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Phase 2 Teacher Developed Activites

Below is a sampling of activites developed by participants in Phase 2 Level 1 Workshops. Addtional activites are being added and there will be a search feature available soon.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Grade Level: 7
Subject: Language Arts / English
Activity Directions

Ask students to bring in family photographs of the 1960s that depict leisure, fashion, music, etc. Then, have students use the digital camera to take pictures to compare with their family photos from the 1960s.

Next, students should search the Library of Congress web site for the following cultural icons mentioned in The Outsiders:

Will Rogers
Hank Williams
Elvis Presley
The Beatles
Ford Mustangs
Drive-in Movie Theatres
Fashion
Rodeos
Paul Newman
 


Civil War in Western NC
Grade Level: 8
Subject: Social Studies / History
Activity Directions

To introduce the Civil War unit, display a photograph of the historical marker on Sulphur Springs Road in Waynesville. Ask students if they recognize this marker and know its significance. (The site that many believe is where the last shot of the Civil War was fired).

Address the following questions:

How did geography influence the battles fought in western North Carolina?
Which groups of people from western North Carolina fought in the Civil War?
What was their average age?
What role did women play in the Civil War?

Students should use the Library of Congress American Memory web site to search for Civil War primary sources from western North Carolina.

Some local sites of interest are:

American Local History Network's North Carolina Local Topics with Links
Search Graves by Name/Location
 


Cultural Comparison Project
Grade Level: 7
Subject: Foreign Languages
Activity Directions

Students in Spanish classes learn about the different cultures of Spanish speaking countries, but due to time restraints most of this coverage is quite cursory. It is often difficult to connect raw facts with how others live on a daily basis. This activity can help connect the daily lives of students with the daily lives of people from Spanish speaking countries by the creation of a comparative project.

Have students visit the Library of Congress Global Gateway's Portals to the World via an Internet browser and search for relevant resources about specific Spanish speaking countries. Using the information gathered from these sites, students should create a poster, pamphlet, electronic slide show, or other preferred presentation technique for the class with as much daily life detail as possible. Students should take pictures of their own daily life using a digital camera and compare them with the information they discovered on the Internet.

 


Persuasive Media
Grade Level: 4
Subject: Language Arts / English
Activity Directions

Access the Library of Congress' "It's No Laughing Matter" site at http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/political_cartoon/cag.html

Next, complete the activity in the 4 political cartoons (identify the elements of symbolism, irony, exaggeration, labeling, and analogy).

Then, Find these elements in other advertising media (billboards, magazine ads, newspapers).

Finally, use a digital camera to take 3 pictures of posted/printed local advertising and compare how advertising uses elements of persuasion to influence the public.

 


Understanding Geometry through Pictures and Native American Art
Grade Level:
Subject:
Activity Directions
 


Writing a Book
Grade Level: K
Subject: Language Arts / English
Activity Directions

Before any field trip or special activity, explain the project to the class. Tell them they are going to write a book about the trip or activity, so they must pay close attention to everything.

During the trip or activity, take photographs of the children and/or things happening or things seen (it is good to include the children in these photos).

After the trip or activity, print the photographs.

Locate Library of Congress images that might enhance the story. Print these out and add to the photographs.

Have the children arrange the photographs in a "Storyboard" format. Attach each photograph to its own piece of paper - making sure to leave room for a descriptive sentence at the bottom. Children should help you develop a sentence for each photograph.

Either staple or some other way, connect the pages into a book format.

Help the children go through the book and read the sentences they helped write.

Let each child sign their name to the book!

 


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