At Advantage Archives, we understand the profound value of community history. School newspapers, often an overlooked treasure, form a significant part of this rich tapestry. As we move further into the digital age, the need to preserve these documents becomes increasingly crucial. Here’s why digitizing your school newspapers not only safeguards your community’s history but […]
A Resource For Educators
A Community History Archive is a fantastic free resource for history education. It provides access to local primary source materials at no cost so educators have engaging tools when teaching history lessons or social studies.
Our ambition is to arm educators with the resources necessary to develop immersive and effective lesson plans. Utilizing digitized primary sources can serve as a potent tool that allow students to explore history through the eyes of those who witnessed it firsthand. These digital resources can help students “see” history through a local lens and provide them with a more tangible experience as they connect with history in a relevant way.
Thanks to our community-based partnerships, there is no cost to the educator, the school, or the student associated with using the Community History Archives.
Using Digital Archives To Rewrite History (Lessons) For High School Students
20 years ago, a study performed by Grant, Gradwell and Cimbricz revealed that high school students who used primary sources to study historical events developed better interpretive skills and became more interested and engaged in the subject matter compared to traditional textbooks. The students also demonstrated a deeper understanding of historical events and could connect […]
Using Digital Archives To Rewrite History (Lessons) For Middle School Students
Research has extensively examined the role of primary sources in history education. One influential piece of research was conducted by Keith Barton in 2005. Barton’s study highlights several key benefits of using primary sources, like historical newspapers, in teaching history, including the promotion of critical thinking, the enhancement of understanding of historical concepts, fostering of […]
Using Digital Archives To Rewrite History (Lessons) For Elementary School Students
History is an infinite repository of stories, a fascinating confluence of narratives, and a wellspring of lessons. It offers a retrospective glance into the vibrant tapestry of human existence. To most, history might seem like a chronological record of events; to educators, it’s an invaluable toolkit that fosters knowledge, inculcates critical thinking skills, and broadens […]
Reading Between The Lines: Helping Students Recognize Bias in Historical Newspapers
As the historian and educator Sam Wineburg stated, “Historical thinking, in its deepest forms, is neither a natural process nor something that springs automatically from psychological development.” This statement reflects the nuanced and complex nature of historical inquiry and how it is different from the intuitive way we understand our immediate world. “Historical thinking“ involves […]
Old Words, New Lessons: Helping Students Navigate the Language of the Past
Community newspapers serve as a treasure trove of information, encapsulating the essence of a period in the past. They often document everyday life and local events, making history feel more relevant and accessible to students. National and international news can be contextualized through them within a familiar local setting, heightening students’ interest and understanding. Digitization […]
Bringing History to Life: Integrating Historical Newspaper Research in the Classroom
In an era where we compete with digital screens for our children’s attention, keeping them engaged can at times, be a challenge. The teaching of history in elementary, middle, and high schools is challenging enough, and student engagement can be a complex puzzle to solve. Teachers strive to find ways to spark students’ interest and […]
Funding: Get Creative!
Funding is a challenge for many organizations. I have put together a list of some creative ideas on how you can find funding for your organization. Crowdfunding: Platforms like GoFundMe and Kickstarter allow non-profits to raise funds through social media by promoting their cause to a large audience. GoFundMe is a popular crowdfunding platform that […]
Our Core Values: Community, Partnership, Engagement
Advantage Archives has three core values: Community, Partnership, and Engagement Community. It’s often thought of as a geographical location, but a community is any group of individuals that share a common thread. So if you live in a gated area, that’s a community, and if you’re a Vikings fan (SKOL), that’s a community, and if […]
Advantage Archives Announces New Chief Technology Officer
Advantage Archives would like to introduce our new CTO, Mike Schmitz. Mike joins the company at a moment when Advantage Archives is poised to transform the Community History Archive online portal into a more powerful, robust, and easy-to-use search platform. Additionally, Mike will tackle the challenges of expanding the company’s digitization and indexing capacity while […]
