Mark Adams--Guest Blogger
Hi, I am a guest blogger invited by Mrs. Bosch to post about the collection of primary sources online at the Truman Presidential Library.
I work as the Education Director and Webmaster at the Library and wanted to share the primary sources we have online. We also have a large collection of lesson plans and encourage lesson plan submissions based on our materials.
So, what we do have online? Firstly our collection focuses on the Truman Presidency, so the bulk of the primary sources we have online focuses on the tough decisions President Truman faced. So you can find topics such as his Decision to the Drop the Atomic Bomb, the Korean War, and the Desegregation of the Military. However, the materials we have cover all of Truman’s life, not just his presidency. 
So last summer we added materials related to his time in World War One. Truman was a Captain in World War I and we have tons of materials online. Even a red poppy that he brought back from France!
I know many students like to look at visual sources so I just wanted to finish up by pointing out links to online political cartoons and thousands of photographs from the Truman era which are a treasure trove of fascinating information.
If you have questions or would like to submit lesson plans you can email me at: mark.adams@nara.gov and you can follow this link for more information on our educational programs at the Truman Library.
1 comment:
I'll never forget using pictorial primary sources in a class that I took in the mid-90s on teaching methods. The professor had us look at pictures in groups and then develop stories to explain the pictures. Interestingly, as I think back, I don't recall ever actually learning what the "true" nature of the pictures? Did it really matter?
In hindsight, I'd say that it is important for students to know the origins of pictures that they study. Yet, it is also OK to use pictures to promote critical thinking.
I think I'm actually going to consider this question in more detail on my new blog at the new social network site, http://www.teachingcontent.ning.com.
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