Lessons From the Stacks: Declaring America

Join NYPL’s Center for Educators and Schools for a workshop that explores , a suite of three curriculum guides that invites educators to examine American history through multiple lenses: how power is structured and challenged, how people claim belonging, and how art and expression give shape to those ideas. Drawing on primary sources from the Revolutionary era to the present, the guides highlight how individuals and communities have interpreted, questioned, and reimagined the nation’s promises over time.

During the session, educators will work closely with historical documents, posters, and works of art that reveal how people have made claims to rights, expressed identity, and contributed to an ongoing conversation about what the nation is—and who it is for. Together, we’ll consider how these perspectives sit alongside one another, at times in tension, and how they continue to shape civic life today.

You’ll also explore how unexpected sources can spark curiosity, support inquiry, and help students connect the past to present-day questions about identity, justice, and community.

Eligible NY State educators can receive 1.5 CTLE credit hours for participating in this session. Light snacks will be provided.

This workshop is part of , a multi-part professional learning series that invites educators to explore New York City and U.S. history through NYPL’s collections. Each session highlights a different set of curriculum resources, using primary sources to examine how people have engaged with major historical questions across time.

For more information about , visit us online and subscribe to our monthly newsletter—plus, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X! For any questions, reach out to [email protected]

PUBLIC NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING | Programs are photographed and recorded by the New York Public Library. Attending this event indicates your consent to being filmed/photographed and your consent to the use of your recorded image for any all purposes of the New York Public Library.

PRESS | Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to [email protected]. Please note that professional video recordings are prohibited without expressed consent.

ACCESSIBILITY | You may request ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing [email protected] at least two weeks in advance of the event.

This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The New York Public Library