Author Archives: men2022

COVID-19 Module

In partnership with the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS), the World History Digital Education Foundation offers  a set of free resources for Social Studies teachers to address the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Learning Module is composed of 3 days:

  • Day 1: historical comparison to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918
  • Day 2: geographic analysis of diffusion and population pyramid analyses of several countries
  • Day 3: examining globalization and government responses to the crisis

These days have been designed to be taught via distance learning or in person. There are student files that can be pushed out to students in a virtual learning setting.

Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit

Created by the Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), this resource includes templates and documents that will assist archivists in collecting materials on tragedies within their communities.  The documents are designed to be a starting point and are meant to be customized for local use in consultation with communities, administrators, and legal counsel as necessary. The templates and documents are divided into seven broad categories: immediate response, collection management, administrative policies and agreements, digital content, emotional support, oral histories, and manuals and resources.

Beyond Statistics: Living through a Pandemic

The Tenement Museum designed an online exhibit to respond to the Covid-19 crisis, titled Beyond Statistics: Living through a Pandemic. The exhibit interprets the stories of five people, all immigrants or migrants, who lived in the museum’s historic buildings and all died of contagious disease. Through their stories, we look at how historians can uncover perspectives on living with and suffering from contagious disease, the context of prejudice, medical science, and government and community response, and ultimately, the importance of historians finding and honoring stories of individuals.

Objects of Comfort

In late March, the Tenement Museum launched a crowdsourced collecting initiative, Objects of Comfort. Grown from their digital exhibit platform Your Story, Our Story, Objects of Comfort seeks to know how people are coping through this crisis. What objects, traditions, recipes, and songs are giving people strength? How are people finding inspiration from their families, and from the past, to keep going? How do meaningful objects connect us to each other, spark memories, and even make us healthier?
The object stories are curated into an online collection on Your Story, Our Story, and any new submission will be added to that collection.

Anyone can contribute a story of something that is bringing them comfort right now—all that’s needed to submit is a story of 250 words or less, and an image. Families and classes can participate through a special group gallery function on the platform.