Educator workshops scheduled that deal with race relations, presidential elections, and other topics

SPRINGFIELD - Everything old is new again, at least for teachers in Illinois who can take advantage of several educator workshops this school year at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. The sessions and registration information are available at www.alplm.org/education.

Slavery, Race and Riot: A Look at Mr. Lincoln's Illinois Thursday, January 24. Free. CPDUs/CEUs: 3 CPDU per session (6 total)

Slavery: Viewpoints, 9 a.m. to noon. In this workshop participants will explore the history of slavery and examine primary documents to analyze Lincoln's position on slavery. Race and Riot, 1 to 4 p.m. 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot. This workshop will examine the causes and review the outcome of the riots which led to the formation of the NAACP in 1910.

Packaging Presidents and Teacher Orientation Thursday, February 21. Free. CPDUs/CEUs: 4 CPDU per session (8 total).

Packaging Presidents, 9 a.m. - noon. Educators will look at examples and methods of how the presidential image has been portrayed in the public sphere from George Washington to George W. Bush, including a tour of the Museum's new "Packaging Presidents" exhibit that opens February 5. Teacher orientation, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. This workshop will introduce educators to the resources available at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Learn how to prepare your class for their visit and make the most of your school trip to the Museum.

Primary Sources and Artifacts: Tangible, Touchable, Teachable Tools Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free. CPDUs/CEUs: 6 CPDU

In this hands-on session, participants will analyze reproduction artifacts, including objects, primary documents, images, political cartoons, and more, to learn methods and criteria for selecting teachable primary sources for their classroom.

Research Colloquium Thursday and Friday, April 3 and 4, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CPDUs/CEUs: 14 CPDU Free (lodging and meals NOT included) This workshop is full; however, you may have your name put on a waiting list.

Spend two days exploring and researching the vast holdings of the Presidential Library and Museum. Participants will find out how to access digital resources, utilize the Library for research, obtain usable reproduction documents to take back to the classroom, and create an effective and customized lesson plan based upon the primary resources they've gathered.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates: What do they mean 150 years later? Thursday, April 24, 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Free. CPDUs/CEUs: 5 CPDU

This workshop will examine how debates between candidates have changed from thorough, thoughtful, and civilized debates to the negative, critical, and personal-attack debates of the present. Educators will focus on the art of the debate and how to present a debate forum using the Lincoln-Douglas Debates as a guide for persuasion, information, and presentation.

Classroom Connections Program Available Session Dates: Wednesday, January 16; Friday, February 29; Wednesday, March 12; Friday, April 18; Friday, May 2; and Wednesday, May 7. Free, but advance registration and a $50 refundable deposit required.

Students become historians with the Classroom Connections Program, which offers structured research opportunities using primary documents from the Library collections. Program 1: Education Division staff will lead these hands-on sessions using reproduction documents and artifacts from the Library collections. Teachers may choose one of the following sessions: 19th Century Kids, grades 3 - 8; Amazing Artifacts, grades 6 - 12; Political Cartoons, grades 6 - 12; Viewpoints: Lincoln, Slavery and Race, grades 11 - 12. Program 2: Students in grades 9 - 12 can research selected topics using source materials at the Library. Topics available for this teacher-led program include: Lincoln-Douglas Debates; Emancipation Proclamation; Election of 1860; Lincoln's America; Slavery; Commemorating Lincoln; Lincoln and Leadership; Mary Todd Lincoln.