Synergy: Abraham Lincoln

ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1809-1865) served as the 16th president of the United States. Leading the nation during the American Civil War, he abolished slavery, preserved the nation, and modernized the economy. He was assassinated just days before the end of the war.

Read the recently published work of nonfiction for middle grades, then learn more at the websites:

MR. LINCOLN SITS FOR HIS PORTRAIT by Leonard S. Marcus uses a historical photograph to jumpstart a discussion of Abraham Lincoln and a day in this life. The author’s use of historical photos, artifacts, and timelines along with the short text blocks will draw the attention of young readers. In addition, youth will enjoy the way Lincoln’s son Tad is woven into the narrative. This book provides an engaging alternative to the many traditional Lincoln biographies already available in the library. ARC courtesy of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN is an article from National Geographic Kids providing an introduction to Abraham Lincoln.

To read the article, go to https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/abraham-lincoln.

THE MASK OF LINCOLN is an online exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery sharing photographs of Lincoln during his presidency.

To explore the exhibit, go to https://npg.si.edu/exhibit/lincoln/.

Digital Spotlight: The Art of American Advertising

THE ART OF AMERICAN ADVERTISING features advertisements from 1865 to 1910.

Contents: In addition to a searchable digital collection, users can also explore nine exhibitions focusing on national markets, advertising products, trade catalogs, trade cards, souvenirs and novelties, scrapbooks and collectibles, the art of “posting”, brand name management, and a marketing revolution.

Classroom Connections: This collection is useful for activities across the curriculum. Art teachers will want to involve students in evaluating the artwork, while history teachers can use the images to provide insights into particular time periods. Divide classes into small groups to explore specific exhibitions. Involve younger students in “then and now” comparisons.

Featured Digital Objects:
Gallery https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/gallery.html
Trade Cards https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/trade-cards.html
Souvenirs & Novelties https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/souvenirs.html

To visit the collection, go to https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/artadv/.

Website Review: Two Plantations

TWO PLANTATIONS tells the multi-generational story of 431 enclaved people living on two Virginia plantations in the 19th century.

This in-depth online project includes an interactive family diagram, detailed family trees, family lists, and analysis. Users can explore Sally Hurston’s family through four generations, examine family trees with biographical information, and explore a detailed list individuals.

Librarians will find this project provides an engaging way to help teens gain insights into the lives and families of slaves. Use family connections to help students better understand key issues related to slavery. The website provides some questions to get students talking. Use these questions to jumpstart a class inquiry using these plantations as examples.

To visit the website, go to http://twoplantations.com/.

Book Review: Bob the Railway Dog

BOB THE RAILWAY DOG by Corinne Fenton tells the story of the early days of the Australian railroad.

When a railway worker adopts a homeless dog named Bob, they become fast friends. However, Bob is a wanderer and soon finds himself riding the rails and exploring stations across the country. Based on a real dog, this story immerses readers in nineteenth century Australia.

Librarians will find a large audience among children who enjoy both dogs and trains.

To learn more about the author, got to http://corinnefenton.com/.

Published by Candlewick on November 8, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Digital Collection: Making of America

MAKING OF AMERICA
Cornell University Library

Contents: This collection contains primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. It includes monographs and over 100,000 journal articles. Users can search or browse the collection. The collection includes dozens of 19th century journals such as Scientific American and Atlantic Monthly to explore.

Classroom Connections: Use the many journals as a source for informational reading material. Ask students to select an article to read. Then, challenge them to investigate how the article reflects the time when it was written.

Featured Digital Objects:
Civil War - https://goo.gl/wCgSU9
Scientific American - https://goo.gl/mMzhOs

To visit the collection, http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/m/moa/.

Digital Collection: Pioneers in Your Attic

Mountain West Digital Library
Pioneers in Your Attic

Contents: Launched in 2013, this collections explores a wide range of topics related to the 19th century overland migration including transportation, trail and camp life, encounters with Native American tribes, diseases, medicine and surgery, politics and government, gold rush, religion, and perspectives from multiple viewpoints.

Classroom Connections: Involve youth in tracking the the westward movement from various perspectives. Ask each student to explore a different aspect such as transportation, camp life, or encounters with Native Americans. Or, explore resources by primary source type such as diaries, letters, and photographs.

Featured Digital Objects:
Drawing of Wagon Master https://goo.gl/6aZf02
Crow, Black Lodge Camp https://goo.gl/7p2ggY

To visit the collection, go to http://mwdl.org/portals/pioneers.php.

App Review: Slavery at Monticello

SLAVERY AT MONTICELLO is an app that tells the stories of people who lived and worked in Thomas Jefferson’s agricultural businesses.

After an introduction, users can explore the app through sites, people, or themes.

The “Discover Sites” section allows users to explore the stable, Hemmings cabin, textile workshop, stone house, storehouse for iron, nailery, blacksmith’s shop, joiner’s shop, coal sheds, and beyond Mulberry Row.

The “Meet People” section provides insights by more than a dozen people who worked for Thomas Jefferson from weavers and woodworkers to runaway slaves and the slave owner. Timelines visualize the lives of each person.

The “Explore Themes” section explores key themes including family and separation; labor, trade, and economy; life after Monticello; living and working conditions; racial identity; resistance and punishment; and studying slavery at Monticello.

Animations, stories, slideshows, and other approaches are used to share primary source documents and information related to each topic.

In addition to the major sections, users can also use a map to zoom-in on the historical site and explore various sites.

Librarians will find this to be an effective tool for discussing the history of slavery and Thomas Jefferson’s connections to the issue. History teachers will find that the format is attractive and easy to use with students. Immerse youth in the app through role playing activities.

To download the app from the App Store or Google Play, go tohttp://app.monticello.org/.

Technology Review: Digital Stories

DIGITAL STORIES from the Wellcome Collection weaves digitized primary sources into fascinating historical stories.

This London library website currently contains two digital stories: Minecraft and The Collectors.

Using an intriguing web-based format, Minecraft explores a century of madness, murder and mental healing through historical photographs, drawings, paintings, and other primary source documents. In many cases, interactive features are available such as zooming into documents, extended galleries, and informational sidebars. Multimedia elements are also available.

The Collectors is a digital story focusing on the power of curiosity and the naturalists, explorers, scientists, and others who have been involved with collecting in centuries past. This interactive web-based project also features primary source materials and multimedia elements.

Librarians will find this website to be a fascinating way to present archival materials. Use the website when exploring primary sources and design an activity the involves students in writing their own digital stories based on a collection.

To visit the collection, go to http://digitalstories.wellcomecollection.org/.

App Review: Ripped Apart

RIPPED APART from The National Museum of American History is an engaging Civil War mystery app.

Based on real people and events from history, this app-based simulation game immerses youth in a fascinating photography history collection. Participants take on the role of a Smithsonian intern solving cases. Using historical photographs, users must decipher documents to solve authentic problems. The game examines various perspectives as players learn about the causes and key players in the Civil War. In addition, users can experiment with 19th century photography using their mobile device’s camera.

The project website contains interesting information about the real-world stories that serve as the basis for the engaging simulation.

Designed for young adults, librarians will find this app to be a fun way to explore primary source materials and learn about American history. Collaborate with the history teacher to connect library and history standards related to primary source documents and information inquiry in history.

Teachers may need to provide some guidance in the use of the simulation because no in-app directions are provided.

To learn more about the project and download the app, go to http://americanhistory.si.edu/ripped-apart.

Book Review: Passenger on the Pearl

PASSENGER ON THE PEARL by Winifred Conkling tells the true story of Emily Edmonson’s flight from slavery. The work of nonfiction for youth is an authentic portrayal of the heartbreaking reality of slavery. Readers are immediately immersed in the story as Emily and her sibling’s attempt to escape on a ship called the Pearl. After their unsuccessful quest for freedom, the story continues to follow Emily’s life in slavery as well as the plight of the abolitionists who planned the escape. Ultimately, Emily and her sister are freed, educated, and became abolitionists themselves. They even develop a friendship with Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The book includes a variety of compelling primary source documents including photographs, paintings, manifests, and posters that dramatically visualize the story. Graphic elements including maps, a timeline, and a family tree that help orient readers. The source notes, bibliography, and index are helpful to young researchers.

Focused fact sheets interwoven into the story help readers understand the laws and practical threats to slaves seeking freedom in the mid 19th century.

Conkling does a masterful job merging the real-world story of Emily with background information about the time period and specific events associated with the famous failed escape. The combination creates both empathy for the runaway slaves as well as an understanding of the context of the escape.

The National Park Service Underground Railroad Map at http://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/discover_history/underground_map.htmprovides a map showing hundreds of locations related to the Underground Railroad.

To learn more about author Winifred Conkling, go to http://www.winifredconkling.com/.

After reading this wonderful book for youth, some teens might be interested in a more in-depth examination of the attempted escape and the aftermath. Read ESCAPE ON THE PEARL (2007) by Mary Kay Ricks, a work of nonfiction for adults.

NetGalley ARC used for review