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 2009-2010

New Bostonians: Immigrants in Massachusetts Today

Three-day seminar series
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Primary Source
Dates: February 11, March 12, April 7, 2010
PDPs/Credits: 27 PDPs; 1 graduate credit for the series
Fee: Partnership educators - no cost other than fee for 1 graduate credit; Non-partnership educators - $300 plus fee for 1 graduate credit
Registration Information

How have new streams of immigration from Latin America, Africa and Asia transformed local communities and their schools?
What knowledge about the history, politics and culture of new immigrant communities can deepen educators’ interactions in the classroom and beyond?

This seminar series seeks to provide educators with a better understanding of immigrant students and their cultural context. Special features of the course include cultural knowledge workshops with E.L.L. and student-service specialists and field visits to ethnic organizations and cultural institutions.

February 11, 2010
"Who is New in Massachusetts?"
Westy Egmont, formerly of the International Institute of Boston

"Latin Americans and Transnationalism: Boston as a Case Study"
Peggy Levitt, Wellesley College

March 12, 2010
Today's Asian Immigrants
Paul Watanabe, UMass Boston

April 7, 2010
African Immigration: War, Civil Conflict, and Human Rights
Marilyn Halter, Boston University

Suitable for educators in grades K-12.

Slavery and Anti-Slavery in New England History

Two-day workshop
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Isaac Royall House, Medford and Suffolk University, Boston
Dates: October 8 and October 24, 2009
PDPs/Credits: 10 PDPs
Fee: Partnership educators - no cost; Non-partnership educators - $125
Registration Information

American slavery was not confined to the South; the system had deep roots in New England, as did the movement to resist it. How can local historical sites help us interpret and teach slavery and abolitionism as integral parts of American history?

Day One of the course includes an exploration of the Royall House in Medford, Massachusetts. Day Two is a unique full-day symposium, "Abolitionism in Black and White: The Anti-Slavery Community of Boston and Cambridge" organized by the Longfellow House National Historic Site in Cambridge and other area institutions.

Suitable for educators in grades K-12.

Thinking Like a Historian in the Digital Age: Primary Sources for Primary Students

Online seminar series
Dates: January 13 - February 3, 2010
PDPs/Credits: 5 PDPs
Fee: Partnership educators - no cost; Non-partnership educators - $125
Registration Information

Through online resources about immigration history, educators will learn how to incorporate and use primary sources in the elementary classroom. Teachers will explore materials from the Library of Congress collection and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, deepen their understanding of primary sources, and consider how elementary students can benefit from their observation and analysis.

This 3 week online course will be equal to a one-day face-to-face workshop at Primary Source.

Suitable for educators in grades K-6.

Registration Information

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 25, 2009.