Professional Documents
Culture Documents
12 District
Teacher
Resource
Guide
Office of Congressman Sander Levin
www.house.gov/levin
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Table of Contents
Primary Sources ....................................................................................................................... 2
American Memory ....................................................................................................................... 2
America’s Library ......................................................................................................................... 2
Thomas ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Global Gateway ........................................................................................................................... 3
Veteran’s History Project ............................................................................................................ 3
Lifelong Literacy .......................................................................................................................... 4
Library of Congress Experience .................................................................................................. 4
Professional Development ............................................................................................................. 5
Resources From the National Archives ......................................................................................... 7
Have the Congressman Visit Your Classroom ............................................................................... 8
Contact Congressman Levin ........................................................................................................... 8
[1]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Primary Sources
The Library of Congress maintains a resource website for teachers at
http://www.loc.gov/teachers. This site provides access to more than 80 lesson plans
correlated to state teaching standards, interactive web casts and activities, and links to teacher‐
tested primary sources sets on topics ranging from civil rights to the Constitution.
American Memory
American Memory contains over 11 million primary
sources related to American history and culture.
American Memory provides free and open access
through the Internet to written and spoken words,
sound recordings, still and moving images, prints,
maps, and sheet music that document the American
experience. It is a digital record of American history
and creativity. These materials, from the collections
of the Library of Congress and other institutions,
chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas
that continue to shape America, serving as a resource
for educators and lifelong learners. You can easily navigate
through the site browsing by topic, time period, place, or medium.
¾ http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
America’s Library
America’s Library brings history to life for children through
interactive educational games and stories about America’s
cultural heritage.
¾ http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi‐bin/page.cgi
[2]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Thomas
Teachers and students can stay informed about what’s happening in Congress by following
legislation in both the House and Senate. Thomas provides updated legislative information
allowing you to follow the status of a bill.
¾ http://thomas.loc.gov
Global Gateway
Global Gateway serves as a portal to the Library’s international collections. It includes
bilingual, multimedia digital libraries that were built with partners from around the world.
¾ http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html
Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress is working to preserve an important
part of our heritage for future generations by collecting oral histories, memoirs, diaries, letters
and other documents that capture the experiences of those who served our nation in time of
war.
¾ Individuals can interview a friend,
neighbor, or family member who
served in the military or supported the
armed forces as a civilian during war
time. For more information on how to
record and submit a history to the
Veterans History Project click here.
¾ The City of Southfield Veterans Commission collects veterans' histories each week at
the Southfield Public Library. Any area wartime veteran that would like to have his or
her story recorded by the Southfield Veterans Commission contact Daniel Brightwell at
248‐796‐4VET (248‐796‐ 4838) or southfieldvets@cityofsouthfield.com.
¾ Finally, if you would like to organize an event at your school so that students have an
opportunity to interview veterans, my office can help with planning and submit the
interviews to the Library of Congress. Contact Alan Mlynek at 202‐225‐4961 or
alan.mlynek@mail.house.gov.
[3]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Lifelong Literacy
Lifelong Literacy shows ways to celebrate and
encourage reading at all age levels.
¾ http://www.loc.gov/literacy
Library of Congress Experience
Library of Congress Experience offers personalized interaction with exhibition content. It
features a section dedicated to teachers and students and includes suggested reading for young
students, online activities, and games designed to expand student knowledge. Furthermore,
the teacher section features lesson plans specific to both middle and high school students.
From this site, you can also schedule a guided group tour of the Library’s exhibitions.
¾ http://myloc.gov
[4]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Professional Development
The Educational Outreach Division and its network of partners conduct a variety of professional
development activities for educators in Washington, in local communities, and online. Library
of Congress experts lead workshops and courses for teachers across the nation.
A full professional development curriculum is available for download at
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/educators/index.html. This nationally‐reviewed and tested
curriculum can be integrated into the existing professional development programs in any
schools.
Workshops
Workshops on using the Library’s primary sources in the classroom are conducted by the
Educational Outreach Division for teachers who visit Washington, D.C. Workshops last one
hour to a full day and are available to groups of five or more teachers. Subject matter can
include literature, poetry, women’s history, African American history, performing arts,
immigration, the Civil War, and other topics.
For more information, contact edoutreach@loc.gov. It is recommended that a workshop be
scheduled at least one month in advance.
Summer Institutes
Each summer, the Educational Outreach Division hosts several three‐ to four‐day Summer
Institutes, which allow groups of teachers from all over the country to come together to learn
about the integration of primary sources.
The topics and schedules of the Summer Institutes, including an application form, are posted
online.
¾ http://memory.loc.gov/learn/educators/index.html
Webconferences
The Educational Outreach Division also offers its variety of onsite workshops via
webconference, allowing teachers to participate from multiple locations.
Those interested should contact the Library in writing at least one month in advance at
edoutreach@loc.gov.
[5]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Videoconferences
You can also participate in free enrichment workshops via videoconference.
Interested schools should reserve a videoconference by filling out the outline form at
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/educators/video/vcform.html at least three weeks in advance.
Conferences
Each year, the Educational Outreach staff present workshops and sessions at regional and
national educational conferences. A list of venues is listed at:
¾ http://memory.loc.gov/learn/community/tlp‐newsletter/nlsubscribe.html
[6]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Resources from the National Archives
Similar to the Library of Congress, the National Archives website offers hundreds of
reproducible copies of primary documents from the holdings of the National Archives of the
United States, lesson plans correlated to national standards, and cross‐curricular connections.
Teaching with Documents
Teaching with primary documents encourages a varied learning environment for both teachers
and students. Lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and
group work become a gateway for research with historical records in ways which encourage
learning.
¾ http://www.archives.gov/nae/education/lesson‐plans.html
Professional Development
Staff education specialists, all with classroom teaching experience, offer in‐service programs for
school districts (when travel and expenses are provided), and staff‐led workshops at regional
and national professional meetings. Teachers are able to participate in videoconference
workshops and summer institutes. There is also the opportunity to join the National Archives
to promote the use of primary sources in the classroom, produce teachable document‐based
materials, and demonstrate active‐learning techniques that bring documents to life for students
at every level.
¾ http://www.archives.gov/nae/education/training.html
[7]
From the Office of Congressman Sander Levin 12th District Teacher Resource Guide
Have the Congressman Visit Your Classroom
I always enjoy meeting with students and visiting schools in the 12th Congressional District. If
you are planning a lesson or hosting an event and would like me or a member of my staff to
attend, please contact Judy Hartwell in my District Office at judy.hartwell@mail.house.gov or
at (586) 498‐7122.
Contact Congressman Sander Levin
I enjoy hearing from residents of the 12th District. You and your students can send me your
thoughts on current issues, or sign up to receive periodic legislative updates, through my
website: www.house.gov/levin.
You may also become my You may also
friend on facebook.com become my friend on myspace.com
(search: Sandy Levin) (search: Sandy Levin)
Subscribe to my See what I’m doing by
youtube channel on following me on
www.youtube.com/mi12yes Twitter@repsandylevin
[8]