DOCSTeach: A National Archives Tool

      DocsTeach, a program from the National Archives, offers various tools and resources to educate about primary sources. The National Archives's mission is to "engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people," and DocsTeach is a way to fulfill that mission. DocsTeach allows primary source exploration, access to online activities, and promotes student engagement in these topics. 

Primary Source Documents

DocsTeach has thousands of primary sources available for use in any activity or study. There are multiple ways to search for a document. First, there is a search engine available where users can search by keyword. DocsTeach also refines sources by historical eras, which is shown in the photo above. Once an era is chosen, all primary sources that fit in that time are shown. Once that era is shown, users can also choose a document type including photos, textual documents, and audio. Some of the primary sources the site has includes:

Fighting American 

Patent for Anti-Gravity Shoes

Williams Scholl in Virginia Report

Activities

DocsTeach offers access to activities that have been "crafted by educators using documents from the National Archives." While users can look up an activity in the search engine using keywords, the site also allows users to refine activities by historical era, grade level, thinking skill, and activity type. 

For example, if users want a chronological thinking activity based in the postwar United States for upper elementary students, DocsTeach narrows down results to an activity on "The Process of Early Space Flight: The Gemini Program." Each activity has suggested teaching instruction and a list of each document used in the activity. 

DocsTeach allows users to create their own activities, along with the access to pre-made ones. Activities that can be created include document analyzing, discussions, comparing and contrasting, sequence finding, and history mapping. They also offer a guide on how to create an activity. 

Popular Topics

DocsTeach has a popular topics page with primary sources and related activities. They include Elections, the Vietnam War, and Women's Rights. They are simple collections ready for any quick lessons and are well prepared already. 

Other Tools

DocsTeach has a variety of other tools for users to have. The first is document analysis focuses on understanding what a document is and means. The site even offers access to a DocsTeach app for iPads, and it has become a classroom favorite by educators to continue teaching about primary sources. Finally, DocsTeach has mini-webinars that covers basics and tips on the site and for online teaching. 

Getting Started with DocsTeach: Finding & Sharing Activities

Getting Started with DocsTeach: Creating Your Own Activity

Extra Resources

Educator Resources | National Archives

Student Events | National Archives

National Archives Foundation

National Archives

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