Primary Sources, 6-12

http://docsteach.org
The National Archives opened a new web resource called Docs Teach. It includes over 3,000 primary sources along with tools to use them in the classroom. Users can also browse by primary source type (audio/video, charts/graphs/data, image, map, or written document) or check out a collection of featured documents. There are pre-made activities, which can be clicked through online, or printed out and completed on paper. For example, take a look at the “What Kind of Leader Was General Douglas MacArthur?” lesson. The landing page gives teachers information about what students will see, in this case, “video clips, photographs, and written documents related to General Douglas MacArthur,” what they will learn, and how they will complete the activity. The MacArthur activity uses 10 primary resources, including military orders, photographs, video, and more. Students analyze each source and then “weigh the evidence” and consider what this information says about MacArthur.

The sources on the site are organized into eight historical eras:
• Revolution and the New Nation (1754–1820s)
• Expansion and Reform (1801–61)
• Civil War and Reconstruction(1850–77)
• The Development of the Industrial United States (1870–1900)
• The Emergence of Modern America (1890–1930)
• The Great Depression and World War II (1929–45)
• Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
• Contemporary United States (1968 to the present)