Digital Public Library of America

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DPLA logo
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The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) serves as a portal to the digital collections of more then 40 state, regional, and online-only libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural institutions. Created to strengthen access to public resources and to "create novel environments for learning, tools for discovery, and engaging apps," the DPLA is an invaluable first stop for teachers and students looking for primary sources, particularly regional history sources.

Visitors to the website can search the more than 4,500,000 objects in the collections of participating institutions using keywords, returning results they can filter by format, owning institution, partner, date, language, location, and subject. Clicking on an object brings up detailed metadata, including creator, date of creation, and a description of the object, as well as a link to its original location online. Visitors who create a free account can save their search results, make them private or public, and share them via Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

Visitors can also browse objects on a map or timeline—a fantastic way to prompt thinking about how primary sources are located in time and space. The timeline stretches from 1000 BCE to the present. (Note that zooming into the map returns finer results.) In addition, more than eight virtual exhibits demonstrate how DPLA sources can be curated to tell stories about themes and events.

The DPLA's API (application programming interface) allows visitors with the know-how to create apps drawing on the DPLA's collections. An eclectic set of more than 10 apps lets visitors browse DPLA's search results as a "river of images," discover primary sources related to their Zotero bibliographies, and more.

A fantastic starting point for anyone looking for primary sources, teachers can feel confident pointing students towards the DPLA to begin research projects or turning to the DPLA themselves to find resources to support lesson plans.

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digital archives
digital libraries
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Hayes Presidential Center [OH]

Description

The Hayes Presidential Center contains the residence of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States, a library and museum, and the tomb of the president and his wife Lucy Webb Hayes. Hayes's uncle, Sardis Birchard, named the site Spiegel Grove from the German word for mirror. It was based on the reflections from the pools of water under the trees. The homestead, a stately mansion, is furnished in late 19th-century style. The library and museum building houses the personal papers and mementos of the Hayes family, the Civil War, and the White House. Hayes's tomb is encased in a monument of Vermont granite from his father's farm.

A second website for the Presidential Center can be found here.

The center offers exhibits; tours; research library access; lectures; and recreational and educational events, including living history events.

Adams National Historic Park

Description

Adams National Historical Park tells the story of four generations of the Adams family (from 1720 to 1927). The park has two main sites: the Birthplaces of 2nd U.S. President John Adams and 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams, and Peacefield including the “Old House,” home to four generations of the Adams family, and the Stone Library which contains more than 14,000 historic volumes.

The site offers guided tours of the homes.

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site [NY]

Description

Franklin D. Roosevelt loved Springwood and considered the estate home. The first U.S. Presidential Library was started by FDR here. Visitors to the Home of FDR and Presidential Library and Museum can learn about the only President elected to four terms.

The site offers short films, educational programs, exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Visiting History: A Guide for Professional Development

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Teachers on Fords' Theatre walking tour of DC
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Planning a teacher professional development experience this summer that will take your teachers on the road and outside of the classroom? Whether you are going across town to a local museum or across the country to visit a number of sites, be sure to check out Teachinghistory.org’s new professional development planning guide, Visiting History.

Designed to help professional development coordinators plan a successful trip to a museum, library, or historic site, the guide opens with a video that poses the question: What is good professional development?

From there, explore the guide's three sections:

  • Plan: Preparing a visit that balances content and strategies
  • Experience: Creating a learning experience that meets the group's needs
  • Reflect: How to make the experience impactful back at school

Within each section, start by watching a video that lays out the key things to keep in mind during each step of the process. Or dive right into the content where you will find expert tips on what works when planning a professional development trip, learn strategies for engaging your group throughout the process, and get ideas for how to connect the trip back to the classroom. You can even download the guide’s planning checklist to help keep you organized and on track!

The guide is a project of the DC Museum Collaborative, a group envisioned by the U.S. Department of Education to share ideas for improving teacher professional development based on lessons learned from Teaching American History grants. Meeting for the past two years, the group developed the guide’s content through discussions, interviews, and workshop sessions.

While the examples are drawn from the DC area, the strategies and tips shared apply no matter where you plan to visit. Good professional development is more than a lecture—it is a chance to experience history. Summer is coming, so start planning how your teachers can begin Visiting History today!

For more information

For more about quality professional development—both inside and outside the classroom—take a look at our Roundtable on what makes professional development meaningful for teachers.

Visit Teachinghistory.org's Teaching American History grants section for Lessons Learned and Project Spotlights.

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