Purpose

To provide a searchable collection of Learning Experiences based on the use of digital historical documents and Best Instructional Practices to promote student achievement. Educators are encouraged to field test Learning Experiences in the classroom and to share their work through publishing on this Web site. Educators use My Portfolio to submit new Learning Experiences. The collection is created through a process of development, field-testing, peer review, and evaluation. Learning experiences are correlated to state standards and are selected to form a collection that represents the identified Best Instructional Practices, breadth of digital historical documents used, and depth of curriculum content from all subject areas. All Learning Experiences exemplify the Best Instructional Practice, Teaching for Understanding, and at least one additional practice of Differentiated Instruction, Literacy Instruction, or Technology Integration.

Video Clips

  1. Play a video clip to learn more about our collection (Duration: 7:55)
  2. Play a video clip to learn about searching by an item's title and field-testing Learning Experiences (Duration 6:16)

Credit: Primary Sources: The Adventure of the American Mind. Fairfax County School Board
(2006). Retrieved August 27, 2007, from http://www.unitedstreaming.com/
Visit http://www.fcps.edu/fairfaxnetwork/primary_sources/ for complete two-part video series.

Activity Types are defined by Primary Source Purposes

Learning Experiences use primary sources in the following ways:

  • Introduction (lesson beginning) - challenges students to make a connection to the topic being explored through a primary source-based short activity.
  • Investigation (lesson middle) - is the process of analyzing and interpreting primary source material and considering the source’s impact on the subject under study.
  • Formal Assessment (often lesson end) - requires students to demonstrate understanding, knowledge, and skill goals for the lesson through a product or performance requiring use of primary sources.
  • Lesson - leads students through a learning process including an introduction, investigation, ongoing and formal assessment, and extension activities focused on an understanding goal and related primary sources.
  • LibraryQuest - guides students through an online inquiry experience centered on primary source investigation to solve a problem or create a product.
  • Model Activity – demonstrates use of Best Instructional Practices and breadth of available Library of Congress resources through a primary source-based learning Experience. Model activities are designed for an audience of educators.

Learning Experiences consist of these elements:

Content: Library of Congress primary sources provide the impetus for learning and are directly related to curriculum standards. Primary sources are essential to the learning experience and used to add dimension, depth, and different levels of challenge or interest to the topic under study.

Process: The learning process is centered on an investigation question based on curriculum standards connected to an explicit understanding goal. Best Instructional Practices provide a means for students to develop understanding, knowledge, and skills. Student skill development includes critical and creative thinking, reading, writing, and research.

Products: The student response to the investigation question reveals progress toward learning goals including: understanding, knowledge, and skills.