Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) is the premier educational program by the Library of Congress, focused on helping educators enhance students’ critical thinking and analysis skills and content knowledge using the Library’s collections of millions of digitized primary sources. The TPS Midwest Region at Illinois State University covers 17 states situated in the center of the United States, from Minnesota to Louisiana.
Learn to utilize digital primary sources from the Library of Congress, create activities that facilitate the Common Core Standards, and engage students in active learning. Self-paced course, 25 PD hours. Email Dr. Judy Bee or call (309) 438-3441.
Asynchronous, 7-hour self-paced course by Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville, Collaborative for Educational Services, Mars Hill University, & TPS Midwest Region. Free for Ed Leaders Network members, including all Illinois public school educators. | Information
The four-month fall 2023 TPS Internship will run from the week of August 21 - week of December 18, 2023. TPS internships are stipended opportunities for current undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates (within six months) who have an interest in working with developing materials using the Library's digital primary sources for learners ages 9+, their families, and/or k-12 teachers. Successful candidates are likely to have academic, volunteer, or professional experience related to education, library science, history or museum studies, etc. One onsite intern will work full-time in Washington, DC (35 hours/week), and one remote intern will work part-time online (20 hours/week). More Information here.
In the joint explanatory statement for the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress established the Lewis Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative and appropriated funds to the Library of Congress " to develop and administer a pilot educational program as part of the Initiative, which funds eligible organizations within the United States and its territories to develop digitally-enabled comprehensive, assessable teaching project-based creative arts driven curricula programs focused on using the digitized primary sources of the Library of Congress related to history, civics and democracy. Find out more about this granting opportunity here
Anytime: Tues through Thurs between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm CT, except for federal holidays, on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to staff availability | Access request form
Free, Virtual IGA Summer Workshop #1 - Food for Thought: Resources for Teaching the Geography of Food, June 14, 2023
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA) at Illinois State University is pleased to offer a half-day, virtual workshop on teaching the geography of food. Sessions will focus on teaching different aspects of the geography of food and providing resources for educators to incorporate in their classroom (e.g., websites, interactive maps and mapping, and activities). The workshop includes breakout sessions presented by experienced K-16 educators.
The half-day workshop is broken into three sessions. The first session will provide an overview of the geography of food and connect it to the practice of asking geographic questions and developing geographic skills. The second and third sessions will include hands-on activities that can be used for teaching agriculture and mapping food deserts and swamps, respectively. Additional time is scheduled during the workshop for participants to meet in groups to discuss the sessions, identify ways they might apply it to their own teaching, and ask questions.
Registration deadline Friday, June 9th Register Online
Free, Virtual IGA Summer Workshop #2 - Storytelling with Maps: A Virtual Workshop for Educators, June 26-28, 2023
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA) at Illinois State University is pleased to offer once again a three-day, virtual workshop that will immerse participants in the art and science of storytelling with maps using ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS StoryMaps. Participants will learn strategies for teaching students how to gather and symbolize data, as well as integrating with text, imagery, and multimedia into effective StoryMaps. (Refer to Farming for the Future for an example of a StoryMap that incorporates tools that will be discussed in the workshop.)
The goal of the workshop is to provide participants with concepts for integrating storytelling with maps into their existing curriculum. Attendees will learn key principles using ESRI’s ArcGIS StoryMaps. The workshop will also cover steps for acquiring free ESRI GIS software for use in the classroom.
Registration deadline Friday, June 15th Register Online
TPS Micro-credentials
National Education Association, Citizen U, Emerging America, Inquiry in the Upper Midwest, Right Question Institute, TPS Western Region
Asynchronous with support group on the TPS Teachers Network
Free for NEA members, $75 for all others (non-members may apply for a free voucher with a valid school email) | Access micro-credentials | Contact: Julie Schaul
TPS Basics
TPS Eastern Region
Asynchronous | Information | Registration | Contact: Matt Mandarino
Teaching with Primary Sources in the Elementary Classroom
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Collaborative for Educational Services, Mars Hill University, TPS Midwest Region
Asynchronous
Free for Ed Leaders Network members, including all Illinois public school educators
Information | Contact: Arlin Peebles
Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Primary Source Questions
Right Question Institute
Asynchronous self-paced online learning modules | Access | Contact: Katy Connolly
These small grants will support partners who wish to investigate the impact of their TPS-related work, extend their TPS work by presenting about their grant activities at professional development events and conferences, or conduct follow-up TPS professional development workshops and courses. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis but must be approved in advance. For more information about applying for a mini-grant, please contact Dr. Richard Satchwell at resatch@ilstu.edu or call (309) 438-3441.