Why Documents Matter: Teaching “Mr. Lincoln’s War”
TAH Project Directors Meeting7 January 2009New York, NY
Civil War WivesCivil War Wives
Carol BerkinBaruch College & The Graduate Center
City University of New York, New York, NY
The Bridge Between the HistorianThe Bridge Between the Historianand the American History Classroomand the American History Classroom
Rosanne LichatinWest Morris Central H.S., Chester, NJ
The Value of Primary Sources
When students “do history” they:
• Discover evidence• Ask relevant questions • Recognize the importance of
individuals in history• Develop historical empathy• Acknowledge various points of
view• Recognize bias
A.D.A.P.T.
A – Author• Who created the document?
D – Date• When was the document created?
A – Audience• What was the intended audience for this
document?P – Purpose• Why was the document created?
T – Tone• What emotions are evident in the document?
Working with Documents
Teachers Frame the Lesson
Teachers Create an Essential Question
Teachers Select the Documents
Students Work with Documents
Students Create the Narrative
The Lesson
Models • Letters from Civil War Soldiers &
their families
• Print documents & images
• Essential Question, Background, Questions for Students
Contact Information: [email protected]
The “Drummer Boy” The “Drummer Boy”
A letter from Georgiana Tillotson to her father, George, serving in the 89th New York Infantry of the Union army.
Elizabeth Tillotson with Georgiana (standing) and Lucy in 1862.
General Orders No. 1, issued January 2, 1863, conveyed the Emancipation Proclamation to the Union Army. Courtesy Gettysburg National Military Park.
Second page of letter from Union officer John P. Jones to his wife in Illinois on October 3, 1862. The Gilder Lehrman Collection.
A broadside recruiting African American soldiers for the Union Army. The Gilder Lehrman Collection.
“To compel students to live within the past, to stand in the shoes of those who came before us, to flesh out and give human meaning to abstractions about democracy, freedom, liberty, and opportunity, to understand the past from the perspective of the men and women who experienced it can be a disturbing experience – but ultimately a rewarding experience.”
Leon Litwack
Partnering with the Gilder Lehrman Partnering with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American HistoryInstitute of American History
Kelly WoestmanPittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS
What Did We Just See?
Today’s ModelToday’s Model
GLI Approach
HistorianEducation Specialist• Primary Sources• Content-Specific Teaching
StrategiesHands-On Collaboration
http://www.gilderlehrman.org
Free GLI Resources
History Now • http://www.historynow.org
Primary Sources
Summer Seminars for Teachers• Competitive application• TAH Grant partnership
component
Benefits of GLI TAH Partnerships
Flexibility; Flexibility; Flexibility
Instead of canned presentations, their staff will tailor your seminar experiences (generally1-3 days) to your needs and teachers selected interests
• Broad and Narrow Offerings• Access to the best historians in the
field
GLI Partnership Benefits
Plethora of primary source resources
Constantly producing new materials
Set of History in a Box for each year
GLI Partnership Benefits (cont’d)
Priority placement in Summer Seminars in one of three choices teachers select
Work with your project leadership staff to design options that meet your needs• Historian visit (1/2 day)• 1-3 day intense seminars
Bottom Line:Bottom Line:It’s up to you what you want to select from the
infinite resources of the Gilder Lehrman Institute
Benefits to Your TAH Project
Teachers will go away feeling valued as professional colleagues
GLI staff takes your requests and your feedback VERY seriously
Accessibility of GLI staff • in the office• on the road
Benefits (cont’d)
GLI staff has a diversity of expertise to share • if you WANT suggestions of how
to structure your grant partnership activities
Lessons Learned: Our 4 GLI Partnerships
Clarify up front • your project’s logistical and
financial responsibilities: • site location and rental• lodging• food• transportation
Lessons Learned (cont’d)
Be specific about whether a particular historian is your key objective
Or if the TOPIC is your key objective
Be Flexible• Schedules are hard to coordinate• Proximity to airports, etc.
Lessons Learned (cont’d)
PLAN AHEAD• We request historians a year or
more ahead of time• Especially important if you want
some of the most “in demand” historians
Feel free to consult with GLI staff at any time throughout your partnership.
Why the Gilder Lehrman Institute?
Established in 1994• FREE resources and study
opportunities for teachers• BEFORE TAH GRANTS began
Most importantly, GLI will be around AFTER TAH funding ends.
• Web site will remain free• Online journal will continue to exist
Why GLI? (cont’d)
Its expanding national and international footprint means that they provide unique opportunities and access that no other historical organization provides in quite the same way.
Its continuing involvement in the larger historical community is making an impact on engaging teachers as professional colleagues.
Why GLI ? (cont’d)
GLI and its scholars and education coordinators will still be accessible when teachers have questions as they continue to explore the wider world of American history with their students