Education

A research portal, which contains finding aids and digitized sources from Chicago area archives and libraries.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop critical thinking skills by exploring topics in history, literature, and culture through primary sources. Drawing online materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States, the sets use letters, photographs, posters, oral histories, video clips, sheet music, and more. Each set includes a topic overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

Digital exhibits and projects on Chicago’s forgotten or at-risk history.

National Archives site that provides thousands of primary sources for use in classroom activities.

This site contains a history of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 as well as a collection of primary sources, including eyewitness accounts..

The Illinois Digital Archives provides access to primary source materials in Illinois libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and other cultural institutions.

Sets of selected primary sources on specific topics, available as easy-to-print PDFs. Also, background material and tools to guide student analysis.

The new Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets bring together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents on a wide range of topics, from history to science to literature.

The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

A site at Yale University that will help you understand what primary sources are.

Includes ready-to-use tools for teaching with documents in the classroom.

This Library of Congress website offers helpful information about using primary sources in your teaching.

Lessons that engage students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features a set of primary source documents designed for groups of students with a range of reading skills.

National Park Service site that offers classroom-ready lesson plans that use historic sites as a means for exploring American history.

Classroom resources, including lesson plans, teaching strategies, and ideas for exploring current events with students.

Instructional and informational resources to teach about Native Americans. Includes native-centered primary source materials.