The Library of Congress...for teachers!!

The Library of Congress is, without a doubt, a phenomenal resource in general. However, the website offers a plethora of materials for teachers to use in their classrooms. The resources made available are perfect for teachers of all content areas even foreign language teachers. As a Spanish teacher, I was attracted to the Hispanic themed resources. I often struggle to find primary sources that are age appropriate for my middle school and elementary level learners, but the Library of Congress has made these sources more easily accessible. One of the resources I though could be adapted into my curriculum included the primary source set entitled Hispanic Exploration.

I found that the primary sources, although not in the target language, can offer my students more insight on the contributions made by Hispanics to America. My students are much more invested and engaged when they are introduced to new material that is visual. The Library of Congress' primary sources makes this possible by accompanying their sources with maps, songs, pictures, and other visuals that helps bring the content to life. I also plan to use the "Immigration Challenges for Americans" to supplement my unit on immigration from Latin American countries. I believe my students will get so much more out of seeing and experiencing the lesson through authentic sources rather than learning solely from my worksheets and presentations.