Teaching with Primary Sources

Illinois State University

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Prints, Photos, Poetry


Suzie Hutton
Bloomington Junior High School
Summer 2013





Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project (AFC 2001/001/31863), Photographs (PH221-
PH230), Aldo Stephen Panzieri photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife
Center, Library of Congress.


Using photographs, drawings, text and poetry, students will learn about the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. A summative assessment will invite students to look at how all of
these resources help them to gain a deeper understanding of the Memorial.

Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension

Overview Back to Navigation Bar
Objectives Students will:
Analyze primary source documents (photos and
drawing) about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Read a poem written by a veteran
Write a response explaining how nonfiction and
poetry enhances understanding
Recommended time frame 2 block periods (84 minutes each)
Grade level 7
th

Curriculum fit English Language Arts and Social Studies
Materials 1. KWL for Warm Up
2. Laptops (we have a 1:1 classroom)
Edmodo link to Google presentation, Primary
Source Analysis Tool, and Extension
assignments
Email
3. Copies of Facing It
4. What We Learned (poster or Notebook document)

Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

5. RAFT template
6. RAFT rubric
Common Core State Standards (IL) Back to Navigation Bar

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Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Block One (84 minutes):

Warm up: Formative Assessment
1. As students enter the room, they will see a prompt
to create a K-W-L about the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. (do only the K and W).\

Primary Source Analysis: Formative Assessment
2. Direct students to log on to Edmodo for their
assignments. (All students should be sitting with their
partner. If a student does not have a partner, direct
him/her to join another group.)
3. One person will click on the link for photos (image
students will see is in Handouts section) and one
person will click on the link for analysis tool. Both
students should browse the photos and then select one
for analysis. At this point, one student will read the
questions and type answers as the other looks the photo.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

When students are done, they email me the tool. Remind
students to make sure both/all of their names are on the
tool.

Literacy Lesson Formative Assessment
4. Pass out "Facing It" by Yusef Komunyakaa.
Komunyakaa reads his poem as part of the Poetry
Everywhere series. This link is the Youtube video for
this reading. Facing It
Play the reading twice. After the reading is completed,
invite students to mark lines, words, and/or phrases that
caught their attention. Give students time to respond.
Students should add notes to their poems as students
respond.
Make sure students understand that this is a first-
person account of a veterans memory. Memories and
reality sometimes are not clear. Some details are
factual; others may just be clouded memories. Students
will need this information for the summative
assessment.

Primary Source Analysis Formative Assessment
5. Direct all students to go to the Maya Lin link in
Edmodo (will link in Library). Working with their
partners, students should look through the four drawings
and read about Maya Lins project and Olses
involvement.

Exit Activity Formative Assessment
6. Working with their partners, invite students to write
5-10 facts they learned about the memorial. Collect the
KWLs.


Before the next block: look at the KWLs. Prepare a
document for all students with facts they learned.

Block Two

Writing Connection Summative Assessment

1. As students enter the room, direct them to pick up
their KWL and look at the We Learned
document. Have them add items to their sheet.
2. Hand out the RAFT template. (Special Education
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

and English Language Learners may need partner or
teacher assistance).


Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
Students will have several formative assessments to
guide their learning and my instruction during this
lesson.
Formative Assessments KWL, Primary Source
Analysis Tool, discussion, Maya Lin notes
Summative Assessment - RAFT
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
These extension activities will be available to all
students. Students who finish the RAFT assignment
early will be invited to choose an extension activity to
start in class. Any student may access the extension
activity at home.

Historians (click on the title). You will see many
resources available about the featured veteran. Take
some time to browse through this exhibition and then
write a blog recommendation on what your peers might
find interesting.

Creative Writers (click on the title). Choose one
question to answer on your blog.

Poetry Investigators (click on the title). Read through
the Poem Guide. In your blog, share what you learn,
especially what you think helps you better understand
the poet, the war or the memorial.

Researchers Did you find all of the answers to your
questions about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? If
not, you may spend some time researching the
Memorial. Then, write a blog about what you learn.
Remember to cite all of your sources.



Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar

Prints/Photos Permanent URL Citation Notes

http://lcweb2.loc.
gov/diglib/vhp-
stories/loc.natlib.
afc2001001.3186
3/album?page=23

Experiencing War:
Stories from the
Veterans History
Project (AFC
2001/001/31863),
Photographs (PH221-
PH230), Aldo Stephen
Panzieri photographer,
Veterans History
Project Collection,
American Folklife
Center, Library of
Congress.

Use these photos
with the primary
source analysis
sheet.
http://www.loc.g
ov/teachers/prim
ary-source-
analysis-tool/







Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University






http://memory.loc
.gov/ammem/awh
html/awpnp6/d21
.html
Vietnam Veterans
Memorial
competition
drawing. Maya
Ying Lin. 1980 or
1981. Prints and
Photographs
Division.
LC-USZC4-4915.
Presentation
poster and short
paragraph

Use these post
poem.

http://www.loc.go
v/exhibits/treasur
es/trm022.html
"Vietnam Veterans
Memorial
(Memory):
American
Treasures of the
Library of
Congress."Vietnam
Veterans Memorial
Lins drawing
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

(Memory):
American
Treasures of the
Library of
Congress. N.p., n.d.
Web. 02 July 2013.

http://www.loc.go
v/exhibits/treasur
es/trm022.html
Paul Stevenson
Oles drawings
(1 of 3)

http://www.loc.go
v/exhibits/treasur
es/trm022.html
Paul Stevenson
Oles drawings
(2 of 3)

Ole and Lin in
drawing (on left
side)

http://www.loc.go
v/exhibits/treasur
es/trm022.html
Paul Stevenson
Oles drawings
(3 of 3)

http://www.poetr
yfoundation.org/l
earning/guide/237
896#poem
"Facing It." By
Yusef Komunyakaa
: Poem Guide :
Learning Lab : The
Poetry Foundation.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02
July 2013
Clip of website
and resources
available with
the poem. An
audio only
version of the
poem is here.
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University


http://www.pbs.or
g/wgbh/poetryeve
rywhere/komunya
kaa.html
"Yusef
Komunyakaa."
Poetry Everywhere.
PBS, n.d. Web. 02
July 2013.
<http://www.pbs.or
g/wgbh/poetryever
ywhere/komunyaka
a.html>.
Information
about
Komunyakaa
and a video of
him reading the
poem. There is
also a CC
option. *Cannot
make the video
full screen.

http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=
90yxqlVrLP8

"Poetry
Everywhere:
"Facing It" by
Yusef
Komunyakaa."
YouTube.
YouTube, 30 Mar.
2009. Web. 02 July
2013.
<http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=9
0yxqlVrLP8>.
Full screen video
(same as the
PBS version).

http://www.readw
ritethink.org/files/
resources/printout
s/RAFTWriting.p
df
"RAFT Writing
Template."
Readwritethink.org.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02
July 2013.
<http://www.readw
ritethink.org/classro
om-
resources/printouts/
raft-writing-
template-
30633.html>.
Use this form for
the summative
assessment

Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Rubric
Back to Navigation Bar

Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar



Vietnam Veterans Memorial

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned



















Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University

Image of link for Partner (on Edmodo)






ucIng L
BY YUSEF KOMUNYAKAA

My bIuck Iuce Iudes,
IIdIng InsIde LIe bIuck grunILe.
suId wouIdn'L
dummIL: No Leurs.
'm sLone. 'm IIesI.
My cIouded reIIecLIon eyes me
IIke u bIrd oI prey, LIe proIIIe oI nIgIL
sIunLed uguInsL mornIng. Lurn
LIIs wuyLIe sLone IeLs me go.
Lurn LIuL wuy'm InsIde
LIe VIeLnum VeLeruns MemorIuI
uguIn, dependIng on LIe IIgIL
Lo muke u dIIIerence.
go down LIe 8,ozz numes,
IuII-expecLIng Lo IInd
my own In IeLLers IIke smoke.
LoucI LIe nume Andrew JoInson;
see LIe booby Lrup's wIILe IIusI.
Numes sIImmer on u womun's bIouse
buL wIen sIe wuIks uwuy
LIe numes sLuy on LIe wuII.
BrusIsLrokes IIusI, u red bIrd's
wIngs cuLLIng ucross my sLure.
TIe sky. A pIune In LIe sky.
A wIILe veL's Imuge IIouLs
cIoser Lo me, LIen IIs puIe eyes
Iook LIrougI mIne. 'm u wIndow.
He's IosL IIs rIgIL urm
InsIde LIe sLone. n LIe bIuck mIrror
a womans trying to erase numes:
No, sIe's brusIIng u boy's IuIr.





RAFT Vietnam Veterans Memorial Summative Assessment

Use the following template to demonstrate your understanding of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial lesson.
Role: Judge
Audience: Jury
Format: Written decision
Topic: How Poetry, Photos and Text Can Best Help Students Understand History

You have a listened to a case where one lawyer believes that only nonfiction text should be used to teach history.
However, the other side argued that students need poetry, photos and text to fully understand the human
experience. You use the Vietnam Veterans Memorial photographs, poem, drawings and text as an example of
what students can learn from both fiction and nonfiction.