United States

Primary Source's United States programs are guided by the idea that helping students to achieve a strong understanding of American history and arts is vital for their full democratic and civic participation, for their self-understanding, and for their identity as American citizens within a wider world. Our programs for teachers strive to support teaching about the U.S. by synthesizing new scholarship concerning American history and humanities, and by incorporating perspectives that have been marginalized in standard history texts. Our programs make available plentiful resources and ideas for teaching and explore optimal ways of introducing primary and secondary sources into the classroom. Course topics reflect an interest in the relevance of the American past to life today and U.S.-world interconnectedness from the start.

Seminars 2010-2011

Africa and the Americas Connected: A Tale of Three Continents
Three-day seminar series
Course Dates: Dec. 3, Jan. 11, Spring 2011 Date TBA
Time: 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m.
Location: Primary Source
PDPs/Credits: 27 PDPs; 1 graduate credit for the course
Fee: Partnership educators—no cost other than fee for 1 graduate credit; Non-partnership educators—$300 plus fee for 2 graduate credits

The relationship between Africa and the continents of the "New World" is of central importance in world history and globalized American history curricula. This course examines multiple modes of interaction and exchange in the Atlantic world—of people, products, practices and beliefs— from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries. Topics will include the rise of Atlantic trade and the Black Atlantic world; the histories and legacies of slavery in the European colonies of the Americas; religion and culture in African diasporic communities; globalized Africa in the twentieth century; and the place of Africa and pan-Africanism in liberation politics across three continents.

Selected Faculty: Ibrahim Sundiata, Brandeis University; Robert Allison, Suffolk University

Course Topics

• Day 1: The Making of the Black Atlantic
• Day 2: Connections Across Three Continents
• Day 3: Globalized Africa in the Twentieth Century

Especially for educators in grades 6-12

New Bostonians: Immigrants in Massachusetts Today
Three-day seminar series
Course Dates: Jan. 27, Mar. 4, Apr. 1, 2011
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Primary Source
PDPs/Credits: 27 PDPs; 1 graduate credit for the course
Fee: Partnership educators—no cost other than fee for 1 graduate credit; Non-partnership educators—$300 plus fee for 2 graduate credits

How have new streams of immigrants from Latin America, Africa, and Asia transformed local communities and their schools? What knowledge about the politics, culture and life experiences of new immigrant communities can deepen educators' interactions in the classroom and beyond? This seminar seeks to provide educators with a better understanding of immigrant students and their cultural context and will include a field experience at a Boston-area immigrant community center. Topics to be examined include the demographics of immigration in Massachusetts today; transnationalism; education and bilingualism; employment barriers; ethnic entrepreneurship; anti-immigrant campaigns and immigrant advocacy; ethnic literature and cultural identity. Cultural competency for educators will be discussed.

Selected Faculty: Paul Watanabe, UMass Boston; Marilyn Halter, Boston University; Westy Egmont, Independent scholar

Course Topics

• Day One: Immigrants in Massachusetts: History and Policy
• Day Two: Ethnic Institutions, Community Survival
• Day Three: Identity, Inclusion and the Role of Schools

Open to educators in grades K-12.

Registration for 2010-2011 programs will begin in early September 2010.

Partnership educators: Registration must be approved through your school district.
Please get in touch with your school district's Primary Source contact person and let them know which program(s) you are interested in. Upon approval from your district, Primary Source will contact you with instructions for online registration.

Non-partnership educators:
Space is limited. Please send your registration request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Space permitting, retired educators are welcome to register for Primary Source seminars at a discount of 50% off the non-partner rate.

Registration deadline is Friday, September 24, 2010.