A Summer Workshop for Educators on
Using Historical Documents in the Classroom

Gerald R. Ford Library
1000 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI, 48109

June 16 - 20, 2008

Application (Microsoft Word document)

• What will Primarily Teaching offer teachers?
• Who should attend?
• What does the workshop cost?
• How do I apply?
• What topics can I research at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library?
• How can my workshop research be incorporated into social studies instruction?
• Where else is the National Archives holding Primarily Teaching Workshops this summer?

What will Primarily Teaching offer teachers?
Participants will learn how to do research in historical records, create classroom material from records, and present documents in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities. Each participant selects and prepares to research a specific topic from the holdings of the Gerald R. Ford Library, conducts research on the topic at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, and develops a teaching unit that can be presented in his or her own classroom.

On the first day of the workshop, we will orient you to the resources of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and how to use them in the classroom. The focus for the rest of the week will be the research and development of teaching materials. At the close of the workshop, each participant will describe his or her curriculum and provide the host site with one copy of the final product.

Who should attend?
Teachers of history, geography, government, civics, sociology, psychology, economics, American studies, literature, and the humanities from upper elementary through college levels take Primarily Teaching. Librarians, media specialists, archivists, and museum educators also find it useful to their work. Primarily Teaching demonstrates secondary strategies, but educators at all levels can easily adapt them to their particular needs.

What does the workshop cost?
The fee for each of the workshops is $100, which includes all materials. Your check should be made payable to: Cashier, National Archives Trust Fund Board.

How do I apply?
Enrollment is limited to 10 people. Participants will be enrolled on a first come basis. Completed applications are due no later than one month before the workshop. Upon receipt of your application and topic selection and $100.00 registration fee, we will contact you with further information. Participants are responsible for their own food, housing, and travel arrangements. Please let us know if you would like to receive lodging information.

What topics can I research at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library?
Examples of potential topics for research at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library include Middle East policies, Vietnam War, U.S. – China relations, Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon, 1976 Presidential Campaign, Ford administration economic and energy policies, selected speeches of President and Mrs. Ford, women’s issues, Central Intelligence agency oversight, abortion, presidential powers, and more. Archivists are happy to work with you as you define your research topic. For a more detailed list of topics see the Library's page listing possible research topics. You can also see some online documents from the holdings of the Library.

How can my workshop research be incorporated into social studies instruction?
Research at, and content from, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library can be incorporated into all areas of social studies instruction. Broadly, it can be used to provide students with opportunities to develop their higher order thinking and reasoning skills. They can conduct primary source research and historical inquiry, analyze and interpret these original materials and issues, and draw their own conclusions from what they read.

More specifically, the holdings of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum can be incorporated into World History with the exploration of topics such as foreign policy or the Vietnam War; Geography with the study of Head of State visits, foreign policy, or campaigning; as well as American History; Economics with topics such as Gerald Ford’s economic policy or the New York City financial crisis; and Civics.

Where else is the National Archives holding Primarily Teaching Workshops this summer?
Workshops will be held across the country. Each will focus on the holdings available at the host site. The chart below lists the locations and dates for each of these workshops.