Teaching with Special Collections

Two people looking at newspaper clippings in a book.

Faculty looking for a ready-made workshop to introduce their students to our Special Collections and how to investigate and evaluate unique, archival sources might consider our Archival Research Guide and its Archives Breakout Activity.

Faculty are encouraged to bring their classes to Special Collections. Class sessions can be customized and may include:

An introduction to using archival or primary sources for research.
Instruction on how to locate archival and other primary sources at SSU and beyond.
Overviews of subject specific collections and related resources.
Explorations of an array of unique materials within our collections.

Ideally, visiting classes will have time to spend with collection materials. Though handling is limited with fragile materials, our goal is to provide a hands-on experience for students. Assignments that make use of Special Collections materials support critical analysis and engage students in the interpretation of history. Potential student outcomes include:

Students learn to identify and evaluate primary sources.
Students engage in critical and analytical thinking with regards to primary sources.
Students intellectually connect primary and secondary sources.