Digital Spotlight: National Film Registry

NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY SELECTIONS is a YouTube collection from the Library of Congress.

Contents: The collection contains thirty five films that have been identified by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Classroom Connections: Ask students to watch part of a film and discussion how it reflects the time period when it was produced.

Featured Digital Objects:
Popeye the Sailor https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00068306/
St. Louis Blues https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00063365/
Memphis Belle https://www.loc.gov/item/mbrs00009301/

To visit the collection, go to https://goo.gl/P8bKkL.

Digital Spotlight: National American Woman Suffrage Association

THE NATIONAL AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION COLLECTION from the Library of Congress contains materials related to the suffrage movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Contents: Containing over 100 digitized documents, the collection includes many primary sources related to Carrie Chapman Catt along with other members of the movement. Documents include books, pamphlets, photographs, poetry, speeches, and proceedings of conventions.

Classroom Connections: Teachers will find this collection filled with insights into the day-to-day activities of the association and people that led the suffrage movement. Ask students to select a document that reflects a particular aspect of the movement such as arguments for the amendment or speeches in support of women’s rights.

Featured Digital Objects:
Are Women People?
https://www.loc.gov/item/15013348/
An Appeal to the Women of the United States
https://www.loc.gov/item/tmp80018697/
Solitude of Self
https://www.loc.gov/item/93838358/

To visit the collection, go to https://www.loc.gov/…/national-americ…/about-this-collection

Website Review: National Science Digital Library

NATIONAL SCIENCE DIGITAL LIBRARY contains resources related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematic education. Users can search by digital collection, provider, or topic.

Librarians will find a wealth of science resources geared to the STEM curriculum. Mine the collections in this digital library for K-12 resources from government agencies, universities, museums, libraries, nature centers, and nonprofits.

To visit the collection, go to https://nsdl.oercommons.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/.

Tech Review: International Children's Digital Library

The INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DIGITAL LIBRARY (ICDL) website and app provide access to historical and contemporary, multi-cultural e-books from around the world.

The ICDL contains thousands of children’s books representing many different cultures and languages. Hundreds of award-winning books are included in the collection.

At the website, users can locate children’s books by country or conduct a search using their keyword or advanced search tools. Users wishing to set up preferences and save their favorite books can register for a free account.

The website also provides information for researchers, educators, and those interested in how they can contribute to the project. An Exhibitions area provides small, thematic collections on topics such as friendship, seasons, or diversity. An Activities area of the website includes ideas for using e-books in library and classroom settings.

The app provides a user-friendly interface for accessing e-books.

Librarians will find this resource an excellent addition to their e-book collection. It’s particularly important for those seeking resources related to cultural diversity. Of particularly note is the availability of books in multiple languages. Teachers will also find a wealth of books focusing traditional tales, legends, and folk tales from around the world.

To learn more, go to http://en.childrenslibrary.org/.

Book Review: Voices from the March on Washington

VOICES FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella Lyon is a powerful poem collection providing readers with a wide range of perspectives on this historic day. 

The poems in this book will transport youth fifty years into the past. Although many books chronicle the events of August 28, 1963, few capture the emotions of the experience. Through poetry, readers become immersed in the hope, pride, and excitement of the march.

From analyzing the inspiring title page photograph to discussing the impact of individual poems, the possibilities for classroom activities related to the Civil Rights Movement are endless.

Use the poems to jumpstart activities. When Langston Hughes is mentioned, bring out his poems to extend the experience. For more about Langston Hughes, go to http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/langston-hughes. When poets talk about Jim Crow, show photos reflecting racial segregation. For ideas, go tohttp://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/civil-rights/.

Beyond the poems, the book’s introduction provides an excellent overview to the time period and context of event. In addition, the guide at the end of the book includes biographical notes about the key people mentioned in the book along with additional resources to extend the reading experience.

Add this book to the growing collection of high-quality works associated with the Civil Rights Movement in America.

NetGalley ARC used for review