Using Digital Primary Sources and Tools to Engage Students in Inquiry and Project-Based Learning

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Instructional Technology SIG: Poster Session 1

Abstract

This poster presentation will introduce a digital history project called the Plantation Letters designed to inform students about the community experiences of enslaved persons in the Antebellum South. The project models promising technology-enhanced instructional practices through the use of primary sources to engage students in inquiry and project-based learning. The collection of resources and lesson ideas are particularly relevant for social studies teachers and teacher educators. Project artifacts include: strategies for employing primary sources in the classroom to teach students about antebellum plantation life for enslaved persons, a search tool for the Plantation Letters database to extract relevant documents by identified themes, and a professional Ning network for educators interested in discussing applications of the letters.

Authors

• Kevin M. Oliver, North Carolina State University

• John K. Lee, North Carolina State University