This proposed professional development teacher workshop is based on connecting materials from the Library of Congress and Arts in Action project with the curriculum.

By exploring national themes with local history that considers multiple perspectives, this workshop will help teachers build students’ critical thinking skills, strengthen the school-community bond, and expand opportunities to collaborate with one another.

Using the inquiry method, Dr. VanGorder explored how local history lessons can be a “teachable moment” that informs the national narratives that are already taught. Resources from the Arts in Action project were used to illustrate how local stories can be woven into the larger fabric of American history narratives using Library of Congress’ resources.

The model for this work is based on the 2022 State of Illinois Board of Education’s Inclusive American History Commission final report. Their findings support the concepts outlined in this Teaching with Primary Sources proposal

Combining the strength of the Library of Congress’ educational resources with the DeKalb County History Center’s and Ellwood House Museum’s collection, the workshop provided teachers with the tools to work with students in an engaging manner while connecting traditionally “unheard voices” to national themes with local examples.

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