Using American Memory

1. Prior to this lesson, arrange for at least one class period per week, for a six to eight week span, in the school computer lab. During this time, students can learn to navigate the site, identify relevant texts, and analyze their meaning within the particular historical context and each group's specific focus topic.
2. Before bringing the students to the computer lab, bookmark the following American Memory collections:
   • America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915
   • The African-American Experience in Ohio: Selections from the Ohio Historical Society
   • American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 - 1940
   • American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
   • The American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870-1920
   • By Popular Demand: Jackie Robinson and Other Baseball Highlights, 1860s-1960s
   • "California as I Saw It": First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900
   • The Chinese in California: 1850-1925
   • The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920
   • The Evolution of the Conservation Movement: 1850 -1920
   • First-Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920
   • Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
   • History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library
   • Inventing Entertainment: the Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies
   • Photographs from the Chicago Daily News
   • Prairie Settlement: Nebraska Photographs and Family Letters, 1862-1912
   • Small-Town America: Stereoscopic Views from the Robert Dennis Collection, 1850-1920
   • The South Texas Border, 1900-1920: Photographs from the Robert Runyon Collection
   • Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880 - 1920
   • Votes for Women: Selections from the National American Woman Suffrage Association Collection, 1848-1921
3. Once in the computer lab, introduce students to Using Primary Sources in the Classroom.
4. Give students a brief introduction to American Memory.
5. Discuss different Media Analysis Tools, which can help students to look for deeper meaning in the primary sources.
6. In your weekly visits to the computer lab, have students search the bookmarked collections for items to include in their PowerPoint presentations.

Note: While time in class is provided for searching American Memory, out of class/after school tutorial sessions are crucial for success in this endeavor.