Using Primary Sources and Digital Images to Support the Comprehension of Literature Jeff Everhart Content Teaching Academy June 2013
Using Primary Sources and Digital Images to Support the Comprehension of LiteratureJeff Everhart
Content Teaching Academy
June 2013
Traditional Literature Challenges Students in a Variety of Ways
Linguistic Challenges
• Figurative Language
• Older Version of English or Dialects of English
• Period Slang
Social and Cultural Challenges
• Understanding the Time Period
• Empathizing with Historical Characters
• Using Background Knowledge to Inform Readings
What are Primary Sources and How Can They Help?
Digital Primary Sources: Beyond Text • Written Text or Print
• Voice Recordings
• Art
• Music
• Film
• Photographs
Finding Primary Sources
• Library of Congress- Print Text and Images, Voice Recordings, Historical Photos, Music
Finding Primary Sources
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts- Paintings, Sculptures, Photographs
Finding Primary Sources
• Google Art Project and Cultural Institute- Aggregates Museum Collections from Around the World; allows users to curate custom galleries
Finding Primary Sources
• Author Archives- Digital Humanities Initiatives (Ex. Walt Whitman Archive)
Let’s Look at Some Examples
Examples
• Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” with resources from the Walt Whitman Archive and the Library of Congress
• Comparing Romantic and Neoclassical Art
• Hearing the Blues and Langston Hughes
Now, It’s Your Turn
• Using one of the resources we’ve talked about today, locate three primary sources that you could use with a unit on the novel Night by Elie Wiesel
• Pick sources that will help address some of the common challenges students have when reading literature
Q & A