By: Jessica Ellis
The new Academic Standards recently adopted by the Colorado Department of Education have a large focus on 21st century skills students need to develop, including inquiry. The use of primary sources is an excellent way to incorporate inquiry into curriculum as well as actively engage students in lessons. Primary sources can be used to enhance instruction in nearly all content areas including literacy, social studies, and science. Teachers can support inquiry by encouraging students to speculate about each source, its creator, and its context. Inquiry into primary sources allows students to construct content knowledge and deeper understanding.
Attend an Essentials Exploration workshop to learn how to begin using primary sources in your classroom. This free introductory level workshop will draw you into the rich online collections of the Library of Congress, provide key search strategies for the website, and focus on engaging students through investigations and inquiry. You will explore the wealth of teacher resources on the Library of Congress website and have an opportunity to create learning activities. To register or inquire about customized workshops in your school, contact us at 970-351-1555 or primary.sources@unco.edu.
