Moler's Musing

MARCH 8, 2025

One of the biggest challenges in history education is engaging students in meaningful analysis while encouraging collaboration and critical thinking. Image & Source Analysis (8 Parts) A picture is worth a thousand wordsbut only if students know how to analyze it! Unanswered Questions: What evidence is missing from this debate?

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources History Critical Thinking History Education 52

Thrive in Grade Five

MARCH 23, 2019

So, I started to consider how I could bring meme-making into my classroom in a meaningful, educational way. The librarians have created huge sets of primary source images by topic or time period. Library of Congress Primary Source Sets I encourage students to browse the primary source sets or to search for an image.

History 130

History Primary Sources Social Studies Library 130

NCHE

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Since 2021, the National Council for History Education has partnered with the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program on a nationwide program, “The Rural Experience in America”. The Library of Congress is developing a new education center that will break ground in the next few years.

Library 130

Library Primary Sources Local History Professional Development 130

Education Week - Social Studies

JANUARY 30, 2025

Do you know how to put Black history sources in context?

Primary Sources 48

Primary Sources History Education History Education 48

Moler's Musing

DECEMBER 6, 2024

Annotate and Tell: Analyzing James Wilsons Argument To deepen their understanding, students analyzed a primary source excerpt from James Wilson, who argued for having one president. This consistent structure helped students compare this debate with the previous ones, reinforcing the importance of compromise in shaping the Constitution.

Primary Sources 108

Primary Sources Government Critical Thinking History 108

ASHP CML

DECEMBER 17, 2024

The ASHP staff knows that such changes dont emerge overnight; as we look backward and ahead, we remain committed to making our work as history educators help generate greater understanding of the current historical moment. This week, researcher Carli Snyder shares a primary source.

Primary Sources 40

Primary Sources History History Education Research 40

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 23, 2022

We can spend all day telling students how to do something, like write a thesis statement, solve a type of problem, or analyze a primary source. Evaluating the impact of differentiated instruction on literacy and reading in mixed ability classrooms: Quality and equity dimensions of education effectiveness. and Timperley, H.

Primary Sources 198

Primary Sources Research Education 198

Studies Weekly

MARCH 14, 2025

To her, …education isnt just about learningits about creating a supportive, empowering community. The dynamic and collaborative nature of education keeps her motivated to bring her best to the classroom every day. Education is not a solo endeavor. To tackle these barriers, Frances emphasizes the power of relationships.

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources American History World History Social Studies 52

Moler's Musing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Also, if you’re interested in how AI can be used effectively in education, check out an article I contributed to in EdWeek: Can AI Be Used Effectively in Class? This part helped students connect primary source analysis to the broader motivations for European exploration, further deepening their historical thinking skills.

Primary Sources 126

Primary Sources Artifacts Geography Lesson Plan 126

TCI

MARCH 25, 2025

Elementary education has traditionally prioritized English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, often sidelining social studies. The focus on standardized testing in ELA and math often leads educators to deprioritize social studies, leaving students without the content knowledge necessary for literacy growth.

Social Studies 52

Social Studies Primary Sources Civics Critical Thinking 52

Teaching American History

MARCH 11, 2024

As Publications Manager at Teaching American History , I frequently hear the following from our teacher partners: I love teaching with primary sources! My district has dropped our textbook and we are switching to primary sources. There is a dizzying number of websites out there that promote the use of primary sources.

Library 105

Library Primary Sources American History Social Studies 105

C3 Teachers

MARCH 14, 2025

These pilot experiences were invaluable we observed firsthand how students engaged in compelling questions, analyzed primary sources, and developed their own interpretations of historical events. Some educators were initially hesitant, concerned about time constraints, student readiness, and adapting to a new instructional approach.

Social Studies 40

Social Studies Public School Primary Sources Civic Engagement 40

The Hechinger Report

AUGUST 13, 2024

“We have kids that on our benchmark knowledge assessments are scoring what is the equivalent of second grade, first grade, fourth grade,” said Fisher, who is also a professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University. Some experts and educators worry the reading reform movement has left older students behind.

High School 145

High School Teaching Primary Sources K-12 145

ED Surge

APRIL 3, 2024

I often weave these historical narratives into content through primary sources. I love using primary sources and personal narratives to make history more relevant for my students, but that takes second place to tangible pieces of history like my family artifacts, such as my great-grandfather's World War I uniform.

History 139

History Primary Sources Artifacts Social Studies 139

TCI

MARCH 25, 2025

This post explores the barriers to incorporating social studies and science in elementary education and provides actionable strategies to ensure these essential subjects receive the time and attention they deserve.

Social Studies 52

Social Studies Primary Sources Critical Thinking Professional Development 52

ASHP CML

MARCH 18, 2025

This is a great opportunity for educators across the CUNY system todevelop collections as a class project. If youre interested, please send a brief CV and a short statement of interest outlining your idea for a collection, along with a plan for identifying and gathering potential primary sources, to cdha@gc.cuny.edu.

Archiving 40

Archiving History Primary Sources Library 40

NCHE

MAY 1, 2023

Funded by a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant, our 3-day long programming has guided hundreds of teachers in exploring how technology has shaped history while simultaneously developing teachers’ ability to design, implement, evaluate, and share primary source based historical inquiry.

Primary Sources 100

Primary Sources Archiving Library Museum 100

Moler's Musing

OCTOBER 26, 2024

Friday Primary Sources Lesson Link , Thick Slide Summary Friday was a day off for me, so I set up an inquiry lesson for my students—a deep dive into the question, “Why is it important to have a voice in government? I asked it to rewrite the sources at a 7th-grade reading level , but still maintain the original tone and style.

Primary Sources 126

Primary Sources History Government Critical Thinking 126

Digital Promise

MAY 13, 2022

In 2021, six educators representing community-based organizations, libraries, public schools, and the Digital Promise Maker Learning team embarked on a journey to increase opportunities for virtual and remote maker learning. The insights from this experience are valuable to all who wish to engage in powerful maker learning.

Primary Sources 147

Primary Sources Library Public School Cultures 147

Digital Promise

JANUARY 8, 2019

Most Americans agree that education is a national priority. public education system falls in the middle of international quality rankings. But let’s be clear: the problem with education in America is not lack of excellence. Education researchers and neuroscientists are learning more about how people learn.

Primary Sources 134

Primary Sources Library K-12 Geography 134

Moler's Musing

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Simplifying Primary Sources with AI My goal was to simplify the lesson while still helping students build confidence and learn. The language was jargon-filled, dry, and not exactly something an 8th grader doesn’t give a damn about.

Primary Sources 126

Primary Sources Geography History Lesson Plan 126

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

For most of their education, my students have spent their days in classrooms where the teacher was the primary source of information. But the biggest challenge is trying to get my students to rethink what it means to be a learner and rethink what learning looks like.

Primary Sources 141

Primary Sources Teaching Research Education 141

ED Surge

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

In our increasingly digital world, educators recognize the significance of integrating AI tools in the classroom. It is essential for educators to tap into professional development (PD) opportunities to advance their understanding of how to use AI to improve the classroom experience. I think all educators grew concerned.

Primary Sources 137

Primary Sources Lesson Plan Professional Development EdTech 137

The Hechinger Report

JULY 26, 2021

Though the past year has put a spotlight on the limits and possibilities of using technology for teaching and learning, we began exploring the utility of using virtual reality as a medium for Holocaust education before the pandemic reshaped the educational landscape. Sensitivity is required. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.

Museum 130

Museum Teaching Primary Sources Human Rights 130

Digital Promise

MAY 23, 2019

Educators collaborate to create authentic learning experiences. As students told me afterwards, “Julio was the ultimate primary source.”. Follow Reinvent the Classroom on Twitter to learn how educators around the world are creating Powerful Learning experiences for students. We knew we’d made a difference.

History 113

History Primary Sources Social Studies Economics 113

ED Surge

OCTOBER 24, 2023

In it, the California educator assumes the persona of a Gen Z teacher from the future, delivering overviews of historical figures and events using a hilarious mix of opaque (if you’re a Millennial or older) slang and Taylor Swift lyrics. Fun can be hard to come by for teachers these days.

History 27

History Teaching Primary Sources Heritage 27

The Hechinger Report

JULY 7, 2022

Editor’s note: This story led off this week’s Future of Learning newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers’ inboxes every other Wednesday with trends and top stories about education innovation. The sessions included educators, students, parents, and community members. Subscribe today!

Primary Sources 124

Primary Sources Social Science Professional Development Critical Thinking 124

Civics for All of US

MAY 12, 2023

The Bill of Rights Workshop for Elementary Educators Katie Munn Fri, 05/12/2023 - 08:19 Body Kids have rights! This online workshop will explore how to engage young learners in the active exploration of primary sources that teach about the rights embodied in the Bill of Rights.

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources Civics Education Elementary School 52

Civics for All of US

MAY 12, 2023

Teaching the Bill of Rights for Educators Katie Munn Fri, 05/12/2023 - 08:50 Body A virtual professional development workshop for K–12 educators. This online workshop will explore how to engage learners of all grade levels in the active exploration of primary sources that teach about the rights embodied in the Bill of Rights.

Teaching 52

Teaching Primary Sources K-12 Civics 52

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 5, 2023

Teachers can leverage the power of thinking routines developed by Project Zero at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education to help students develop their metacognitive muscles. Historical Events: When studying historical events, people, or places encourage students to analyze primary sources.

Primary Sources 130

Primary Sources Critical Thinking Education 130

The Hechinger Report

MARCH 30, 2020

They play out in education systems with deeply embedded patterns of inequality, determined by where students live, by family income, by race and by ethnicity, among other factors. These emergency policies need to be developed in direct relationship to the enduring problem in education: inequality. Access to content. Unequal risks.

Primary Sources 118

Primary Sources Library K-12 Economics 118

Thrive in Grade Five

APRIL 20, 2019

Primary source documents report that Bridget continued to proclaim her innocence up to the moment of her execution. Teaching About the Salem Witch Trials As an educator, it is important to inform students that the Salem Witch Trials were not based on witchcraft. Bridget was the first accused witch executed in Salem.

Teaching 130

Teaching Primary Sources History Social Studies 130

Civics for All of US

MAY 12, 2023

The Bill of Rights Workshop for Secondary Educators Katie Munn Fri, 05/12/2023 - 08:50 Body Participants in this online workshop will study the history of the Bill of Rights by analyzing primary sources. Registration is free, and the program will be held via Zoom.

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources Civics Archiving Education 52

The Hechinger Report

JULY 12, 2022

Although GRT has been around for some time, I believe that pre-K-12 educators haven’t reckoned with the degree to which some young people will defend “whiteness.” We must effectively teach students of all ages about the history of racism and how racism impacts current systems (health, education, criminal justice), policies and structures.

Teaching 110

Teaching Primary Sources K-12 History 110

Edthena

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

The author of Ed Tech Essentials and founder of Class Tech Tips encourages educators to use tech tools for their own professional learning. In this PLtogether Lounge Talk, Monica Burns talked with Edthena founder and CEO Adam Geller about the advantages of integrating educational technology into adult learning.

EdTech 97

EdTech Artifacts Primary Sources Educational Technology 97

Civics for All of US

MAY 12, 2023

We the People: Teaching the Constitution Workshop for Elementary Educators Katie Munn Fri, 05/12/2023 - 07:46 Body Looking closely at the Preamble of the Constitution, teachers will work with primary sources from the National Archives and consider how the interpretation of “We the People” has changed over time.

Primary Sources 52

Primary Sources Archiving Teaching K-12 52

ED Surge

JULY 21, 2022

I've thought about opening it up widely—write a historical novelette (using primary sources, of course), create a sculpture, write a song—but, again, I have no idea how to grade something like that, considering the wide range of talent that my students likely will have.

Primary Sources 127

Primary Sources History World History Digital Resources 127