Integrating Primary Sources

The focus of Education Resources at the Library of Congress is on using primary sources to have students understand how people and events have shaped history. To encourage interest and introduce the lesson, the teacher starts by presenting students with a short article or picture. This will give some background information and allow students to ask and answer questions about the materials. The lessons provide an easy to understand format for both teachers and students. There are plenty of materials provided for the lesson and suggestions as to how the teacher can adapt the lessons to suit individual needs. Continue reading Integrating Primary Sources

U.S. History Made Lively

If you have not yet been introduced to Joy Hakim, don’t delay. Hakim is the author of a U.S. history series entitled A History of Us. This series, told in a lively, engaging way, was written for middle school students, but it is also a great way for adult students to learn about U.S. history and prepare for the HSE exam. Continue reading U.S. History Made Lively

Deepening our Understanding of Evolution

Over the last few months, a few of us in the CUNY Adult Literacy/HSE Program have been working on a lesson set on evolution. While poking around the Internet and educating ourselves, we have found some wonderful resources for science education, which we will share over the next few months.  Continue reading Deepening our Understanding of Evolution

A People’s Website

Many of us adult educators are familiar with Howard Zinn, the revolutionary historian who wrote “A People’s History of the United States,” and “A Young People’s History of the United States.” If you are a teacher who has enjoyed using excerpts from Zinn’s books in class, you will love this website, with lots of free teaching materials on history that will be engaging and accessible to students. Continue reading A People’s Website