If you happen to be looking for federal primary sources from Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Illinois, a good spot to check is the Chicago office of the National Archives and Records Administration. Records available include bankruptcy records, Chinese Exclusion case files from Chicago and St. Paul, Michigan and Illinois Selective Service System Name Index records, and naturalization records. Other topics represented in the collections include, but aren't limited to, African American history, Depression era history, disasters, espionage, and maritime history.

Consider looking through the site's finding aids to get a sense of the collections available on location.

When visiting, be ready with an official photo ID and willingness to fill out a short form concerning your interests. Leave your pens behind (pencils are permitted), and prepare to leave your belongings in a locker or in your car.

Looking for more directed opportunities? Check out the archives' upcoming events. If you teach in Illinois or Indiana, you may even be eligible for continuing education credit.

In addition to the aforementioned public programs, there are workshops designed specifically for teachers. Find them (and more opportunities) under the Workshops heading.

Archivists are ready and willing to help your students define their research topics and select appropriate primary sources, for National History Day projects or other endeavors.

The National Museum of American Jewish History traces the history of the Jewish people in the United States, while also examining issues of ethnicity in the U.S.

The museum offers exhibits; guided tours for school groups (accompanied by pre-visit materials); guided city tours for fifth grade and up; poetry-writing and -reading workshops for all ages; "Memory Keepers," a program which guides fifth through eighth graders through the processing of designing a museum exhibit; and outreach presentations.

The African American Museum in Philadelphia, according to the website, is "the first institution built by a major United States city to house and interpret the life and work of African Americans." It highlights African American art and history in four galleries.

The museum offers exhibits, including its core exhibit, "Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776-1876"; family fun days; workshops; two programs for mentoring high-school-age youth; guided tours for school groups; outreach presentations for schools; professional development for educators; and other educational and recreational events.

The Staten Island Museum invites visitors to explore the arts, natural sciences, and local history.

The museum offers exhibits, programs for school groups, museum-on-the-go boxes for rent, and other educational and recreational events.

The Noble Maritime Collection, according to its website, mission "is to preserve and interpret the art, writings, and historical maritime artifacts of the distinguished marine artist, John A. Noble; to continue Noble's legacy of celebrating the people and traditions of the working waterfront of New York Harbor; to preserve and interpret the history of Sailors' Snug Harbor in its collections, exhibitions and programs; and to operate a maritime study center inspired by John A. Noble and the mariners of Sailors' Snug Harbor."

The center offers exhibits, programs for school groups (grades K-7), traveling maritime libraries for loan, camps, and other recreational and educational events

The Museum of American Finance, according to its website, is "the nation's only independent public museum dedicated to celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and the democratic free market tradition which has made New York City the financial capital of the world."

The museum offers exhibits, programs and tours for school groups, and other recreational and educational events.

The Yeshiva University Museum presents and interprets artifacts from Jewish history around the globe, including historical objects and contemporary works.

The museum offers exhibits, programs and guided tours for school groups, and other educational and recreational events.

The Center for Jewish History houses five major Jewish cultural institutions: the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The institutions offer galleries of exhibits and access to their collected archives.

The center offers exhibits, research library access, guided tours for groups, the Samberg Family History Program for high school students, film screenings, performances, and other recreational and educational events.

The Kansas City Museum allows visitors to explore the history of Kansas City, Missouri, form the mid-19th century to the present day.

The museum offers exhibits, outreach presentations, workshops, lectures, film screenings, and other recreational and educational events.