40.+Using+Digital+Primary+Resources+from+the+Library+of+Congress+by+Karen+Lampe

Using Digital Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Facilitator: Karen Lampe, Instructional Print Materials Librarian, Green Valley Area Education Agency, Creston, Iowa

**What is the URL?**
The URL for the American Memory Collection is http://www.loc.gov.

I would first suggest clicking on **Teachers** on the left side of the page and then clicking on **The Learning Page**. Once on The Learning Page, I would first recommend going to Lesson Plans and clicking on **Theme, Topic, Discipline or Era** link. By doing this you will see the various lesson plans incorporating the American Memory resources that have already been created and classroom-tested by teachers and teacher librarians. [By the way, other links on this page which will be helpful to you later include **Using Primary Sources in the Classroom**, **The Historian's Sources**, and **Media Analysis Tools**. **Media Analysis Tools** and **Analysis of Primary Sources** (part of **The Historian's Sources**) will help you with the visual literacy part of the Iowa Core Curriculum.] Then I suggest going back to The Learning Page and explore some of the other links. The various links on the **Getting Started** page, including the **Site Map**, and **Features & Activities** are definitely helpful to give you some idea of the resources available. Clicking on **Collection Connections** will get you to the **Collection Connections Index** will gives you an overview of the various collections which you can access. Finally, I would go back to the home page by clicking on Library of Congress at the top left of the page. Then click on the new feature, **Browse by Topic**, or **Kids and Families** (on the left). Once on the latter page, click on **America's Library** (elementary teachers and students), **Today in History**, or **American Memory**. At the bottom right of the box on the American Memory page you may want to click on **List All Collections** or, in the search box at the top, you may want to put in a search term (i.e., sod houses or dust bowl) and click **Search**. Click on Gallery View to see thumbnails. Click on the picture to get a larger image.
 * What is the best way for a new user to access these resources?**

**What is an example of how to use the resources available on American Memory?**
I have uploaded on to this wiki the PowerPoint slide, entitled, I created as a picturebook backdrop to illustrate how you may want to use the American Memory Collection to enhance a historical fiction picturebook or chapter book as well as to enhance your history or American literature textbook. "A picture is [definitely] worth a thousand words" to help students visualize actual events. The various narratives add insights into what life was like in American history.