This program challenges students to seek the story behind the myth and memory of Abraham Lincoln through use of the Society’s Lincoln collections. Participants examine and analyze photographs, political cartoons, and other primary sources and question context, historical events, and memory to learn how and why Americans mythologize people and events. Students will examine diverse images of Lincoln, from negative caricatures to glorified images. Other primary sources such as editorials, letters, and diaries enhance the program, allowing students to see the variety of opinions about Lincoln. Participants will examine assassination items that led to the mythologizing of Lincoln’s life and death. Students will then discuss reasons for this phenomenon.

• Program fee: $100 per connection
• To schedule, call the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) at (317) 231-6525, or visit the CILC Web site.

The IHS Lincoln collections and corresponding materials and programs are sponsored by Lilly Endowment, Inc. and Ruth Lilly

This interactive program guides students through the steps involved in a research project. Students will participate in a series of exercises, ranging from how to create an idea web to how to conduct an oral interview. The exercises are adaptable for any topic. The program covers the beginning steps of a research project, writing a thesis statement, conducting primary source research, and analyzing primary sources. Using primary sources from local communities enables students to learn how state, national, and world events actually affected their own communities and families. This moves history from a collection of remote facts and dates to experiences that are tied to their communities with tangible consequences. By using primary sources, students become detectives utilizing critical thinking skills and observation to make informed interpretations of historical events and people.

The classroom teacher will receive a copy of the Society’s workbook, “The Real Stuff: Using Primary Sources in the Classroom,” which includes reproducible worksheets, reference materials, quick activities, sample primary sources, and helpful hints about finding sources in your community and on the Web. Students will receive a copy of the Research Starter Kit that provides step-by-step instructions on how to do research, a working example, and a follow-along worksheet. This program is ideal for educators and schools that participate or want to participate in National History Day in Indiana.

• Program fee: $100 per connection
• To schedule a session, call the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) at (317) 231-6525, or visit the CILC Web site.