This article introduces the fifty states project, a year-long study of the United States that uses crowd sourcing to bring authentic materials into the social studies classroom. The project started five years ago, when author Kelly McPherson decided that she wanted to have a care package sent from all 50 states to help students learn about the…

In this article, the authors introduce a series of interconnected, inquiry-based activities from a fifth grade social studies curriculum, "My Place in Time and Space," which was developed in part through a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Regional Grant Program--Eastern Region. These activities are designed to…

This handbook of historical sources for use in the school includes suggestions, leads, and examples, which serve as springboards to other sources, encouraging the teacher to consider various ways in which original source materials might be used in an instructional setting. The following categories are used as one way of looking at primary sources:…

Presents an essay and several photographs describing the experiences of U.S. women in the 1940s. Suggests that wartime employment greatly impacted the role of women in society. Describes ways to help students learn how to interpret a photograph and provides questions for classroom discussions. (DB)

Presents an instructional unit designed for use in a secondary-level United States history course. Provides educational objectives and instructional procedures. Includes charts, maps, photographs, and student readings. (CFR)