Culture, Community, and the Classroom: Teaching with Primary Sources
Wednesday, April 19, 3:30-6:30pm
Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY
In this workshop, middle- and high-school educators will learn how to teach using primary sources drawn from their local community. Primary sources from ethnographic and folklife collections go beyond historical documents and include photographs, recorded interviews, artifacts, recipes, music, maps, and more. Although they do often reflect historical truth, primary sources are valued as powerful reference points for understanding individual and community perspectives on memory, meaning, and identity. Participants will work with the Folklife Center’s Special Collections at Crandall Public Library and learn how to use oral histories and ethnographic materials to examine local occupational cultures surrounding farming and the Champlain Canal by comparing and contrasting life experiences, voices, and vantage points. Educators will discover how traditional arts and culture can be assets in their classroom, engage with proven tools for student inquiry, and learn with a cohort model that centers teachers’ expertise.
The afternoon workshop will include 3 CTLE hours of learning with instructors. All educators are welcome to register for the workshop, but learning activities will target middle- and high-school educators.