Why Documents Matter: Teaching “Mr. Lincoln’s War”

TAH Project Directors Meeting7 January 2009New York, NY

Civil War WivesCivil War Wives

Carol BerkinBaruch College & The Graduate Center

City University of New York, New York, NY

The Bridge Between the HistorianThe Bridge Between the Historianand the American History Classroomand the American History Classroom

Rosanne LichatinWest Morris Central H.S., Chester, NJ

The Value of Primary Sources

When students “do history” they:

• Discover evidence• Ask relevant questions • Recognize the importance of

individuals in history• Develop historical empathy• Acknowledge various points of

view• Recognize bias

A.D.A.P.T.

A – Author• Who created the document?

D – Date• When was the document created?

A – Audience• What was the intended audience for this

document?P – Purpose• Why was the document created?

T – Tone• What emotions are evident in the document?

Working with Documents

Teachers Frame the Lesson

Teachers Create an Essential Question

Teachers Select the Documents

Students Work with Documents

Students Create the Narrative

The Lesson

Models • Letters from Civil War Soldiers &

their families

• Print documents & images

• Essential Question, Background, Questions for Students

Contact Information: lichatin@wmchs.org

The “Drummer Boy” The “Drummer Boy”

A letter from Georgiana Tillotson to her father, George, serving in the 89th New York Infantry of the Union army.

Elizabeth Tillotson with Georgiana (standing) and Lucy in 1862.

General Orders No. 1, issued January 2, 1863, conveyed the Emancipation Proclamation to the Union Army. Courtesy Gettysburg National Military Park.

Second page of letter from Union officer John P. Jones to his wife in Illinois on October 3, 1862. The Gilder Lehrman Collection.

A broadside recruiting African American soldiers for the Union Army. The Gilder Lehrman Collection.

“To compel students to live within the past, to stand in the shoes of those who came before us, to flesh out and give human meaning to abstractions about democracy, freedom, liberty, and opportunity, to understand the past from the perspective of the men and women who experienced it can be a disturbing experience – but ultimately a rewarding experience.”

Leon Litwack

Partnering with the Gilder Lehrman Partnering with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American HistoryInstitute of American History

Kelly WoestmanPittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

What Did We Just See?

Today’s ModelToday’s Model

GLI Approach

HistorianEducation Specialist• Primary Sources• Content-Specific Teaching

StrategiesHands-On Collaboration

http://www.gilderlehrman.org

Free GLI Resources

History Now • http://www.historynow.org

Primary Sources

Summer Seminars for Teachers• Competitive application• TAH Grant partnership

component

Benefits of GLI TAH Partnerships

Flexibility; Flexibility; Flexibility

Instead of canned presentations, their staff will tailor your seminar experiences (generally1-3 days) to your needs and teachers selected interests

• Broad and Narrow Offerings• Access to the best historians in the

field

GLI Partnership Benefits

Plethora of primary source resources

Constantly producing new materials

Set of History in a Box for each year

GLI Partnership Benefits (cont’d)

Priority placement in Summer Seminars in one of three choices teachers select

Work with your project leadership staff to design options that meet your needs• Historian visit (1/2 day)• 1-3 day intense seminars

Bottom Line:Bottom Line:It’s up to you what you want to select from the

infinite resources of the Gilder Lehrman Institute

Benefits to Your TAH Project

Teachers will go away feeling valued as professional colleagues

GLI staff takes your requests and your feedback VERY seriously

Accessibility of GLI staff • in the office• on the road

Benefits (cont’d)

GLI staff has a diversity of expertise to share • if you WANT suggestions of how

to structure your grant partnership activities

Lessons Learned: Our 4 GLI Partnerships

Clarify up front • your project’s logistical and

financial responsibilities: • site location and rental• lodging• food• transportation

Lessons Learned (cont’d)

Be specific about whether a particular historian is your key objective

Or if the TOPIC is your key objective

Be Flexible• Schedules are hard to coordinate• Proximity to airports, etc.

Lessons Learned (cont’d)

PLAN AHEAD• We request historians a year or

more ahead of time• Especially important if you want

some of the most “in demand” historians

Feel free to consult with GLI staff at any time throughout your partnership.

Why the Gilder Lehrman Institute?

Established in 1994• FREE resources and study

opportunities for teachers• BEFORE TAH GRANTS began

Most importantly, GLI will be around AFTER TAH funding ends.

• Web site will remain free• Online journal will continue to exist

Why GLI? (cont’d)

Its expanding national and international footprint means that they provide unique opportunities and access that no other historical organization provides in quite the same way.

Its continuing involvement in the larger historical community is making an impact on engaging teachers as professional colleagues.

Why GLI ? (cont’d)

GLI and its scholars and education coordinators will still be accessible when teachers have questions as they continue to explore the wider world of American history with their students