The Library of Congress, in collaboration with educational organizations, has launched two new web- and mobile-based applications related to Congress and civics for use in K-12 classrooms.
Students can investigate complex questions through both applications, as well as three apps that launched in 2016. These applications transport students through primary sources to some of the most dramatic turning points in U.S. history and immerse them in the related debates. Each project takes a different approach to the subjects, but at the core of each are the rich historical primary sources that the Library makes freely available at loc.gov.
The two new civics interactives are:
- DBQuest, developed by iCivics. DBQuest teaches history and civics through the use of primary source documents and evidence-based learning. It offers a platform, accessible on mobile devices, that reinforces evidence-based reasoning and document-based questioning by teaching students to identify and evaluate evidence, contextualize information and write sound supporting arguments.
- Case Maker, developed by Bean Creative. Case Maker is a customizable system for inquiry-based learning for K-12 students using primary sources from the Library of Congress. Modeled after the “observe, reflect, question” framework, developed under the Teaching with Primary Sources program, Case Maker guides students to challenge a question, collect evidence and make a case.
For more than a decade, the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program has provided extensive professional development opportunities for educators and enabled the development and dissemination of teaching materials focused on using the Library’s digitized primary sources. The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States – and extensive materials from around the world – both on-site and online.