Students assumed roles such as historian, rare document curator, equipment manager, and archivist. Their goal was to figure out why each document was created, find its link in history, and date the piece for a timeline. Prior to the lesson, Kathy modeled what the Library of Congress experts had done. They really remembered the exercise because it brought meaning to the unit. One of the most popular American Memory collections is Mathew Brady's Civil War Photographs.
Stark images capture the reality of the battlefield.
Candid shots show the hardships of camp life, soldiers in uniform, and military leaders at work. You won't want to miss the lesson created by John Day and Robert Hines from Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland. Adapt this same idea with other photographs from the collection. When working with primary source material, keep in mind that the words and viewpoints may not be politically correct in today's thinking. A well-planned contextual introduction will enable students to understand the meaning in specific situations and time periods.