Historical Figure & Event

On this day in 1800, Congress approved the purchase of books to start the Library of Congress.

On this day in 1800, Congress approved the purchase of books to start the Library of Congress.
Date
April 24
Calendar Activity Type
Historical Figure & Event

Event Description

The country's oldest cultural institution, the Library of Congress (LOC) is today also the largest library in the world. It houses almost 128 million items, including over 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 57 million manuscripts. The LOC's mission is to make its wealth of resources available to the Congress and the American people.

Classroom Activity

The Library of Congress (LOC) offers the perfect place to practice and refine research skills. Introduce students to the resources available at the Library of Congress website by conducting one of these research projects:

  • Examine the September 11 attacks at the September 11, 2001 Documentary Project, filled with relevant resources.
  • Explore Immigration in America with interviews, information on immigrants from all over the word, a timeline, and more.
  • Students can investigate their own state's history or you could assign each student a different state to explore.
  • This feature offers students many Amazing Americans to research. Select from presidents, reformers, explorers, musicians, authors, scientists, inventors, athletes, and more!
  • StoryCorps offers ordinary people the opportunity to record their stories, which are then housed at the Library of Congress.

Websites

The Library of Congress

Enter the Library of Congress website at their homepage. Here you'll find links to a wealth of resources for the classroom.

 

Teachers: Library of Congress

This section of the Library of Congress website is designed especially for teachers. Included are lesson plans, activities, professional development, and more.

 

America's Story from America's Library

This section of the Library of Congress website is designed just for young people. Featured topics include amazing Americans, the U.S. states, an historical timeline, pastimes and sports, and music.

 

Today in History

Part of the American Memory Project of the LOC, this section provides information on what happened in history and culture every day of the year.

 

Related Resources

  • Lesson Plans
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  • Calendar Activities
Grades
3 - 5
|
Lesson Plan
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Standard Lesson
Wartime Poetry: Working With Similes
Students analyze a photograph, brainstorm words to describe the characters' senses and feelings, work in pairs to describe a character's experience, and create a poem using their ideas and similes.
Grades
6 - 8
|
Lesson Plan
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Unit
Introducing Each Other: Interviews, Memoirs, Photos, and Internet Research
Students use their communication and writing skills as they interview a partner, write an article about them, and create a multimodal presentation to introduce their partner to the class.
Grades
9 - 12
|
Lesson Plan
|
Standard Lesson
Review Redux: Introducing Literary Criticism Through Reception Moments
Literature takes on a life of its own as students take a hands-on approach to exploring A Raisin in the Sun for cultural and historical context.
Grades
9 - 12
|
Lesson Plan
|
Standard Lesson
The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project
Students explore the year they were born through interviews and research, and then weave the details into a newspaper or booklet, written from another person's point of view.
Grades
K - 6
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Calendar Activity
|
Holiday & School Celebration
Library Card Sign-up Month begins today.
A school or public library librarian is invited to visit the classroom to talk to the students about the advantages of having a library card. Students then take a library tour to acquaint them with the general features and resources available.