Goals of the TPS Program
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Level I
Level I–Participants gain strategies for using primary sources to help students engage in learning, develop critical thinking skills and build content knowledge.
Participants:
- Justify conclusions about whether a source is primary or secondary depending upon the time or topic under study.
- Describe examples of the benefits of teaching with primary sources.
- Analyze a primary source using Library of Congress tools
- Access teaching tools and primary sources from loc.gov/teachers
- Identify key considerations for selecting primary sources for instructional use (for example, student needs and interests, teaching goals, etc.)
- Access primary sources and teaching resources from loc.gov for instructional use
- Analyze primary sources in different formats
- Analyze a set of related primary sources in order to identify multiple perspectives
- Facilitate a primary source analysis using Library of Congress tools
- Demonstrate how primary sources can support at least one teaching strategy (for example, literacy, inquiry-based learning, historical thinking, etc.)
- Create a primary source-based activity that helps students engage in learning, develop critical thinking skills and construct knowledge
Level II
Participants evaluate, create and teach topic-specific, content-informed lessons that integrate primary sources from the Library of Congress and exemplify effective instructional practices.
Participants:
- Gain a thorough understanding of effective instructional practices with emphases on inquiry-based and student-centered learning using primary sources
- Learn to identify exemplary learning experiences
- Create standards-based, content-informed learning experiences integrating primary sources from the Library of Congress that exemplify effective instructional practice
- Teach, assess and reflect on their experiences using primary sources in instruction
- Evaluate primary source-based learning experiences
- Investigate the effects of primary source-based instruction on student learning
Level III
Experienced educators advocate the use of primary sources and help disseminate the ideas, methods and products of the TPS program.
Participants:
- Mentor colleagues on the effective instructional uses of primary sources
- Evaluate learning experiences for widespread dissemination and use
- Interact and collaborate with other teachers who are using Library of Congress primary sources
- Conduct research into the effective use of primary sources in education
- Contribute to the use of effective practices for using primary sources in instruction by leading professional development activities
*Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
