Warning: my old method of using a single textbook for my entire 7th grade history unit felt outdated after I found the National Archives' online primary source collection last fall.

Now I build each lesson around a specific document, like a soldier's letter from 1863, which makes the material click for students in a way the textbook paragraphs never did, so what other free digital archives have you found useful for middle school social studies?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron_gonzalez9d ago

The Library of Congress has a huge digital collection that's totally free. I used their Civil War photos last month and the kids were really into it.

noah_rivera579d ago

Oh, that's a great resource! I believe it's actually the National Archives that has most of the Civil War photos, though.