Documents

Presentation covering the use of primary sources with board games for history education given at Gencon's 2012 Trade Day conference.  It provides methods for educators and students to create their own scenarios using primary sources and existing boardgames to better understand history through simulation.

The four scenarios covered within the presentation for use with Settlers of America: Trails to Rails can be downloaded here.

Teacher Tools

Preserving American Freedom is a selection of fifty treasured documents and manuscripts illustrating the exercise and denial of freedom throughout our nation’s history. All of the primary sources focus on the issue of freedom. Freedom as an over- arching theme allows teachers, K -12, great leeway to incorporate these documents into the curriculums of United States History, World History, and several other academic fields.

This page is intended for the novice or veteran teacher who is using primary sources for the first time. It is recommended that teachers prepare the entire lesson prior to assigning any primary sources. This includes any lectures, readings, or other technology that may be used to explain the historical context of the document.

The Declaration of Independence: The Struggle for Equality DBQ illustrates how a teacher may incorporate several documents from the “Preserving American Freedom” project to focus on one theme (the struggle for equality). The struggle for equality is a continuous, yet changing, fight for various groups within United States History. The Declaration of Independence: The Struggle for Equality DBQ is structured to challenge a student’s overall knowledge of American History; it is best suited for the end of the semester or school year.