Library of Congress Webquest

Grand Valley State University

Susan Laninga
Summer 2012

As a result of participating in this Web quest, pre-service teachers/college students will

have a working knowledge of the Library Of Congress web site. They will be able to
navigate the site and access the materials and resources that will support teaching of the
Michigan Grade Level Content Standards for Social Studies and the Common Core State
Standards for English Language Arts. The intent is that students will use these primary
sources to create engaging and content-rich lessons and units for their future students.
Overview/ Materials/Historical Background/LOC Resources/Standards/
Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension

Overview
Objectives

Recommended time frame

Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials

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Students will
Investigate the Library of Congress web site,
completing the web quest provided.
Explore the various collections and genres
represented by the resources of the LOC.
Develop an activity that uses a site on the LOC
site and aligns with the Michigan GLCEs.
1 2 hours
Elementary Pre-service teachers University level
K 8 Social Studies, GLCEs;
English Language Arts, CCSS;
Technology standards for Michigan Education
www.loc.gov
Computer
Internet connection
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs),
grades K-8
Common Core State Standards

Procedures
1. ALL SST309 students will
do this Preparation activity
See page 9 for the electronic
answer template. Turn in
hardcopy of that page.
2. Choose 5 of the 10

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Preparation activity: everyone will do this one.

Go to http://educationextras.com/
On the right side of this site is a link to many Library of
Congress lesson plans created by teachers, and using the
primary sources available at LOC. Click on that link
and explore the lesson plans you find there. Tell a title
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activities to complete.
3. Do one of the two
Evaluation activities.
4. Do the two reflection
questions.
5. You may choose to do the
Extension later if it fits your
unit.
Read paragraph to the right:

of one that looks interesting from each: Early

Elementary, Michigan, 5th grade, and from the
Intermediate tab (4 titles). You may include one of
these lessons as a part of your unit if it fits your
expectations.

Go to www.loc.gov. This is the home page for the

Library of Congress. This web quest will take you on a
journey through the site and you will investigate many
primary resources that you can use to make your lessons
more interesting and engaging for your future students!
You will come back to this page to begin each Activity
described below.
(Activities one and two are related to: GLCE 5- U3.2.2
Describe the importance of Valley Forge, Battle of
Saratoga and Battle of Yorktown in the American
Revolution.)
Activity One:
In the center of the page under Collection Highlights
are squares that take you into the collections. Click
on American Memory. In the Search box at the top,
type in Valley Forge. The first entry is At Valley
Forge. Click on that and View the text, then Listen
to the original speech (about 3 minutes). Write one
sentence telling the gist of the speech and why it
would be effective for 8th graders to both listen to
and read the words of this speech.
Activity Two:
After reading and listening to the speech in Activity
One, you will explore another way to get into the
Library of Congress to find specific information on
Valley Forge. Go to Google and type in Google
Advanced Search. Type in Valley Forge under
Find pages with these words: then scroll down to
Then narrow your results by and type in loc.gov in
the site box. Find Valley Forge 1777. Gen.
Washington and Lafayette visiting the After
looking at this lithograph, describe in a sentence the
importance of Valley Forge. Find a way to answer
that question for either of the other two
places/events: Battle of Yorktown or Battle of
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Saratoga. You may go into the site either or both of

the two ways in these first two activities.
Activity Three: (related to 5-U2.3.2 Describe the daily
life of people living in the New England, Middle, and
Southern colonies.)
From the home page of the LOC, www.loc.gov,
click on the square called Prints and Photographs.
Type in Colonial life in the search box. See #2,
Photocopies of original historical printscolonial
life. Click on the Group of images. Based on these
pictures, what do you see and what could you say
about life in colonial America in three sentences?
Activity Four: (related to 4-G4.0.1 Use a case study or
story about migration within or to the United States to
identify push and pull factors [why they left, why they
came] that influenced the migration. AND
4-H3.0.7 Use case studies or stories to describe the ideas
and actions of individuals involved in the Underground
RR in MI and in the Great Lakes region.)
To the right of the squares, there is a section called
Especially for Click on Kids and Families, then
the circle labeled Local Legacies. On the US map,
click on the state of Michigan. On the list, click on
Underground RR Activity in SW Michigan. Read
the paragraph. On a map of Michigan, locate and
label the MI locations (Detroit, North Berrien,
Vandalia, Cass County) mentioned in the paragraph.
Activity Five: (This activity addresses the idea of
chronology and that events have happened in the past.
It could be used for building this concept with K-2
students, supporting the H2.0.1 GLCEs.)
Scroll to the bottom of the Home page and find the
Explore and Discover section. Click on Today in
History, read about this day in history, then click on
the word Archives. Type in your birthdate (month
and date) under number 2. What 3 important things
happened on your special day? What are the
primary sources the museum has for each? If there
are less than 3 events on your birthday, choose
events from the day before or after.
Activity Six: (This one relates to GLCEs in both 5th and
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8th grades [U3.3], the forming of ideas and writing of

the US Constitution.)
To the right of the squares, there is a section called
Especially for Click on Teachers, then
Classroom Materials, Primary Source sets. Take a
look at the set on the Constitution. List 3 documents
that you could use in this set.
Activity Seven: This one relates to 5th and 8th grades,
supporting those concepts of African-American History:
5-U2.2.1,2,and3 the Triangle Trade, 5-U1.4.4 - the
Columbian Exchange, 5 U1.4.4 - the Convergence of
European, American Indian, and Africans in North
America, and 8 U4.3.2 the Abolitionist movement.)
From the www.loc.gov home page, scroll to the
bottom and find Read.gov. Click on that box.
On the left side, click on Booklists. Under the
topic of African-American History, how many
books for teens might you discover? What are
the topics/categories under which they are
arranged?
Activity Eight: Connected to K C2.0.1 Identify our
countrys flag as an important symbol of the United
States, and 1 C2.0.2 Identify important symbols of
the United States of America (e.g., Statue of Liberty,
Uncle Sam, White House, Bald Eagle).
Go to Google and type in Google Advanced
Search. Type in (separately) each of the
symbols of the United States: Flag, Statue of
Liberty, Uncle Sam, White House, Bald
Eagle under Find pages with these words:
then scroll down to Then narrow your results
by and type in loc.gov in the site box.
Choose one image for each symbol and copy and
paste that image onto a table. Include the
citation for each one. (See the table handout.)
Activity Nine: This activity is related to U5 3.1.2 the
causes and effects of the Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party,
the Intolerable Act, and Boston Massacre.
Go to the National Archives site:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/work
sheets/ and download the Poster Analysis
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Worksheet. Then go to loc.gov and click on

Photos and Prints. Type Stamp Act in the
Search feature and take a close look at numbers
4,6,8, and 10. Choose one to analyze. Include
this analysis in your packet to turn in.

Evaluation choose one of the following:

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A. Students in SST309 will create an Activity similar to

the ones above that will help others investigate other
parts of the LOC web site or other resources not
investigated here. They will link the Activity to one or
more Grade Level Content Expectations.
OR
B. Students in SST309 will go to the National Archives
link:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/
and then use one of the analysis sheets to analyze a
resource from the Library of Congress. They will have
to show which Social Studies Grade Level Content
Expectations that resource would support.

Extension (choice for your Unit)

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Students in SST309 will include primary source

materials and resources from the Library of Congress in
their final project for the course and/or use the materials
in their Weebly (Electronic Portfolios) and/or their
Integrated Literacy Assignment (ILA) IF their unit plan
aligns to the materials contained here.

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Answer Sheet for SST309 Students

(Handouts)
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Activity
Number
(Do the
Preparatio
n activity,
then
choose 5
of the
numbered
activities.
Do the
Evaluation
and the
Reflection.
)
Preparatio
n
Education
Extras
(all
SST309
students
will
complete
this one)
(4 titles
see right)
Activity
One
Activity
Five
Activity
Six
Activity
Seven

Answer Sheet for LOC Activities

Insert work electronically on this side:

Early Elementary
Comparing and contrasting Maps By: Robin Mitchell
Michigan Pioneer Life in Michigan By: Kathryn Hribar
5th grade Revolutionary War: The Stamp Act of 1765 By: Maria E.
Wallevand
Intermediate The Conquest of Mexico (Early America to 1630) By:
Martina Mileski
Listening to this speech would be beneficial to 8th graders because it is a
descriptive and realistic telling of what happened during this time period.
Three important things that happened on a and around June 29th are the
death of Henry Clay (Primary Documents in American History), the Treaty
of Versailles was signed (The Stars and Stripes), and the Yosemite Valley
Grant Act was signed by Abraham Lincoln (National Park Service).
From The Constitution primary source set I could use the Newspaper article
1787, U.S. Constitution as Originally Adopted, and the Constitution with
Washingtons handwritten notes.
Under African-American history, I found eleven books for teens. They were
categorized under The African-American Experience, Slavery, and
Frederick Douglass.

Activity
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Eight:
Titles of
the work
on the left
side,
pictures on
the right.
Flag of
U.S.:

https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun14.html
Statue of
Liberty:

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/gilded/jb_gilded_liberty_1.html
Bald
Eagle:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/99614784/

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Uncle
Sam:

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html
White
House:

Evaluation
Choice: A
or B

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/nation/jb_nation_whitehse_1.html
B:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/bbc.0068f/

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Rubric for LOC Activities

Activity Number (Choose 5 of the
numbered activities.) 20 points total for
any 5 plus Prep activities.
Preparation Education Extras (ALL
do this one)

Activity One

Activity Two

Activity Three
Activity Four

Activity Five
Activity Six
Activity Seven
Activity Eight
Activity Nine

Insert work electronically on this side:

Title and Author from the Lesson Plans
available from each of the four categories:
Early Elementary
Michigan
5th Grade
Intermediate
Complete description of this speech and its
importance in history, as well as why it
would be important for 8th graders to read and
listen to this speech.
Complete descriptions of the importance of
two of the three:
Valley Forge
Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Saratoga
Minimum of three sentences describing life
in colonial America based on viewing the 36
pictures of colonial life in the LOC.
A map of MI including the four locations
mentioned as important to the Underground
RR (Detroit, North Berrien, Vandalia, Cass
County), located correctly.
Three important events that happened on
students birthdate (or on day before/after).
Birthdate noted.
Complete titles of three primary source
documents that could be used to teach about
the writing of the US Constitution.
Number of titles and categories available to
teach Teens about African American History
correctly stated.
Pictures of important patriotic symbols of the
United States, including the citation for each
one.
Attached, completed Poster Analysis of one
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of the posters (4,6,8,10) of the Stamp Act

from the National Archives. Correct
analysis.

Evaluation choose one of the following: 15 points

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A1. Alignment to one of

the GLCEs. Write the
Code and wording of the
GLCE.
2. Complete instructions
for finding the way to
complete the activity.
3. Activity goes to
another part of loc.gov
not yet visited.
B1. Chooses an analysis
sheet related to a
resource from the
Library of Congress
2. Alignment to one of
the GLCEs. Write the
Code and wording of the
GLCE.

A. Students in SST309 will create an Activity similar to the

ones above that will help others investigate other parts of the
LOC web site or other resources not investigated here. They
will link the Activity to one or more Grade Level Content
Expectations.
OR
B. Students in SST309 will go to the National Archives link:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/
and then use one of the analysis sheets to analyze a resource
from the Library of Congress. They will have to show which
Social Studies Grade Level Content Expectations that
resource would support.

Reflection 5 points
Complete reflection (sincere, personal), making connections to text, self, world, future.
1. What is the most valuable take-away you have gained by learning about the resources
at the Library of Congress?
The most valuable take away from this activity is having increased knowledge on how to
find primary sources to use on multiple topics when teaching social studies and other
topics.
2. What is the value of studying history using primary source documents?
Using primary sources to study history allows you to indulge in the time period and
understand more of what was taking place during the events. It allows you to have a
physical connection to that moment in time and offers very factual information.

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Rubrics
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Each Activity in this web quest is accomplished as the student moves through it. At the
end, there will be a written reflection on what the students have learned about the Library
of Congress, the value of using primary sources to teach history, and one Activity they
create to support one of the GLCEs.
Instructions: Students in SST309 will create an Activity similar to the ones in the
Webquest that will help others investigate other parts of the LOC web site or other
resources or content not investigated already. They will align the Activity to one or more
Grade Level Content Expectations.
Elements

Proficient (4 points)

Adequate (2 points)

Activity
navigability

Activity easily takes the

participant to a resource in
the Library of Congress site.

N/A

Novelty of LOC
location, grade
level content
area, or resource
type
GLCE alignment

Activity uses a LOC

location, grade level content
area, and resource type not
used in the original 10
activities.
Activity is directly aligned
to a Grade Level Content
Expectation (although it
may not support the whole
GLCE)
Location of LOC resource is
correctly cited (3points)

Activity uses a LOC

location, grade level
content area, or resource
type not used in the
original 10 activities.
Activity is related to a
Grade Level Content
Expectation

LOC location, grade level

content area, or resource
type not used in the
original 10 activities.

N/A

Location of LOC resource

is incorrectly cited

Citation

Unsatisfactory (0
points)
Activity does not lead
participant to a LOC
resource.

Activity is not aligned to a

Grade Level Content
Expectation

OR
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Students in SST309 will go to the National Archives link:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/
and, using one of the analysis sheets, discover and analyze a resource from the Library of
Congress. They will have to show which Social Studies Grade Level Content
Expectations that resource would support.
Elements

Proficient (5 points)

Adequate (3 points)

Analysis sheet

Analysis sheet is correctly

completed, using a resource
from the LOC

N/A

Citation

Location of LOC resource is

correctly cited

N/A

GLCE alignment

Activity is directly aligned

to a Grade Level Content
Expectation (although it
may not support the whole
GLCE)

Activity is related to a
Grade Level Content
Expectation

13

Unsatisfactory (0
points)
Analysis sheet is
incorrectly completed,
using a resource from the
LOC
Location of LOC resource
is incorrectly cited
Activity is not aligned to a
Grade Level Content
Expectation

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Primary Resources from the Library of Congress

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The following images are samples of the ones that support each of the Activities in this
web quest.
Image
Description
Citation
Permanent URL
This is an
Reproduction of sound http://memory.loc.gov/c
audio
disc: analog, 78 rpm;
girecording of
10 in. from the private bin/query/r?ammem/nf
Speaker of the collection of Guy
or:@field(DOCID+@ra
House Champ Golterman, and with
nge(90000041+900000
Clark,
the cooperation of
42))
speaking at the CBS-Sony Records
dedication of a and the Recording
memorial to
Industry Association
the soldiers
of America.
who suffered at
Valley Forge.
This is a
LC-USZ62-819 (b&w Haas, P. Valley Forge,
picture of
film copy neg.)
1777. Gen. Washington
Washington
and Lafayette visiting
and his troops
the suffering part of the
at Valley
army. 1843. Library of
Forge.
Congress, Washington
D.C. Web. 22 June
2012.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2006691573/
Photo of print
showing
colonial
quilting bee.

LC-USZ61-193 (b&w
film copy neg.)
Library of Congress
Prints and
Photographs Division
Washington, D.C.
20540 USA

14

Photocopies of original
historical prints and
reproductions, mainly
from the Library of
Congress collections,
relating to the
settlement of the
American colonies and
to colonial life. Library
of Congress Prints and
Photographs Division

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Washington, D.C.
20540 USA. Web. 22
June 2012.
http://www.loc.gov/pict
ures/item/2002725269/
This is a photo Photograph taken from
of the Carriage
The Local Legacies
House in
project of the Library
Vandalia,
of Congress, courtesy
Michigan, that of Representative Fred
served as a
Upton, MI District 6.
haven for
runaway
slaves. Photo:
Bill Dozier
From History
Photograph of Sitting
Today, June
Bull.
25, 2012. This
is the
anniversary of
the event
popularly
called
Custers Last
Stand, June
25, 1876.
This is a pdf of PDF of a Chart found
the chart
in Primary Source sets
Thomas
on the Constitution in
Jefferson used
Teacher resources.
to keep track
of the votes to
be cast for
accepting the
U.S.
Constitution.

15

Dozier, Bill. The

Carriage House in
Vandalia, Michigan.
2000. Web. 22 June
2012.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/di
glib/legacies/MI/20000
3147.html
Barry, David F. Sitting
Bull. 1885. photograph.
Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
Division Washington,
D.C. 20540 USA,
Washington D.C.
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.
pnp/cph.3c11147

Jefferson, Thomas.
Chart of State Votes on
the United States
Constitution. 1788. Art.
Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
Division Washington,
D.C. 20540 USA,
Washington D.C.
http://memory.loc.gov/c
gibin/ampage?collId=mtj
1&fileName=mtj1page
010.db&recNum=678

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This is a logo
that
accompanies
one of the
topics included
in the African
American
section of the
Teen books
available in
Read.gov.

Photo about the

Voices from the Days
of Slavery project.
Former slaves tell
their stories, 1932 1975.

Dryton, Thomas F.
Contraband of War:
Slaves of the Rebel
General. May, 1862.
Art. Library of
Congress Prints and
Photographs Division
Washington, D.C.
20540 USA,
Washington D.C.
http://memory.loc.gov/a
mmem/collections/voic
es/

This is an
Engraving
invitation to
LC-USZ62-86669
the
(b&w film copy neg.)
inauguration of http://lcweb2.loc.gov/s
the Statue of ervice/pnp/cph/3b3000
Liberty
0/3b33000/3b33100/3
b33153_150px.jpg

Invitation to the
inauguration of the
Statue of Liberty, with
picture of Statue of
Liberty and shields.
Engraving. Library of
Congress Prints and
Photographs Division
Washington, D.C.
20540 USA,
Washington D.C.
Print shows a
Published in: The
Bradford, William. This
skull and
American Revolution is the place to affix the
crossbones
in drawings and prints; stamp. 1765. Woodcut.
representation
a checklist of 1765Library of Congress
of the official
1790 graphics in the
Microform Reading
stamp required Library of Congress /
Room, Washington
by the Stamp
Compiled by Donald
D.C.
Act of 1765, an H. Cresswell, with a
example of
foreword by Sinclair
how the
H. Hitchings.
colonists
Washington: [For sale
protested the
by the Supt. of Docs.,
Stamp Act of U.S. Govt. Print. Off.],
the British
1975, no. 619.
government.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/s
They are
ervice/pnp/cph/3a5000
showing their 0/3a52000/3a52200/3a
disdain for the
52298r.jpg
fact that they
have to adhere
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to it.

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Historical Background
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Michigans K 8 Grade Level Content Expectations have been developed using an expanding environments model,
meaning that in Kindergarten the content is more ego-centric and each succeeding year the focus moves outward to
include others, the community, the wider metropolitan areas, the state, country, and the world:
K Living and Working Together
1 - Living and Working Together in Families and Schools
2 - Living and Working Together in Communities
3 History of Michigan (through statehood)
4 History of Michigan (Beyond statehood)
5 U.S. History Pre-Columbian through development of the Bill of Rights
6 Western Hemisphere and World History through Era 4
7 Eastern Hemisphere and World History through Era 4
8 U.S. History Ideological roots of the Constitution through the Rise of Industry
Within each grade the expectation is that students will use primary sources. This enables them to make inquiries and
experience history as historians.
Specific collections and locations of the LOC included in this study are:
Preparation activity Explore the lesson plans at the Education Extras site.
Activity 1 Collection highlights: American Memory (audio speech)
Activity 2 Google Advanced Search (lithograph)
Activity 3 Collection highlights: Prints and Photographs (images)
Activity 4 Especially forKids and Families (Local Legacies project, photo)
Activity 5 Explore and Discover: Today in History (varied primary sources)
Activity 6 Especially for Teachers, Classroom Materials (Primary Source set on the Constitution)
Activity 7 Explore Read.gov (Booklists on African-American History)
Activity 8 Use Google Advanced Search function to find various symbols of the US. (will vary - photos,
prints, artifacts, etc.)
Activity 9 Explore the National Archive Site and the Document Analysis tools, the Photos and Prints section
of the American History collection (photo)
Evaluation Create an activity of your own OR complete one of the analysis sheets provided