Senator John Heinz History Center's collections
Innovation and Invention: Alcoa and the Lunar Module
<p>This Learning Lab collection is designed to accompany the Heinz History Center's Innovation and Invention virtual program. In the program, students learn the story of Alcoa and the contributions this Pittsburgh company made to the world. This activity dives deeper into one particular Alcoa innovation - the legs of the lunar module that first landed men on the Moon. <br></p>
<p>The activity is based on <a href="https://pbskids.org/designsquad/build/touchdown/">"Touchdown," created by PBS Kids Design Squad.</a> It was adapted by the Heinz History Center to include the story of the Alcoa aluminum innovation used for the legs of the Lunar Module. </p>
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How Pittsburgh Helped Us Get to the Moon: Alcoa and the Lunar Module
<p>This Learning Lab collection is designed to accompany the Pittsburgh CLO's teacher guide for <em>Beyond the Moon.</em> In this new Gallery of Heroes musical, fifteen-year-old Maya has big dreams of being the first person to set foot on Mars but believes she is simply too ordinary to become an astronaut. Her view of what is possible transforms when actual NASA astronauts past and present, including Neil Armstrong, Mae Jemison, and José Hernandez, take her on an amazing journey to discover that extraordinary feats are accomplished by regular people one step at a time.</p><p>The activity is based on <a href="https://pbskids.org/designsquad/build/touchdown/">"Touchdown," created by PBS Kids Design Squad.</a> It was adapted by the Heinz History Center to include the story of the Alcoa aluminum innovation used for the legs of the Lunar Module. </p>
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History Lab: Time Capsules
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<p>In this History Lab, we will think about how many objects can work together to tell a story. How does a time capsule help us to learn about the past? What would you put in your own time capsule?</p>
<p>To talk with us and learn about more time capsules, join us for the History Lab Debrief! Visit <a href="https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/learn/history-at-home/learn-history-online">https://www.heinzhistorycenter...</a> and look for the History Lab section to find the registration link. We hope you can join us!</p>
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Green City Remix: Pittsburgh's Smoke Control Campaign
<p>Green City Remix was a collaborative project of the Green Building Alliance and the Senator John Heinz History Center to create exhibits developed and designed by local high school students. In the 1940s efforts were made to combat Pittsburgh’s reputation as the nation’s smoky city, changing both air quality and the city’s image. Using the Allegheny Conference on Community Development collection in the Detre Library and Archives, students researched the Smoke Control campaign, which included legislation passed by city government in 1941 that significantly improved Pittsburgh’s air quality by regulating factors such as fuel sources and the equipment used in industry and in homes.</p>
<p>Through a visit to the Green Building Alliance and conversations with local activists, the students explored ways in which Pittsburgh can continue to improve on its legacy as a smoky city. Students examined art installations at The Mattress Factory and with the help of local artist, Danny Bracken, designed art installations <em>remixing </em>the story of Smoke Control in a way that demonstrates its relevance to today. </p>
<p>This collection includes primary source materials used by the students to explore Pittsburgh's response to air quality challenges. How might these resources inspire your own students to explore the ways changes is made in their city?</p>
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George Ferris - Innovation & Invention
<p><br>This collection was created to form part of the Heinz History Center's facilitated Innovation & Invention program for schools. </p>
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Frontier Democracy: Western Pennsylvania and the United States Constitution
<p>This curriculum pack was produced by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania and includes everything you need to teach about the growth of democracy and impact of the Constitution in Western Pennsylvania. The student text includes readings that you can give directly to your students, and the info tabs on items throughout the collection includes suggested teaching activities. Primary sources and biographies are also included (be sure to click on the paper clip and/or info icon on each item to find out more about it). </p>
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Creating Social Change: Advocating for People with Disabilities
<p>This collection highlights some of the key documents in the Bob Nelkin Collection of ACC-PARC Records that help us to understand the steps he and his fellow advocates took to end the "warehousing" of children and adults with disabilities in institutions. </p>
<p>Formed in 1951, the ACC-PARC was a grassroots organization made up of parents of people with disabilities in the Pittsburgh area. The aspect of ACC-PARC’s daily activities most represented in these primary sources are the efforts of the advocates to investigate the treatment of individuals with disabilities at residential care facilities in Western Pennsylvania during the 1960s and 1970s.</p>
<p>This Learning Lab collection showcases some of the work of ACC-PARC as they advocated for change in institutions throughout Western Pennsylvania. Each section addresses a specific step or tactic used by these advocates. Instructional materials and activities are provided throughout the collection.</p>
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<p>The primary sources in this Learning Lab collection are housed at the Heinz History Center's Detre Library and Archives in Pittsburgh, PA:</p>
<p><a href="https://historicpittsburgh.org/collection/nelkin-acc-parc-records" target="_blank"><strong>Bob Nelkin Collection of Allegheny County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (ACC-PARC) Records,</strong></a><strong><a href="https://historicpittsburgh.org/collection/nelkin-acc-parc-records" target="_blank"> MSS 1002, Detre Library and Archives, Heinz History Center</a>.</strong><br></p>
<p>The creation of this lesson plan was underwritten by the United Way of Allegheny County.<br><br></p>
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Conflict and Compromise: Pittsburgh's Labor History
<p>This collection connects the 2018 National History Day theme of "Conflict and Compromise in History" to a selection of labor strikes that occurred in Western Pennsylvania. This region has a long history of labor strikes, some of which led to successful negotiations, while others led to violence. The collection also includes information about the <em>Pittsburgh Survey</em> to illuminate the living and working conditions that were often the reasons that compelled workers to strike.</p>
<p>These objects, images, and sources can be used to help form an idea for a project, provide a new angle on an existing project idea, or lead to new ways of including primary sources into NHD projects. The Heinz History Center blog features additional information about the <a href="http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/western-pennsylvania-history/homestead-steel-strike" target="_blank" style="background-color:rgb(63,63,63);">Homestead Strike</a> and <a href="http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/western-pennsylvania-history/picturing-protest-great-railroad-strike-1877" target="_blank" style="background-color:rgb(63,63,63);">Railroad Strike</a> images.</p>
<p>#NHD2018 #NHD</p>
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Columbus on Trial: Act 48 program for teachers - August 4, 2021
<p>This collection was created to share the resources created by the History Center to accompany the short film, Columbus on Trial, by filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno. </p>
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Civic Discourse / March on Washington
<p dir="ltr">Civic Discourse in a Digital World institute: Day 1<br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Using this collection, consider:</em><br></p>
<ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">How could one or more of these objects help foster civic discourse in my classroom?</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">What kinds of questions or activities would I plan around these objects?</p></li></ol>
<p dir="ltr"><em>One person in each breakout group should jot down notes to share out after. </em><br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>#civicdiscourse<br></em></p>
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Civic Discourse
<p>This collection was created as part of the Civic Discourse in a Digital World teacher institute in June of 2021. It is designed to be a repository of sources from the Heinz History Center's collection and the Detre Library & Archives from which teachers can select any relevant materials as they create their own collections. </p>
<p>#civicdiscourse</p>
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Caring for Community: Jewish Aid through Primary Sources
<p></p><p>This Learning Lab collection is drawn from the records of Beth Hamedrash Hagodol, the oldest Orthodox congregation in Pittsburgh. As with other synagogues, since its founding, the congregation has been the recipient of donations and has responded to appeals from Jewish organizations, here and abroad. Explore the work of aid organizations like HIAS through these primary sources so that students can better understand the role of community giving.
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