VHS Learning has been selected to receive a $25,000 grant to create a high-quality U.S. History curriculum and professional development supporting discussion-based primary source analysis online and in other learning settings. This project is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Eastern Region program, managed by Waynesburg University.
“The goal with this grant project is to engage online learners in frequent primary source analysis experiences that increase their sense of connection to classmates, self, and the curriculum,” President & CEO of VHS Learning, Carol DeFuria said. “We are honored to receive the TPS grant from the Library of Congress to deepen student discussions through primary source analysis, and we look forward to bringing this to high school students through an online U.S. History curriculum.”
During the grant project, VHS Learning will design 33 primary source analysis lessons within a cohesive, newly-developed U.S. History curriculum. Primary source analysis will be integrated into weekly discussions within all three course formats of the curriculum, including asynchronous, paced, and self-paced models.
As part of the grant project, VHS Learning will partner with organizations whose expertise is vitally connected to a unit’s focus to create individual, targeted lessons that pair a primary source with rich analysis discussion questions. Primary sources will include photographs, audio recordings, videos, and manuscripts primarily from the Library of Congress. VHS Learning will seek sources with high relevance to students’ lives, including sources that amplify under-represented voices and that reflect diverse young people's perspectives.
The U.S. History curriculum will be complemented by a self-paced micro-credential, designed to equip educators with the instructional skills to support primary source analysis. The primary source analysis lessons and professional development resources developed in these efforts will be offered freely to benefit the larger educational community.
“Primary source analysis is an effective way to foster student collaboration,” DeFuria added, “and VHS Learning’s online asynchronous format opens opportunities for students to engage with classmates throughout the country and share unique viewpoints.”
The grant project will run through June 30, 2024. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
About the Teaching with Primary Sources Partner Program
Since 2006, the Library has awarded Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grants to build a nationwide network of organizations that deliver educational programming, and create teaching materials and tools based on the Library’s digitized primary sources and other online resources. Each year members of this network, called the TPS Consortium, support tens of thousands of learners to build knowledge, engagement and critical thinking skills with items from the Library’s collections.
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov
About VHS Learning
VHS Learning is a nonprofit organization with over 27 years of experience providing world-class online programs to students and schools everywhere. More than 600 schools around the world take advantage of VHS Learning’s 300+ online high school courses — including 29 AP® courses, credit recovery, and enrichment courses — to expand their programs of study. VHS Learning is accredited by Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), and Cognia. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information about VHS Learning please visit https://www.vhslearning.org/ and follow on Twitter at @VHSLearning.
