Teaching with Documents

Teaching with Documents, a perennial favorite, appears regularly in Social Education. These lesson plans use historic documents from the National Archives to teach history, civics, and many other social studies disciplines.
The articles listed here include the primary source documents and complete lesson plans for middle and secondary classrooms. They are all presented in PDF format.

• The First Act of Congress
  Lee Ann Potter
  In the early days of this nation, Congress considered numerous acts as it established the laws of the land. Yet the first ever act of Congress concerned an oath to support the Constitution.
  
  
• On the Other Side
  Lee Ann Potter
  The value of an historical document goes far beyond its obvious content, and includes such obscure clues as notations scribbled hastily on the back.
  
  
• Buttons to Bumper Stickers: Political Campaign Memorabilia
  Lee Ann Potter
  From George Washington to George W. Bush, politicians have used campaign memorabilia to capture the attention of voters. By studying these items, students can learn a great deal about historical issues and candidates.
  
  
• Robert E. Lee's Demand for the Surrender of John Brown
  Daniel F. Rulli
  John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry--considered treasonous by some and heroic by others--helped strengthen the anti-slavery movement. Students can gain a deeper understanding of this event by studying General Lee's demand for Brown’s surrender.
  
  
• 1863 Letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson about Walt Whitman
  Lee Ann Potter
  During the Civil War, poet Walt Whitman was eager to work for the government. Though federal jobs weren't easy to come by, a letter of recommendation from Ralph Waldo Emerson was able to push open government doors.
  
  
• Letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan
  Marvin Pinkert and Lee Ann Potter
  A letter from President Fillmore plays a key role in overcoming Japan's "closed country" policy.
  
  
• Order of Argument in the Case Brown v. Board of Education
  Kahlil Chism, contributing author, and Lee Ann Potter, editor
  The Order of Argument in Brown v. Board of Education is a short document, but it can launch students on a long voyage of understanding of this milestone case.
  
  
• Connecting with the Past
  Lee Ann Potter
  History becomes much more than past events and important dates, when students investigate the subtle clues buried in primary sources.
  
  
• Big and Famous is Not Always Better
  Daniel F. Rulli
  Documents do not need to be elaborate to be useful classroom tools. Short, lesser-known documents can teach students a world of history.
  
  
• The Words We Live By: The Constitution in Context
  Linda R. Monk
  When students understand the historical context of a given document, they learn much more than simply the words of a text.
  
  
• From Attics to Graveyards: Where to Locate Documents for Your Classroom
  Tom Gray and Susan Owens
  The most valuable information may be in the least obvious places--attics, file cabinets, or the local cemeteries.
  
  
• Online Resources from the National Archives
  Lee Ann Potter
  This article provides practical tips for finding key sources on the National Archives website.
  
  
• Online Resources from the Library of Congress
  Judith K. Graves and Marilyn Parr
  The authors outline major areas and search tools for navigating the Library of Congress website.
  
  
• Archival Facilities Across the Nation
  Here's a useful list of National Archives facilities around the country. Also included is a list of state archives that are responsible for preserving valuable records.
  
  
• Primarily, It's Serendipity
  James A. Percoco
  The correspondence between a baseball commissioner and President Franklin Roosevelt offers a creative approach to teaching World War II during baseball season.
  
  
• My Reward: Outstanding Student Projects Based on Primary Sources
  John Lawlor
  Students research their homes, local ruins, or urban ecology--among other fascinating subjects--as part of term projects that challenge them to investigate history using primary sources.
  
  
• Suggested Methods for Integrating Primary Sources into Classroom Instruction
  National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• Document Analysis Worksheets
  National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• Affidavit in the Case of Orville and Wilbur Wright vs. Glenn H. Curtiss
  Kahlil G. Chism and Lee Ann Potter
  Orville and Wilbur Wright were not the only inventors working on airplane innovations. But the Wright brothers' patent gave them a tremendous advantage and inhibited manufacturers from producing planes for a time just before World War I.
  
  
• Letter from Archibald MacLeish about Relocating the Charters of Freedom during World War II
  Michael Hussey and Lee Ann Potter
  During World War II, the Library of Congress went to extraordinary lengths to protect the nation's founding documents in case of an attack on the capital.
  
  
• Letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to John Steinbeck
  Lee Ann Potter
  The letter featured in this article offers insight into the mutual respect shared between author John Steinbeck and former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Although Steinbeck's opinion on the Vietnam War varied, he was a strong supporter of Johnson's position on the war at the time the letter was written.