NARA Announces DocsTeach, a New Online Tool for Teachers
Press Release Β· Monday, September 20, 2010
Washington, DC
Just in time for the start of a new school year, the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ announces the launch of , a new online tool for teaching with documents.
βDocsTeach.org is a significant and welcome addition to our popular education programs,β said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. βIt will engage teachers and students in new ways and stir their interest in history through the use of original documents in the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘. It is also consistent with our goals to make as much of our holdings available to the public as easily as possible.β
DocsTeach combines primary source content with the latest interactive capabilities of the Internet in ways that teachers who have pilot-tested the site are calling βbrilliant!β
Not only does the site invite educators to explore thousands of documents in a variety of media from the holding of the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘βitems such as George Washingtonβs draft of the Constitution, the cancelled check for Alaska, Chuck Yeagerβs notes on the first supersonic flight, and President Richard Nixonβs resignation letterβbut it also allows teachers to combine these materials using clever tools to create engaging activities that students can access online.
The seven tools featured on the site are designed to teach specific historical thinking skillsβweighing evidence, interpreting data, focusing on details, and more. Each employs interactive components including puzzles, scales, maps, flow charts, and others that both teachers and students can tailor to their needs.
On the site, teachers can 1) browse or search for documents and activities, 2) customize any activity to fit the needs of a unique classroom, 3) create a brand new activity with its own web address from scratch, using one of seven distinctive tools, and 4) save and organize activities in an account to share with students. After participating in an activity, the site even allows students to submit their work to their teacher via e-mail.
Typical online educational tools are prescriptive β they provide a specified set of activities on a single subject. Any interactivity is usually separated from the lesson plan which takes the form of an article or essay. DocsTeach is revolutionary because the interactive is the lesson; teachers can create lessons from scratch, adapt lessons from others, or even let their students create the lessons; and a single suite of tools can be applied to a broad range of subjects and skill levels.
For more than three decades, the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ has provided educators with methods and materials for teaching with documents. Working in partnership with the Foundation for the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ and Second Story Interactive, DocsTeach is the latest component in this program that advances the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ ability to meet its strategic goal of improving civic literacy. The ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ is not just βprovidingβ methods and materials anymore. Now, the agency is reflecting the philosophy of open government, encouraging educators to participate, create, and share.
DocsTeach is proudly brought to you by the Foundation for the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘, with the generous support of Texas Instruments.
About the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘
The ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ directly touch the lives of millions of people. The ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience
About the Foundation for the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘
The Foundation for the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ is an independent nonprofit that serves as the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘β private-sector partner in the creation of and ongoing support of the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ Experience, which includes permanent exhibits, educational programs, traveling exhibits, special events and film screenings, educational literature, and historical/records-related products and media. The Foundation helps the public understand the importance of the holdings of the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ by presenting the depth and diversity of the records through award-winning, interactive educational exhibits and programs. It generates financial and creative support for the ΝώΔαΛΉΘΛΣιΐΦ³‘ Experience from individuals, foundations, and corporations who share a belief in the importance of innovative civics education.
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