Volume 1, Issue 2 Welcome! Troubled Times
The Teaching with Primary Sources program at Southeastern Louisiana University was established in January 2008 with funding from the Library of Congress secured by Senator Mary Landrieu. The main objective of the Teaching with Primary Sources program is to create new opportunities for Louisiana teachers to learn about and utilize the primary sources available from the Library of Congress to improve the educational achievement of Louisiana’s children. This newsletter on Troubled Times was designed as an extension of the Level I summer workshops and to provide information about the vast amount of digital resources available from the Library of Congress.
Contact Information: Mary Ellen Scherer [email protected] Laura Hancock [email protected]
The Fall 2011 semester was very busy with several mini-workshops in pre-service classrooms, observing Level I teachers implementing primary source lessons to their students in four different parishes. We also traveled to Monroe and facilitated a one day workshop to teachers participating in the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Our first newsletter was published and disseminated to all of our TPS teachers. Also, Dr. Cynthia Elliott enthusiastically began her position as the new Director of the TPS program, Fall 2011. Spring promises to be even busier for the TPS program at Southeastern with workshops, observations, a Saturday Teacher Development Day, and the planning of the Level I summer institutes.
Teachers at workshop in Monroe Students analyzing photographs Classroom discussion of a photograph
The Level I workshops for next summer will be scheduled for June 11th – 14th and July 9th – 12th. If you know of any of your friends who are interested in participating in this workshop, please contact Laura Hancock for more information. A Level II graduate class EDUC 675 will be offered in Fall 2012. The Library will pay the in-state tuition for a limited number of teachers that have completed Level I.
Library of Congress-Teaching with Primary Sources Southeastern Louisiana University
VETERNS HISTORY PROJECT
The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress is primarily an oral history program that collects and preserves the first-hand (primary sources) interviews of America's wartime veterans. This project relies on volunteers, both individuals and organizations throughout the nation to contribute veterans’ stories to be given to the
Library through simple interviews. VHP accepts audio and video-recorded interviews as well as memoirs, collections of original photographs and letters, diaries, maps, and other historical documents from World War I through current conflicts.
See http://www.loc.gov/vets/ for more details.
Library of Congress-Teaching with Primary Sources Southeastern Louisiana University
A book printed in chapters in the 1905 newspapers about Lafitte’s adventures.
Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte and Pirates Most of you have heard of our famous Louisiana pirate Jean Lafitte. Who was Jean Lafitte? It is said he was born either in France or in their
colony, St. Domingue in the Caribbean. His birth date is somewhat sketchy, but probably around the late 1700’s. By 1803 Jean Lafitte and his older brother Pierre were operating as pirates in Barataria Bay –just south of New Orleans. Jean Lafitte had a huge influence over his followers and often flaunted his trade in the face of the law. He was quite skillful and managed to plunder ships all along the Gulf of Mexico. Many people joined his crew and soon he was able to create an army of smugglers and pirates, raiding
mostly commerce ships and selling their goods. Many of his actions were Capt. Semmes of the pirate like yet he was much more than any ordinary pirate. pirate ship “Alabama”. Pirate or privateer? A privateer is defined as someone commissioned by the government to harass the enemy during wartime, usually to attack and capture enemy vessels. A pirate on the other hand is simply a thief. Which was Jean Lafitte?? Truth is he was much more than any ordinary pirate. He was a merchant, smuggler, soldier, diplomat, and a This column appeared in man who was fluent in four languages. several newspapers in 1912. In 1814, the British were at war with America and they were attempting to capture the port of New Orleans. The British tried to recruit Jean Lafitte and his pirates to their side by offering them money and riches. They knew that Lafitte was an expert in the Louisiana swamps, marshes and bayous and they wanted him to help take New Orleans. He did Jim Hawkins watching pirate however join the American forces and Andrew Jackson along with the coming ashore in canoes. French, Spanish, German soldiers, riflemen from Kentucky and Tennessee, Sinking of the pirate ship Cajuns, Indians, and men of color were able to defend the port of New “Alabama” in 1864. Orleans. His later years were spent away from New Orleans pirating around Central American ports.
Lesson Ideas 1, Use KWL charts to connect to this historical figure. Find out what the children already know and then complete additional research on Jean Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Lafitte. Use the attached list of literature to learn more about him. shop in New Orleans. 2. Use a primary source analysis tool to analyze any of these sources found on the page. These sources and their questions should lead to further investigations. 3. Interview an imaginary pirate. Brainstorm with the students questions they might ask. 4. Research some of the terms and vocabulary used by pirates. Create a American privateer “General Walking the plank journal or dictionary with these terms. Armstrong” Capt. Sam. C. Reid
Children’s Literature on Jean Lafitte and Pirates
Library of Congress-Teaching with Primary Sources Southeastern Louisiana University
John C. Cummins, Union Soldier Liljenquist Family Liljenquist Collection Have you ever seen a photograph that you knew you would never forget? Could a photograph change your opinion on an important issue? Tom Liljenquist, a business man from the DC area, donated in 2010 more than 700 ambrotypes (reverse negatives on glass made between the 1850’s -1860’s) and tintypes of mostly unidentified Union and Confederate soldiers to the Library of Congress. His sons, Jason (19), Brandon (17), and Christian (13) also became interested in the Civil War as a result of the photographs and other artifacts. The boys were particularly moved by the tintype portrait of the Union drummer boy George Weeks of the 8th Maine Infantry. This particular tintype was accompanied by several handwritten letters between Weeks and his mother. One of the letters to his mother said that he was fighting for the greatest army ever George Weeks, Union Soldier Unknown Union Soldier known. The Liljenquist boys laughed at his claims for they knew the bravery and the fighting spirit of the Confederate army was legendary. Weeks prideful boast inspired the boys to investigate further into Week’s life. They discovered that Weeks had contracted malaria and was severely wounded which resulted in his premature death at age 21. Lesson Ideas for Liljenquist Collection 1. Print a classroom set of both Union and Confederate soldiers complete with any biographical information for students to do a photo analysis or a comparison photo analysis. What can you see in the photo that gives hints as to the soldier’s rank or possibly where he was from? Why did the photographer add color to some pictures? 2. Have the students pretend to be the soldier in the picture. Encourage them to write a fictional journal or write a letter to his family based on the information obtained or inferred from the photograph.
Unknown Confederate Solider Unknown Union Soldier
World War I Propaganda Posters The impact of the propaganda poster as a means of public communication was greater during World War I than at any other time in U.S. history. The U.S. government needed posters to help positively change low public opinion upon United State’s entering the war in order to ensure support and participation of its people. Posters were created to sell liberty bonds to finance the war, encourage enlistment of volunteer soldiers, conserve valuable food resources for usage in the war, promote patriotism, and to encourage support from home front organizations. Different organizations were enlisted to create these posters. The posters used strong symbolism such as patriotic colors and symbols of strength such as military artillery. Frightening posters that depicted the horrors of war were also used to create empathy and support for the cause among the people. Lesson Ideas for World War I Propaganda Posters 1. Have the students in small groups analyze a class set of posters using the photo analysis tools and then present their findings to the class. As a class, explore the most likely reasons for the symbolism in the poster. 2. Have students create their own war propaganda poster from either the past wars or current conflicts . These posters can express pro or anti -war sentiments reflecting public or personal opinions.
Library of Congress-Teaching with Primary Sources Southeastern Louisiana University