Today's Document App for IOS is a collection of historical documents and photos with explanatory notes from the National Archives and Records Administration. A document or photo is presented as the document of the day. Users can also search for documents by date, randomly, or by keyword. The application is free.
Type of Material:
Reference material
Recommended Uses:
The application can be used to add visual appeal to lectures and classroom activities in United States history and government classes. The documents and photos can also be used in research projects at all levels: elementary, middle, high school and higher education.
Technical Requirements:
An iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch with an IOS of 3.2 or later is needed to use the application.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Learner will be able to utilize primary source materials to research people, places, or events in American History.
Target Student Population:
Middle school students, high school students, undergraduate and graduate students studying American history and government classes. Pre-service teachers and teachers teaching middle school and high school American history and government classes. College and university faculty teaching or conducting research in the social sciences which focus on America may be interested in using the primary sources.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
A basic understanding of United States history is needed in order to understand the significance of the documents and photos posted.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Valid and significant documents and photos in American history are posted on the application. The documents and photos are presented in their actual form. The description for the documents are provided with links to other sites for additional information.
Concerns:
None
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The application can be used by students to independently learn about various documents and photos from American history or to locate visual aids for research projects. Educators can use the application to add visual appeal to their courses to examine the contents of the original documents after a lesson has been introduced. Learning assignments can be written using the materials such as identifying the document or photo and explaining its significance.
Concerns:
None
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The application is visually appealing. Menu bottoms or swiping allow the user to move forward and backward through the site. Photos can be enlarged, saved, and shared on social media. The app is a virtual museum exhibit organized by date. Transcripts are available for documents that might not be easy to view or read. LInks are available to access more information.
Concerns:
The documents and photos are featured by the day or by date not by subject. Unless the users selects the appropriate key words to retrieve documents and photos, the ability to retrieve documents according to subject matter may be limited, incomplete, or too broad.
Other Issues and Comments:
Good tool for introducing material with accompanying essential question(s) to motivate students to delve deeper into researching about events and time periods.
Users can also select a specific date. Teachers could select specific date to plan lessons or activities well in advance.
Creative Commons:
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