice in life—from a Vietnamese monk to a Brazilian musician, from a Swedish children’s author to an Iranian-American architect. Exploring a wide range of approaches to peacemaking, Great Peacemakers is organized into five paths to peace: choosing nonviolence, living peace, honoring diversity, valuing all life, and caring for the planet. Each path showcases the true life stories of four amazing peacemakers who have successfully cultivated peace in a variety of ways. As a whole, the book strives for a balance of race, nationality, religion, gender, age, and level of fame. (Description taken from website).

Whether you are a parent seeking positive roles models for your children, an educator looking for thought-provoking material for your students, or someone simply wanting an uplifting read, Great Peacemakers is sure to meet your needs and inspire the peacemaker in you. (Description taken from website).

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter (pdf)

Praise

About the Authors

http://www.greatpeacemakers.com

>For Educators

New Books Added to Teacher Reference Shelf

2010-11-22T16:46:00.022-05:00

New Titles:

Morris, Lawrence et al. Daily Life Through World History in Primary Documents: The Ancient World: Vol 1. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2009.

Morris, Lawrence et al. Daily Life Through World History in Primary Documents: The Middle Ages and Renaissance: Vol 2. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2009.

Morris, Lawrence et al. Daily Life Through World History in Primary Documents: The Modern World: Vol 3. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2009.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Ancient Past:A Look at the Evidence. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Twentieth Century Past:A Look at the Evidence. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Western Past:A Look at the Evidence. vol 1 to 1789. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2008.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Western Past:A Look at the Evidence. vol 2 since 1500. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2008.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Global Past:A Look at the Evidence. vol 1 to 1650. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2007.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Global Past:A Look at the Evidence. vol 2 since 1400. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2007.

Wiesner, Mary et al. Discovering the Medieval Past:A Look at the Evidence. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2003.

Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce Lesh. Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. vol 1: 1763-1823. Dallas: Schlager Group. 2008.

Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce Lesh. Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. vol 2: 1824-1887. Dallas: Schlager Group. 2008.

Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce Lesh. Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. vol 3: 1888-1955. Dallas: Schlager Group. 2008.

Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce Lesh. Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. vol 4: 1956-2003. Dallas: Schlager Group. 2008.

Finkelman, Paul, and Bruce Lesh. Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. vol 2: 1763-1823. Dallas: Schlager Group. 2008.

Hollitz, John. Thinking Through the Past: A Critical Thinking Approach to U.S. History. vol 1 to 1877. Boston: Wadsworth. 2010.

Hollitz, John. Thinking Through the Past: A Critical Thinking Approach to U.S. History. vol 2 since 1865. Boston: Wadsworth. 2010.

Hollitz, John. Contending Voices: Biographical Explorations of the American Past. vol 1 to 1877. 3rd ed. Boston: Wadsworth. 2011.

Hollitz, John. Contending Voices: Biographical Explorations of the American Past. vol 2 since 1865. 3rd ed. Boston: Wadsworth. 2011.

Edinger, Monica. Seeking History: Teaching With Primary Sources in Grade 4-6. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 2000. *with CD rom

Veccia, Susan H. Uncovering Our History: Teaching With Primary Sources. Chicago: American Library Association. 2004.

Becker, Susan. Discovering the American Past: A Look at the Evidence. vol 2 since 1865. 4th ed. New York: 1998.

Graebner, William and Leonard Richards. The American Record: Images of Nation's Past. vol 1 to 1877. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1995.

Graebner, William and Leonard Richards. The American Record: Images of Nation's Past. vol 2 since 1865. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1995.

View Teacher Reference Shelf {click}

*We are working to order more books for teaching primary documents in the middle grades. If you have suggestions, please let us know and we will add them to our queue.

*

Special Thanks to Educators

2010-11-15T09:58:00.005-05:00

We would like to thank all of the educators who participated in our recent DBQ teacher workshop. It was great working with such an enthusiastic group. We hope to see you and your students in the spring!

For information about other Professional Development Opportunities click {HERE}

College/Graduate Level Internship & High School Summer Program - Archival Ambassadors {HERE}

Classroom Resources {HERE}

Thanks,

Curatorial Staff

Mini Lesson: Thanksgiving

2010-11-09T12:00:00.013-05:00

Review the following document written by Hamilton Fish (1849) regarding the observance of Thanksgiving Day as a public holiday, and then complete the questions.

microfilm

transcription

{click to enlarge images for printing}

Questions for Discussion:
1. Who wrote this letter? What position do you think he held in New York? Defend your hypothesis.
2. To whom was this letter written? Of what state was he governor?
3. On what topic does the letter focus? Is this issue a matter of concern today? Why not?
4. Why do you think November 29th would be more convenient than one earlier in the month?
5. What does Fish call the holiday being discussed? What insight does this give you into how 19th-century Americans viewed this day? How does this view compare to today?

Standards
National History Standards:
Era 4, Standard 4B: The student understands how Americans strived to reform society and create a distinct culture.
Historical Thinking: Standard 1: Chronological Thinking, Standard 2: Historical Comprehension, Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation, Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities, Standard 5: Historical Issues—Analysis and Decision-Making

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards:
6.1.12.D.3.e Determine the impact of religious and social movements on the development of American culture, literature, and art.
Social Studies Skills: Chronological Thinking and Critical Thinking

Sources
Fish, Hamilton. Letter to Governor Daniel Haines. 6 October 1849. LWS Lloyd William Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park.

National History Standards: http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/us-standards5-12.html
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards: http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs

ML7: Thanksgiving

Mini Lesson by Laurie Schmid

Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy

2010-10-26T09:37:00.005-04:00

Yale's Avalon Project has an impressive collection of document transcriptions dating from 4000 bce through the 21st Century. This expansive database provides information that teachers can potentially use to create lesson plans. The full text option makes excerpting for DBQs rather convenient.

Raising Money for Classroom Projects: DonorsChoose.org

2010-10-15T17:20:00.008-04:00

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.

Here's how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

You'll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. If you give over $100, you'll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. We call it citizen philanthropy (DonorsChoose.org).

check out New Jersey projects HERE

Teacher Workshop Around the Corner

2010-10-12T12:57:00.010-04:00

Come join us for our annual fall teacher workshop. This fall, our workshop will focus on teaching Document Based Questions (DBQs). See tentative agenda to right.

November 10, 2010

Workshops are FREE to teachers and education majors, and participating teachers will receive professional development certificates.

To Register Contact:

Sarah at sarah_minegar(at)nps(dot)gov

RSVP by Oct 27, 2010. (call to check for vacancies)

{click image to enlarge}

Free Historical Thinking Poster from teachinghistory.org

2010-10-07T11:52:00.004-04:00

The National History Education Clearinghouse is offering a FREE Historical Thinking poster. The poster is designed to help elementary school students (left side feature) and secondary students (right side feature) conceptualize historical thinking skills.

Click here to request your poster
http://teachinghistory.org/historical-thinking-poster-request

Morristown Manuscript and Educational Program Featured in SAA Publication

2010-10-04T12:38:00.022-04:00

The Division of Cultural Resources at Morristown had the privlege of being featured in the September/October issue of Archival Outlook.

Alessandro Scarlatti's La Giuditta, a Lloyd W. Smith Archival Collection treasure, appears on the cover of the issue, and an excellent writeup on our educational program, Primary Source Seminar, is highlighted on pages 7,8 and 39.

{click thumbnails to view cover and read article}

*Permission to publish was kindly granted by Archival Outlook.

Read more about La Giuditta here.
Cover photo by Morristown NHP volunteer Steve Newfield.

Mini Lesson: New Jersey's Own Joseph Bloomfield

2010-10-01T11:18:00.008-04:00

Joseph Bloomfield was the governor of New Jersey from 1801-1812. Originally from Woodbridge, New Jersey; he became a prominent lawyer and abolitionist. He also served in the Revolutionary War as a Major from 1776-1778 and in the War of 1812 as a Brigadier General from 1812-1815. Today, the town of Bloomfield, New Jersey, is named for him.

The following document confirms Joseph Bloomfield as a New Jersey delegate of the Society of the Cincinnati. The Society of the Cincinnati was formed at the end of the Revolutionary War by French and American army officers because they wanted to preserve the friendship they formed while fighting for liberty.

The document reads as follows:

"At a meeting of the New Jersey State Society of Cincinnati at Elizabeth town on the fourth day of July in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, General Joseph Bloomfield, General John Beatty, and Colonel Aaron Ogden were July elected delegates to represent the New Jersey State Society in the General Society of the Cincinnati until the next anniversary of the Independence of the United States. "

{Click the picture to view an enlarged image of the document.}

Questions for discussion
1.)How long will General Joseph Bloomfield, General John Beatty, and Colonel Aaron Ogden serve as elected delegates to represent the Society of Cincinnati?
2.) Why is it important that General Bloomfield, General Beatty, and Colonel Ogden were elected and not appointed?

If you viewed the document, you probably noticed how detailed the seal is! {Click the picture to view an enlarged image of the seal.}

Questions for discussion:

1.) What do you first notice about it?

2.) What details do you notice when you examine it more closely?

3.) Can you read what it says?

Joseph Bloomfield was also a noted abolitionist. He was recognized as a member of the Maryland Society for his abolitionist efforts.

The document reads:

" These may certify, that Joseph Bloomfield of New jersey is a member of the 'Maryland Society, for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, and the relief of the Negroes, and Others, unlawfully held in Bondage.'" Joseph Townsend, Secretary
Baltimore April 27, 1794.

{Click the picture to view a larger image of the document.}

Question for discussion

1.) How did Joseph Bloomfield's actions affect the state of New Jersey?

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

6.2.4. A.3 Recognize that government exits at the community, county, state, and federal levels.

6.4.4. B.3 Discuss the value of the American national heritage including: historical preservation of primary documents, buildings, places of memory, and significant artifacts.

National Standards

NSS-USH.K-4.2 the history of student’s own state or region.

Understands the people, events, problems, and ideas that were significant in creating the history of their state.
NSS-USH.K-4.3 the history of the United States: Democratic principles and values and the people from many cultures who contributed to its cultural, economic, and political heritage. Understands how democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols.

Sources

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/index.html

National Standards
http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/index.shtml

Historical Society of Bloomfield
http://www.bloomfieldhistorical.org/history.htm

The Society of the Cincinnati
http://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/

Bloomfield, Joseph. Memo, Cincinnati. Lloyd W. Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown NJ 07960. LWS 64.

ML6:New Jersey's Own Joseph Bloomfield

Mini Lesson by Karyn Pereny

Revolution Day by Day

2010-09-16T16:26:00.006-04:00

Let students experience the American Revolution, one day at a time.

The National Park Service has created an American Revolution chronology site:

The American Revolution: Lighting Freedom's Flame {click}

This site includes a learning page with lesson plans, a Revolutionary War chronology, a tour of revolutionary parks, and a unit connecting the revolution to today's issues.

Mini Lesson: Slave Receipt

2010-09-08T09:41:00.003-04:00

The following is a slave receipt from 1800. The language used conveys the disregard that slave traders had for the human beings that they sold. Read the transcription below and then click the picture to view a larger image of the document.

"Received New York, April 15 1800 of Mrs. Sarah M. McComb one hundred and seventy five dollars in full for a Negro woman named Susan aged about thirty three years with her female child about ten months old."

Questions for discussion

1.) What does this document tell you about the institution of slavery in America?
2.) Why do you think the child is not given a name in this document?
3.) This document was written over two hundred years ago. How has America changed regarding race relations since then?
4.) What more would you like to know about Mrs. Sarah McComb?

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards

6.2.4. A.1 Explain how present events are connected to the past.
6.4.4. A.3 Discuss the reasons why various groups, voluntarily and involuntarily, immigrated to America and New Jersey and describe the problems they encountered.
6.4.8. F.11 Understand the institution of slavery in the United States, resistance to it, and New Jersey’s role in the Underground Railroad.

National Standards

NSS-USH.K-4.3 The history of the United States: democratic principles and values and the people from many cultures who contributed to its cultural, economic, and political heritage. Understands how democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols.
Understands the causes and nature of movements of large groups of people into and within the United States, now and long ago.
Understands the folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they helped to form a national heritage.

NSS-USH.5-12.5 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Understands the causes of the Civil War
Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
Understands how various reconstruction plans succeeded or failed

Sources

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2004/

National Social Studies Standards http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/us_history/5_12.shtml

McComb, Sarah. Lloyd W. Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 755.

ML5: Slave Receipt
Mini Lesson by Karyn Pereny

American Rhetoric Speech Database

2010-09-02T14:34:00.005-04:00

Want a way to enliven your lesson plans? Let history SPEAK for itself.

American Rhetoric is your link to thousands of archived speeches (full text, audio, and video).

See their "Top 100" here.

Get Ready for National History Day 2011!

2010-08-16T21:32:00.007-04:00

Every year National History Day frames students' research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. This year's theme is Debate & Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, Consequences. The intentional selection of the theme for National History Day is to provide an opportunity for students to push past the antiquated view of history as mere facts and dates and drill down into historical content to develop perspective and understanding.

The NHD theme provides a focused way to increase student's historical understanding by developing a lens to read history, an organizational structure that helps students place information in the correct context and finally, the ability to see connections over time. (Information taken from the NHD website).

http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/AnnualTheme.htm

Mini Lesson: Handwriting: Not a joke!

2010-08-09T07:00:00.006-04:00

Has your handwriting changed since you first learned how to write? As we grow older, our handwriting typically changes along with us. Although it is sometimes overlooked as an academic subject, handwriting is an essential tool for communication.

During the early 19th century, handwriting was one of the most important lessons taught to young students. The following sentences are from what our curator believes to be a handwriting exercise from the early nineteenth century. So go ahead and practice your cursive! You might find yourself chuckling as well! Click the pictures to view the actual worksheet from the early nineteenth century.

What do you think of these 19th century jokes?

Here are sample of exercises from the worksheet:

Why is pen ink and paper like the morning star?
Because it is stationary.

Why is an apple like a pair of skates?
Occasion the fall of man.

Why do you go to bed?

Because the bed won't come to you.

Why are two laughing girls like the wings of a chicken?
Because they have a merry thought between them.

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
3.2.4. C. 11 Write legibly in manuscript or cursive to meet district standards.
3.2.4. C.1 Use Standard English conventions that are appropriate to the grade level, such as sentence structure grammar and usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and handwriting.
6.2.4. A.1 Explain how present events are connected to the past.
6.2.4. A.5 Distinguish between an eye witness account and a secondary account of an event.

National Standards
4.2 Letter Skills

4.3 Connection Skills

NSS-C.K-4.2 Values and Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen

Sources
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2004/

National Standards
http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/us_history/k_4.shtml

School lessons early 19th century. Lloyd W. Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 755

ML4:Handwriting: Not a joke!

Mini Lesson by Karyn Pereny

Archival Ambassadors

2010-08-02T22:23:00.011-04:00

We are pleased to announced our latest program initiative, Archival Ambassadors. Archival Ambassadors is a stewardship program that brings high school and college level students together to study history via primary sources. We are able to pilot this initiative with funding provided by the National Park Foundation's Stewardship Grant, and with the help of our stewardship fellow, Ms. Laurie Johnson. It is our intention to formally debut this program in the spring of 2010.

a sneak peek...

Archival Ambassadors
During their tenure, Archival Ambassadors will participate in various activities on the subjects of preservation, historical research and document analysis. Ambassadors will culminate their training by hosting a community day, open to the public, where they will share with members of the community what they have learned during their summer studies.

Archival Ambassadors Internship Program
The Archival Ambassadors program will be led by a team of graduate level education and history majors (interns). Interns will conduct research and create a Traveling Archives unit plan which they will use to instruct the Archival Ambassadors and to curate a temporary exhibit featuring documents they have selected. Interns will guide Ambassadors in community day activities.

DocsTeach

2010-07-19T15:46:00.011-04:00

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has just introduced its latest educational iniative, DocsTeach.

One of the greatest DocsTeach tools is the space to create your own interactive learning activities. Here you can create a variety of lessons using the ARC digital archives database.

Examples:

Or check out these ready to use lesson plans.

For full access to this free web lesson planning service, set up an account with DocsTeach.

Presidential Resources: The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century

2010-07-06T13:25:00.004-04:00

The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century is your connection to documents, photographs, audio recordings, and video relating to the events of the presidents’ lives.

Visit: http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/

This project, developed by the Learning Technology Center in The University of Texas at Austin College of Education, in conjunction with the Presidential Libraries and Terra Incognita Productions, has put together an impressive interactive timeline.

Be sure to check out the educational activities and resources.

Mini Lesson: Once Upon a Time, There Was A Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes!

2010-06-30T10:43:00.019-04:00

The following paragraphs are snippets taken from Edward Topsell's A Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes, written in 1607. Pick one, two, or three of the samples and allow students to delve into the language of the 1600s while reading tales of their favorite beasts!

{Click the picture to view an illustration from the book}.

Beware of a Hungry Lion!

...There is no beast more vehement than a she or female lyon...A lyon...is most fierce and also when he is hungry, but when he is satisfied and filled, he laid aside that meeke and gentle nature, so that it is less dangerous to meet with him filled then hungry, for he never devore any till famine constrain him...(462).

Questions for discussion:

1.) According to the paragraph, when is a lion most fierce?
2.) According to the paragraph, which is fiercer, the male or female lion?
3.) Does this paragraph provide any evidence that its claims are true?

Dancing Dogs!

...There are also dogs among of a mungrel kind, which are taught and exercised to dance in measure at the musical sound of an instrument...at the sweet accent of the Citerne, and tuned strings of the harmonious harp, showing many pretty tricks by the gesture of their bodies. As to stand bolt upright, to lie flat upon the ground, to turn round as rings holding their tails in their teeth, to beg for their meat, and sundry such properties, which they learne of their vagabond masters, whose instruments they are to gather gaine whithal in city, country, town, and village. As some which carry old Apes on their shoulders in coloured jackets to move men to laughter for a little lucre.(177).

Questions for discussion:

1.) According to the paragraph, what types of dogs are taught to dance?
2.) What types of instruments do the dogs dance to?
3.) What types of tricks were the dogs able to perform?

Lion Potions!

The blood of a lyon being rubbed or spread upon a canker, or upon a sore which is swelled upon the veins, will presently and without any pain cure and ease the grief thereof. Whoever doth anoint his body all over with the blood of a lyon is reported to be contrary to poison and venemous drinks, and being taken in wine it will by the sent expel all wild beasts from any one, and it doth also resist away the scent of smell of the Serpents, by which they follow men to destroy them...(486).

Questions for discussion:

1.) What were the blood and fat of the lion used for?
2.) How is this paragraph a sign of the time during which it was written?
3.) What are a few examples of ways people take advice and tips today from written publications?

Standards

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
3.4.5. A. 5 Recognize the rich and varied language of literature.
3.5.4. A.4 Distinguish between factual and fictional visual representations.

National Standards
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Understanding the human experience. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g. philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

Thinking Standard 2: Historical Comprehension Thinking Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation.

Sources

Topsell, Edward. The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes. Printed by Iaggard, William, 1607. Lloyd William Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960.

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs

National History Standards:
http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/us-standards5-12.html

National Social Studies Standards: http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/civics/k_4.shtml

ML3: Once Upon a Time, There Was a Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes

Lesson plan by Karyn Pereny

Presidential Resources: The Miller Center of Public Affairs

2010-06-25T11:40:00.031-04:00

The Miller Center of Public Affairs is an immensely valuable resource for those studying presidential history.

The American President component contains presidential biographies, speeches, and links to presidential sites and libraries (and primary documents). Listed speeches include transcriptions, and some of the more modern ones include audio and video recordings.

The Miller Center has made available the digital recordings from the Presidential Recordings Program, a collection of recordings by American presidents of both political parties (between 1940 and 1973), which includes links to virtual exhibits and lesson plans.

The Presidential Oral History, also available online, is a collection of Carter, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Clinton oral histories. It is hopeful that presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and future presidents will take part in this project.

Visit: The Miller Center of Public Affairs

Save the Date: Teacher Workshop

2010-06-18T21:26:00.008-04:00

{click on image to enlarge for printing}

Come join us for our annual fall teacher workshop. This fall, our workshop will focus on teaching Document Based Questions (DBQs).

November 10, 2010

Workshops are FREE to teachers and education majors, and participating teachers will receive professional development certificates.

To Register Contact:
Sarah at sarah_minegar(at)nps(dot)gov

Mini Lesson: Currency Through the Centuries

2010-06-16T10:26:00.031-04:00

{click on images to enlarge}

New Jersey Three Pounds

Georgia Twenty Shillings

Lancaster Bank Five Dollars

This mini lesson examines historical currencies as primary source documents. Students will be able to view and contextualize three different currencies from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and be able to observe, analyze, and make connections to the present day. These questions and documents could be used for many age groups, but are specifically alligned to National Social Studies Standards and New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for fourth grade.

Questions for discussion:

1.) What do you first notice when you look at this piece of currency?

2.) What distinguishes this currency from others and what makes is unique?

3.) Were there any methods used to protect this piece of currency from counterfeit? What methods are used today?

4.) What are a few questions you would like to ask the maker of this currency?

5.) What are some of the similarities and differences between this currency and the currencies that are used today?

6.) Why is money important to you in your daily life? Why is it important in all societies?

National History Standards
Topic 3: The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the Peoples from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic and Political Heritage
Standard 4 : How Democratic Values Came to Be, and How They Have Been Exemplified by People, Events, and Symbols

Thinking Standard 1: Chronological Thinking Thinking Standard 2: Historical Comprehension Thinking Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation Thinking Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities Thinking Standard 5: Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision Making

National Social Studies Standard
NSS-EC. K-4.11 Role of money: Money ma

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard
6.1.4.C.10 Explain the role of money, savings, debt, and investment in individuals' lives.

Images Cited:
New Jersey Three Pounds. Lloyd William Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 4685-179.

Georgia Twenty Shillings. Lloyd William Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 4685-179.

Lancaster Bank Five Pounds. Lloyd William Smith Collection. Morristown National Historical Park. 30 Washington Place, Morristown New Jersey 07960. LWS 1298.

Sources:
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards: http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs

National History Standards: http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards/us-standards5-12.html

National Social Studies Standards: http://www.educationworld.com/standards/national/soc_sci/civics/k_4.shtml

ML2: Currency Through the Centuries

Lesson plan by Karyn Pereny

Annotations, Notes, and Miniwrites

2010-06-08T09:54:00.011-04:00

The National History Education Clearinghouse (teachinghistory.org) resently published an article, Writing to Learn History: Annotations and Mini-Writes, which focuses on engaging learners in history by having them question and analyze documents. The author, Chauncey Monte-Sano, emphasizes the benfits of annotating, highlighting, underlining, and making marginal notes while reading a document.

See Article {Here}

In the Classroom

Model the best ways to annotate documents.
Have students annotate individually, in pairs, or in groups.
Ask students to complete mini-writes independently and then share conclusions with a partner or the entire class.
Invite students to explain why they reached certain conclusions, using excerpts from the documents.
Ask students to write a final essay in response to the unit question; if annotations, mini-writes, and final essay are properly aligned, they will serve as scaffolds for the final essay.
Common Pitfalls

Example:
The Spanish-American War unit from Historical Thinking Matters investigates the question:

Why did the United States invade Cuba in 1898?

To answer this question thoughtfully, students need to consider a range of evidence, multiple causes, and perspectives from the time period. As they analyze documents in writing, students become familiar with the causes of U.S. imperialism in 1898.

Handouts help students to use annotations and mini-writes in responding to three documents that relate to the central inquiry question and lead to an evidence-based essay. Handout 1 models how to annotate a document and offers sample guidelines. Handout 2 provides guidelines for annotating a second document. Handout 3 gives a mini-write prompt in response to an additional document.

("In the Classroom" and "Example" excerpted from Teaching History- Chauncey Monte-Sano)

Special Thanks to Westfield High School

2010-05-19T10:00:00.007-04:00

We would like to thank Ms. Stark and her A.P. U.S. History class for participating in the Primary Source Seminar last week. It was a pleasure working with all of you! We hope to see Westfield H.S. again next year! Good luck with the rest of your semester!

Ready-to-Use Resources: Library of Congress

2010-05-10T12:22:00.012-04:00

Primary Source Sets-Themed Resources-Lesson Plans-Presentations and Activities

Many federal institutions provide free access to primary sources. Like NARA, the Library of Congress (LOC) has digitized and made many primary documents, photographs, maps and other classroom resources available.

Visit the LOC Teacher's Page for:

Primary Source Sets, the American Memory Project, Today in History, Classroom Materials and other great stuff!

Exciting Summer Ahead

2010-05-03T16:15:00.012-04:00

Primary Source Seminar has a full schedule ahead as we spend the summer developing our educational program.

We are fortunate to have two educators on board during the next few months to help develop our curriculum and expand our program offerings.

Karyn Pereny, intern and Rowan University student, is putting together a Traveling Archives unit for grades 4 and 5. Laurie Johnson, Park Stewards Fellow and veteran teacher from Phillipsburg High School, will focus on seminar curriculum and the development of our Archival Ambassadors initiative.

During their tenure, Karyn and Laurie will post as guest writers on this blog.

Stay Tuned.

Unpacking the Evidence

2010-04-28T16:14:00.005-04:00

Teaching World History?

Many World History teachers find it difficult to find and incorporate primary resources into their survey courses. World History Sources, designed by The Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University, was created "to help world history teachers and students locate, analyze, and learn from online primary sources and to further their understanding of the complex nature of world history, especially the issues of cultural contact and globalization" (chnm.gmu.edu).

According to their site,
"World History Sources reflects three approaches central to current world history scholarship:

an emphasis on comparative issues rather than civilizations in isolation;
a focus on contacts among different societies and the economic, social, and cultural consequences of those contacts;
and an attentiveness to “global” forces that transcend individual societies or even societies in mutual contact—forces such as technology diffusion, migration, disease transmission, extension and realignments of trade routes, or missionary outreach.

World History Sources also benefits tremendously from recent advances in our understanding of how historical learning takes place, building on strategies designed to improve historical learning and history teaching" (chnm.gmu.edu).

Be sure to check out their unpacking evidence and analyzing documents components!

Documenting the American South

2010-04-13T16:05:00.009-04:00

"Documenting the American South (DocSouth), a digital publishing initiative sponsored by the University Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides access to digitized primary materials that offer Southern perspectives on American history and culture. It supplies teachers, students, and researchers at every educational level with a wide array of titles they can use for reference, studying, teaching, and research.

The texts, images, and other materials come primarily from the premier Southern collections in the libraries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These original Southern materials can be found in several library locations, including the Southern Historical Collection, one of the largest collections of Southern manuscripts in the country; the North Carolina Collection, the most complete printed documentation of a single state anywhere; the Rare Book Collection, which holds an extensive Southern pamphlet collection; and Davis Library, which offers rich holdings of printed materials on the Southeast" (Doc South website).

Be sure to check out their {Oral Histories} project which makes available 500 digitized oral history interviews organized by theme. Themes include Charlotte, Civil Rights, Environmental Transformation, Piedmont Industry, Southern Politics, and Southern Women.

Special Thanks to Roxbury High School

2010-04-05T13:33:00.009-04:00

We would like to thank Ms. Sikorski, Mr. Kelly and their A.P. U.S. History classes for participating in the Primary Source Seminar last week. It was a pleasure working with all of you! We hope to see Roxbury H.S. again next year!

Historical Scene Investigation Project (H.S.I.)

2010-03-28T09:00:00.007-04:00

About H.S.I.

The Historical Scene Investigation Project (HSI) was designed for social studies teachers who need a strong pedagogical mechanism for bringing primary sources into their classroom. With the advent and accessibility of the Internet, many libraries, universities and government agencies are housing their historical documents online. Simultaneously, there has been a push in K-12 history education to give students experiences that more closely resemble the work of a real historian. The National Center for History in the Schools (NCHS) provides standards challenging teachers to design experiences in which students:

raise questions and to marshal solid evidence in support of their answers
go beyond the facts presented in their textbooks and examine the historical record for themselves
consult documents, journals, diaries, artifacts, historic sites, works of art, quantitative data, and other evidence from the past, and to do so imaginatively--taking into account the historical context in which these records were created and comparing the multiple points of view of those on the scene at the time (National Center for History in the Schools, 1996, p. 14.)

H.S.I. helps educators achieve these standards by gathering unique primary resources and corresponding activities that teachers may use from the convenience of their classrooms.

{Check out H.S.I.s OPEN CASES }

NHEC: The Go-To Source

2010-03-24T15:48:00.012-04:00

Looking for teaching materials, connections to professional development and funding opportunities, reliable educational databases, teaching tips, and history & multi-media sites?

The National History Education Clearinghouse has it all! The NHEC is truly the go-to source for teachers of history.

About the Project

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National History Education Clearinghouse (NHEC) is designed to help K-12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom.

[They] aim to bring together the many communities involved in improving history education and professional development for history teachers, allowing practitioners, historians, administrators, and history educators to present multiple perspectives, debate current issues, and work together to improve history teaching in classrooms throughout the United States.

{information taken from the NHEC website}

Browse the CoSA Database

2010-03-18T09:10:00.008-04:00

The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) has compiled a list of state archives that make classroom ready archival resources available online.

Search by State {click}

The National Archives UK

2010-03-10T09:00:00.012-05:00

The National Archives UK has an outstanding website and online database for digital resources. They have 270,000,000 documents available online, a user interface with downloading capabilities, and a top-rate education page! Be sure to check out their disussion topics, lesson plans, and virtual classroom.

The National Archives {search} Education

Keep Track of Primary Source Seminar

2010-03-09T13:53:00.012-05:00

We have added some new features to our blog. You can now subscribe to our RSS or Follow us!

We are also keeping tabs on the links and resources we bring to you, so be sure to check out our social bookmarking page: http://delicious.com/primarysourceseminar

Using Patents to Teach History

2010-03-05T14:52:00.013-05:00

Who invented the telephone? What did the first roller coaster look like? Why did architects design the Golden Gate Bridge the way they did? How was the first airplane constructed?

In their continuing mission to make knowledge accessible, the folks at Google have introduced Google Patents. The Google Patents database contains over 7 million patents to view and download, making it an excellent classroom resource.

Browse at http://www.google.com/patents

* All patents available through Google Patent Search come from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

> See more about this patent {here}

Freedom Now!

2010-03-04T09:38:00.007-05:00

Freedom Now! is a collaborative archival research and database project put together by Brown University and Taugaloo College. Students and teachers from these institutions utilized their campus archives to create a searchable database and learning site.

Although the project was originally intended for Brown and Taugaloo students and teachers, the resources Freedom Now! has collected are valuable to all students and educators.

-> Be sure to visit their For Teachers page. {click to view}

Reality TV & Primary Sources

2010-02-12T09:19:00.012-05:00

With all the hype surrounding reality TV shows these days, people have grown to expect a certain level of "wow factor" in their entertainment. Viewers expect amusement, sensationalism, and intrigue. Three such programs can offer that and more....PRIMARY DOCUMENTS!

Using myths, folklore, family history, and celebrity appeal to draw their audiences in History Detectives , Faces of America and Who Do You Think You Are? are three programs that educators can use to get young people excited about historical interrogation. Episodes focus on historical investigation by exploring popular history, genealogy, artifacts, historic sites, and archives among other things.

Check them out:

(PBS) History Detectives
(PBS) Faces of America
(NBC) Who Do You Think You Are? (premieres March 5th)

Special Thanks to Bulter High School

2010-02-11T16:50:00.007-05:00

We would like to thank Ms. Hoeflinger and her A.P. U.S. History class for participating in the Primary Source Seminar last week. It was a pleasure working with all of you! We hope to see Bulter H.S. again next year!

Primary Source Seminar

Media Literacy During Election Years

World History Portal

The Veterans History Project: Making Veterans’ Stories Come to Life

9/11 Teaching Resources

Interpreting Deeds

Date

Parties

Recitals

Operative Part(s) or 'Testatum'

Parcels

Habendum

Covenants, Conditions and Provisos

Witnesses

Endorsements

Reading Like A Historian

Ambassador Group Reflections: Final Thoughts

Community Day 2011

Gearing Up For Community Day

Ambassador Group Reflections: Myth vs Reality

Hiking, Huts, Maps, and Myths

Ambassador Group Reflections: How Do Documents Shape Historical Thinking?

Ambassador Group Reflections

Documents, Artifacts, and Thinking Historically

Report 3: Reflecting on the Past Three Weeks

Hard at Work

Around the Corner: Community Day

Archival Ambassadors Go to Jockey Hollow!

Report 2: Wrapping Up Week Two

Meet the Archival Ambassadors' Mentor Teacher!

Report 1: Greetings from the Archival Ambassadors!

Meet the Archival Ambassadors!

Using Blogs in a History Classroom

Welcome Interns!

Explore The Idea of America

IdeaofAmerica.org is a companion Web site to The Idea of America curriculum that is free and open to the public. It is comprised of three main components: Current Events, the Virtual Republic, and the Teachers' Forum

CURRENT EVENTS

VIRTUAL REPUBLIC

TEACHERS' FORUM

The Role of Historical Sites

Fun Summer Ahead

Digital History

Special Thanks to Westfield High School

PBS Teacher Resources

Mini Lesson: American Citizens and Philanthropy

Teacher Reference Shelf *UPDATE*

New Jersey History Kids

Dr. Suess Went to War

Mini Lesson: The Formation of Perth Amboy

Archival Ambassadors Accepting Applications

Evaluation Copy of Great Peacemakers

New Books Added to Teacher Reference Shelf

Special Thanks to Educators

Mini Lesson: Thanksgiving

Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy

Raising Money for Classroom Projects: DonorsChoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.

Teacher Workshop Around the Corner

Free Historical Thinking Poster from teachinghistory.org

Morristown Manuscript and Educational Program Featured in SAA Publication

Mini Lesson: New Jersey's Own Joseph Bloomfield

Revolution Day by Day

Mini Lesson: Slave Receipt

American Rhetoric Speech Database

Get Ready for National History Day 2011!

Mini Lesson: Handwriting: Not a joke!

Archival Ambassadors

DocsTeach

Presidential Resources: The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century

Mini Lesson: Once Upon a Time, There Was A Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes!

Presidential Resources: The Miller Center of Public Affairs

Save the Date: Teacher Workshop

Mini Lesson: Currency Through the Centuries

Annotations, Notes, and Miniwrites

Special Thanks to Westfield High School

Ready-to-Use Resources: Library of Congress

Exciting Summer Ahead

Unpacking the Evidence

Documenting the American South

Special Thanks to Roxbury High School

Teacher Reference Shelf UPDATE