Educators Blog

Using the Catalogs and Resource Section to Find Primary Sources
5/2/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Teachers are not just limited to the primary sources that are listed in the Education section of www.hsp.org.   Like anyone else, they can search the website in a variety of ways to look for digitized primary sources to use in the classroom, beginning with the Search box on the upper right of each page.

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Time to Plan Your Summer
4/20/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

What are you doing this summer?  Coming to HSP, we hope!

Summer vacation is about recreation - of the sport kind and of the revitalize-your-spirit kind.  Look to HSP to help with the latter through choice of three week-long teacher institutes.  Applications are being taken now for all three, with the deadline for "Franklin's Thrift" being extended to May 1.

Topics: Education
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It's Baseball Season in the Social Studies Classroom
4/20/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Do your students have baseball fever?  Capitalize on it in the classroom by using our unit plan on the Pythian's Base Ball Club to teach African American and civil rights history.

Topics: African American, Civil Rights, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Recreation and Sport
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Thrift - a NEW old concept for the classroom
4/9/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Is Thrift an idea that defines American qualities, or just an old fashioned concept that has no place in modern America?   What does thrift mean today?  What is its relevance in post-Recession America? 

Come and learn for yourself at a Teacher Institute on Ben Franklin's Thrift July 29 through August 2. 

Topics: Business, Economics, Government and civics, Women
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It's almost 200 years since the War of 1812
4/9/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Did you know that the Historical Society of Pennsylvania can be a resource for teaching about the War of 1812?  In June, we will commemorate the beginning of the War of 1812 with a Document Display Day on Monday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

But before the school year ends, check out our online resources! 

Topics: Arts and Culture, Military conflict, War of 1812
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Help Write Philadelphia History
3/30/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Teachers have a chance this summer to move learn more about Philadelphia history AND to contribute to The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia by registering for the summer institute Philadelphia History For Teachers. From July 16 to 20, teachers will hear lectures by renowned historians, participate in hands-on workshops, take behind-the-scenes tours, and discuss how to put this knowledge into action.

Topics: 17th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, Philadelphia
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Hear Harold Holzer and other great speakers at Civil War Teacher Institute
3/23/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Did you know that the Emancipation Proclamation is approaching an anniversary?  On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which went into full effect on January 1, 1863. 

Topics: Abolition, Civil Rights, Civil War, Politics, Slavery
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How to find primary sources on the new HSP website
3/9/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

The new Historical Society of Pennsylvania website offers teachers many ways to access primary sources.  The first way I would suggest is by seeing what is in the Primary Source section of Education.  The sources here are used within the Unit Plans but can searched by keyword and topic in the Primary Source section so that you can use them as you wish in teaching. 

The source information also may include a number of handy features:

Topics: Education
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What are the themes in your early American history class?
2/29/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

What themes do you use to teach American colonial history? I came across an interesting critique in Common-Place by Darcy R.Fryer of teaching pre-Revolutionary American history in college survey courses .  The observation rings true for secondary education too. 

Topics: 17th century, 18th century, Colonial period, Education
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New resources for teaching politics and history
2/17/12
Author: Beth Twiss Houting

Do you teach political science?  History of the Progressive era?  HSP has two great new resources for you!

This fall we dedicated an issue of Pennsylvania Legacies to political reform.  In this issue not only will you find fascinating articles about reforms in the Commonwealth from 1890 through 1950 but also ideas on how to use the publication in teaching.

Topics: 20th century, Politics
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