**Creating Book Backdrops:**

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="1.5in"
height="0.7638888888888888in"}**Directions and Supporting Materials**

**Creating Book Backdrops: The Process**

-   **Content:** Select a topic(s) you will be studying in your
    classroom. Check your state and local school district standards and
    curriculum guides for content and skills suggestions.

-   **Learning Objective:** Determine what you want students to learn
    from working with the primary sources associated with the book you
    select. What is the enduring understanding?

-   **Book Selection:** Choose a book that aligns with your topic and is
    appropriate for your grade level. The booklists below have many
    suggestions.

-   **Read:** As you read the book, compile a list of dates, people and
    events that might have primary source connections.

-   **Primary Sources:** Search across LOC for primary source items that
    connect with your book. Record your findings using the tracking
    guide we have supplied.

-   **Teaching Strategies:** Determine how you will incorporate the
    primary sources into your lessons. Suggestions are included in the
    list below.

**Online Resources and Booklists**

-   **Selected Awards and Booklists**

    -   (ALA) Newbery Medal
        <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal.htm>

    -   (ALA) Caldecott Medal
        <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.htm>

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    -   (ALA) Notable Children's Books
        <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/childrensnotable/notablecbooklist/currentnotable.htm>

    -   (ALA) Pura Belpre Award (Presented to a Latino/Latina writer and
        illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates
        the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of
        literature for children and youth.)
        <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/belpremedal/belprmedal.htm>

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    -   (ALA) Coretta Scott King Book Award (Authors and illustrators of
        African descent whose distinguished books promote an
        understanding and appreciation of the \"American Dream.\")
        <http://www.ala.org//ala/emiert/corettascottkingbookaward/cskpastwinners/cskpastwinners.htm>

    -   (ALA) Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Medal (Awarded for
        the most distinguished informational book published in English
        during the preceding year.)
        <http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/sibertmedal/Sibert_Medal.htm>

    -   Americas Award (Given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction,
        poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to
        works for young adults) published in the previous year in
        English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray
        Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.)
        <http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLACS/outreach/americas.html>

    -   Beacon of Freedom Award (Presented annually to an author whose
        work introduces American history, from Colonial times through
        the Civil War, to children in a historically-accurate and
        engaging manner.) <http://www.wrl.org/BOFA/home.html>

    -   Horn Book Awards <http://www.hbook.com/awards/bghb/current.asp>
        and past winners
        <http://www.hbook.com/resources/awards/default.asp>

    -   (IRA) Children's Choices
        <http://www.reading.org/resources/tools/choices_childrens.html>

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    -   (IRA) Teacher's Choices
        <http://www.reading.org/resources/tools/choices_teachers.html>

    -   James Madison Book Award (recognizes excellence in bringing
        knowledge and understanding of American history to readers ages
        five to fourteen.)
        <http://www.jamesmadisonbookaward.org/winners2006.html>

    -   Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Given annually to the
        children\'s books published the preceding year that effectively
        promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and
        the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting
        conventional standards for excellence.)
        <http://home.igc.org/~japa/jacba/previous_winners.html>

    -   Parents' Choice Awards (Link to book awards)
        <http://www.parents-choice.org/get_direct.cfm?cat=p_boo>

    -   (NCSS) Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Established the Carter G.
        Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished social science
        books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the
        United States.) <http://www.socialstudies.org/awards/woodson/>

    -   Scott O'Dell Award (Scott O\'Dell established this award to
        encourage other writers to focus on historical fiction.)
        <http://www.scottodell.com/odellaward.html>

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-   **Historical Fiction Lists**

    -   Historical Fiction (Anchorage Municipal Library organized by
        year)
        <http://lexicon.ci.anchorage.ak.us/guides/kids/booklists/historicalfiction/>

    -   Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults (Notes from a
        Windowsill Bibliography) <http://www.windowsill.net/hf.html>

    -   Recommended Reading (NYPL)
        <http://kids.nypl.org/reading/recommended.cfm>

    -   Waterboro Public Library (Links to multiple lists)
        <http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklistjh.htm>

-   **Even More Resources**

    -   Author Sites (Sample link) Yahoo Children's Authors
        <http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Children_s/?o=a>

    -   Publisher sites (Sample link) Permabound (Suggested Booklists)
        <http://www.perma-bound.com/PermaBound>

    -   Children's Literature Sites (Sample links)

        -   Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
            <http://www.carolhurst.com/> See History section:
            <http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/ushistory/ushistory.html>

        -   Children's Literature Network
            <http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/>

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    -   Subscription Sites (with free sections)

        -   Children's Literature <http://www.childrenslit.com/>

        -   Teaching Books.Net <http://www.teachingbooks.net/>

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    -   Kid's Sites (Sample link) Flashlight Readers: A Club for Kids
        Who Love Books
        <http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/flashlightreaders/K_landingPage.asp>

**Ideas for Developing Engaging Primary Source Lessons**

-   Explore Library of Congress resources for ideas.

    -   Literature and Poetry lessons
        <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/theme.html>

    -   Primary Source Investigation (PSI) activity (Song of America
        Institute)
        <http://www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/workshop/psi.html>

    -   Response journal/word wall/alphabet book

        -   Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal (lesson)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/00/canal/>

    -   Artifact analysis

        -   Artifact Road Show: Constructing the Context (activity
            ideas)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/99/road/intro.html>

-   Compare and contrast images of the same event by different artists.

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-   Compare fiction and non-fiction books written about the same event.

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-   Writing activities

    -   Photographs as Story Starters - Select an interesting photograph
        to use as a writing prompt. It might include people, a scene, an
        interesting object or a humorous situation. Have students use
        the photograph as a jumping off point for writing a paragraph,
        letter or short story. Begin by writing an engaging opening
        sentence. Sample images and image lists:

        -   Diver, James Cahey, and an unknown man standing on a
            floating dock on the Chicago River (1903 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n000689))>

        -   August Rosengard, one-legged burglar (1903 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n000411))>

        -   Whale skeleton (undated photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/aep:@field(DOCID+@lit(icuaep.CAS206))>

        -   Station master with gag lion / photo by Harry M. Rhoads
            (early 1900s photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hawp:@field(NUMBER+@band(codhawp+00185440))>

        -   (Prints and Photographs) Lists of Images on Popular Topics.
            <http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/listguid.html>

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-   (Prints and Photographs) Pictorial Americana. (Select a historical
    period or a subject for topical images.)
    <http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/picamer/toc.html>

    -   Create found poetry

        -   Primary Source Set: Found Poetry (Poetry and Literature
            Community Center)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/community/cc_literature_kit.php>

        -   Found Poetry With Walt Whitman's Words (Song of America
            Institute)
            <http://www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/workshop/found.html>

    -   Dialogue Writing

        -   Select an image depicting one or more people. Have students
            study the image and write dialogue or "thought bubbles" to
            accompany the image.

        -   Create a script or documentary based on an event shown in a
            primary source. Sample images:

        -   (What might these passengers be saying to each other?) New
            York - Welcome to the land of freedom (1881 illustration)
            <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?pp/ils:@bandnot(@FIELD(NUMBER+3a38567)@FIELD(COLLID+cphx))>

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        -   (What might each of these family members be thinking?) Orson
            Cooley in northeast Custer County on the county line near
            Coolyton Post Office in Loup County (1887 photograph by
            Solomon Butcher)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/psbib:@field(DOCID+@lit(p2882))>

        -   (What are women passing out the handbills saying?)
            Distributing hand bills advertising Inaugural Suffrage
            Parade and inviting everyone to participate (1913
            photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mnwp:@field(DOCID+@lit(mnwp000336))>

        -   (What are Lincoln and McLelland discussing?) Antietam, Md.
            President Lincoln and Gen. George B. McClellan in the
            general\'s tent (October, 3, 1862 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwar:@field(NUMBER+@band(cwp+4a40263))>

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    -   Writing Headlines and Captions

        -   Select a variety of images relating to a curricular topic or
            theme. Have students write an attention-getting phrase
            (headline or caption) to accompany each image. Sample
            images:

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        -   First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 10:35 a.m.; Kitty
            Hawk, North Carolina (1903 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/wright:@field(NUMBER+@od1(cph+3a53266))>

        -   People, many under umbrellas, walking in a line during a
            blizzard (1903 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n001503))>

        -   Woman and a man standing amid the ruins of a house damaged
            during a tornado (1929 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cdn:@field(NUMBER+@band(ichicdn+n086564))>

        -   Roosevelt\'s funeral procession with horse-drawn casket,
            Pennsylvania Ave. (1945 photograph)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/presp:@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3b14914))>

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    -   Writing a News Article

        -   Select a photograph or drawing that depicts a historical
            event or time period being studied. Have students become
            reporters, research the image and write a news article based
            on their findings. Suggested resources:

        -   (Lesson Plan) Mathew Brady Bunch
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/98/brady/home.html> See
            How to Write a News Article
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/98/brady/article.html>

        -   (Lesson Plan) Murder and Mayhem -- The Great Gatsby: Facts
            Behind the Fiction
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/> See
            Newspaper Directions
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/01/mayhem/paper.html>

        -   Today in History (Search the full text of the archive by
            date or topic for ideas.)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/archive.html>

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    -   Writing Narrative Reports for Edison Movies

        -   Browse the American Memory collections for early motion
            pictures.
            <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?format=Motion+Picture>
            Select a motion picture that ties in your subject. Have
            students assume the role of a TV news anchor, and research,
            write, and narrate a report to accompany footage. Sample
            movies:

        -   Automobile parade (1900 film)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp002+m2b46029))>

        -   Emigrants landing at Ellis Island (1903 film)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp002+m2a10987))>

        -   President McKinley taking the oath (1901film)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp001+m1a04770))+@field(COLLID+mckin))>

        -   San Francisco earthquake and fire (April 18, 1906 film)
            <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp003+03734s4))>

    -   Rewriting Song Lyrics

        -   Select a song popular during a particular historical era or
            associated with a curricular theme. Have students consider
            why the song was written and what it tells about life during
            that era. Have them rewrite the song for our times,
            reflecting the events, places, people, feelings and
            perspectives of today. Suggested resources:

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        -   (Activity) Songs for Our Times
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/songs_times/flash.html>
            and Resource Page
            <http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/songs_times/resources.html>

        -   Lyrical Legacy: 400 Years of American Song and Poetry
            <http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/>