Overview

Prospectors went west searching in many ways and places for their pot of gold. We'll use the west too as our topic as we discover search strategies to find information that we need in American Memory.

You'll observe demonstrations, then work with a partner for a hands-on opportunity to practice search techniques and share results and observations with the group. You'll also practice techniques that you can use to teach your students how to search American Memory.

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• search American Memory a variety of ways, apply search tips, tricks, and strategies;
• recognize how the collections are organized and their limitations;
• plan strategies for students to search efficiently and effectively.

Tasks in Brief

In this workshop, participants will:

• observe search demonstrations;
• work in pairs to test-search specific topics and collections;
• discuss and record information for projects;
• share observations and suggestions for classroom use;
• plan where to search next.

Resources

• American Memory Practice Worksheet
• Library of Congress Resource Worksheet
• American Memory Search Page
• American Memory collection: California As I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849-1900