TEACHER WORKSHOPS — 2007-2008

A primary goal of the ALPLM Education Department is to help teachers teach. To that end, teacher workshops are an important component of Education Department programming. Workshops are designed for educators in most subjects and in all grade levels unless otherwise indicated. Under our "Teaching Teachers" initiative, the ALPLM is committed to providing educators with strong content-based programs on topics such as Lincoln, the Civil War, African-American History and Illinois History to name a few. These intense "history lessons" will assist educators in developing a solid background on unfamiliar topics or in mastering a discipline they already know and love. In addition, the Education Department's hands-on classroom application programs will provide ideas and methods for teaching historical content across the curriculum using digital resources, primary documents and material culture. Visit this page frequently as new workshops will be added in the near future.

Meet Mary Todd Lincoln
Created in conjunction with the temporary exhibit Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of Controversy, this workshop will explore the fascinating life of Mary Lincoln from her childhood, her courtship with Lincoln, their marriage, family life and the joys and sorrows of life as the wife of a famous politician and president, during one of the most dramatic eras in our nation's history. Examine primary documents and artifacts, read her letters and step into her world. Classroom activities addressing Illinois Learning Standards will be presented.

Date: Saturday, September 8, 2007, 9:00-12:00 p.m.
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day
CPDUs/CEUs: 3 CPDU
Fee: FREE
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

Primary Sources and Artifacts: Tangible, Touchable, Teachable Tools
Using primary sources and artifacts in the classroom to explore stories from the past is an excellent way, not only to study history, but to improve oral language development which in turn can enhance students' reading and writing skills. In this hands-on session, participants will analyze reproduction artifacts, including objects, primary documents, images, political cartoons, and more, to learn methods and criteria for selecting teachable primary sources for their classroom. Participants will learn how to analyze these materials and activities to utilize them across the curriculum.

Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 9:00-4:00 p.m. AND Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day
CPDUs/CEUs: 6 CPDU
Fee: FREE
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

Research Colloquium
Are you eager to incorporate primary source material into your classroom, but struggling to find the materials and organize them in an effective way? Are you convinced there are fascinating resources in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library collections — stuff your students would LOVE — but you have no idea how to go about finding it? Have you always wanted to spend some time exploring the collections at the ALPL and finding great material to take back to school? Is there a topic you've always been interested in but never had the time to study it, much less develop it into a classroom activity? Then come spend two days with the Education Department exploring and researching the vast holdings of the ALPLM. Day one will familiarize educators with the holdings of the ALPL. Find out how to access digital resources from the Library collections, how to utilize the Library for research and how to obtain usable reproduction documents to take back to your classroom. On day two, work with our educators to create an effective lesson plan, based upon the primary resources you've gathered and tailored to your students and your needs. By workshop end you will have a workable lesson plan for YOUR classroom, complete with primary documents from the Library collections.

Dates (Offered twice): Thursday and Friday, November 8 and 9, 2007, 9:00-4:30 p.m. AND Thursday and Friday, April 3 and 4, 2008, 9:00-4:30 p.m.
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 12-24 (work as individuals or in pairs)
CPDUs/CEUs: 14 CPDU
Fee: FREE (lodging and meals NOT included)
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

Slavery, Race and Riot: A Look at Mr. Lincoln's Illinois
Please note: participants may register for each session individually or attend both.

Slavery: Viewpoints
Slavery played a prominent role in America's political, social, and economic history in the period leading up to the Civil War. The public discourse in the first half of the 19th century exposed the nation's conflicting ideas about slavery and race. Politicians were increasingly pressured to make their opinions known. Lincoln was no exception. In this workshop participants will explore the history of slavery and examine primary documents to analyze Lincoln's position on slavery. (Join us in the afternoon for the Race and Riot Portion of Mr. Lincoln's Illinois.) 3 CPDU's.

Race and Riot
2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot. In 1908, forty-five years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the issue of race reared its ugly head in Lincoln's hometown of Springfield. In commemoration of the exhibit on the Springfield Race Riots at the AL Presidential Library, the afternoon portion of this workshop will examine the causes and review the outcome of the riots which led to the formation of the NAACP in 1910. (Join us in the morning for Slavery: Viewpoints.) 3 CPDU's

Date: Thursday, January 24, 2008
Session 1: 9:00-12:00 p.m. Session 2: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day
CPDUs/CEUs: 3 CPDU per session (6 total)
Fee: FREE
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

Packaging Presidents
With a presidential election just around the corner, this workshop will focus on how presidents are packaged according to the most winnable personality, prepared in minute detail for every public appearance, and promoted as viable candidates and chief executive. Educators will look at examples and methods of how presidential image has been portrayed in the public sphere from George W. to George W. The evolution of presidential campaigns will be examined by comparing and contrasting early, short, and inexpensively-run campaigns to the grueling more than year-long marathons and multi-million dollar campaigns of the present. Educators will also examine the art of campaign buttons, banners, and broadsides of the past to the fire-side chats of FDR, the television ads, sound bites, and Internet of today.

Dates: Thursday, February 21, 2008, 9:00-12:00 p.m. (Join us in the afternoon for ALPLM Teacher Orientation.)
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day
CPDUs/CEUs: 4 CPDU
Fee: FREE
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

ALPLM Teacher Orientation
This workshop will introduce educators to the resources available at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Learn how to schedule a tour, how to prepare your class for their visit and methods for making the most of your school trip to the Museum. In addition, find out how to access digital resources from the Library collections, how to utilize the Library for research and other opportunities for professional development and classroom activities available through the ALPLM Education Department. The session will include a tour of the Museum.

Dates: Thursday, February 21, 2008, 12:30-4:30 p.m. (Join us in the morning for Packaging Presidents.) Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day CPDUs/CEUs: 4 CPDU Fee: FREE Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov

Lincoln-Douglas Debates: What do they mean 150 years later?
With the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln Douglas Debates this year, it is important to review the debates for a Senate campaign in one state that reached national attention and gave Abraham Lincoln national recognition. This workshop will examine how debates between candidates have changed from thorough, thoughtful, and civilized debates to the negative, critical, and personal-attack debates of the present. Educators will focus on the art of the debate and how to present to their students a debate forum using the Lincoln-Douglas Debates as a guide for persuasion, information, and presentation.

Dates: Thursday, April 24, 2008, 9:00-2:30 p.m.
Location: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Maximum Number of Attendees: 30 each day
CPDUs/CEUs: 5 CPDU
Fee: FREE
Register via email: Carol.Manning@illinois.gov