Central Piedmont Archives

In partnership with our Library Instruction team, the Central Piedmont Archives offers different types of instructional opportunities to those interested in learning and/or teaching about archival research methods. All lesson types are applicable to virtual and in-person opportunities. Please contact Central Piedmont Archives to make an appointment if this project is of interest.

• Class Session with No Assignment

Participants of this session will become familiar with collections held in Central Piedmont Archives and throughout the Charlotte metro-area; learn techniques for examining and interpreting historical materials;  and gain knowledge of archival database systems in relation to research requirements. This is more of a general introduction to archival research with lessons that can be applied to any research topic.

• Class Session with an Assignment

Participants of this session will learn helpful information literacy skills by researching collections held in Central Piedmont Archives and the Charlotte metro-area. This is a more in-depth session on archival research covering collection organization, navigation of database systems; reading room policies and handling of materials (when in-person); interpretation of historical materials; and more. These lessons are incorporated into a larger class assignment that can be contributed to the archives for preservation.

This document provides an overview of the types of activities we offer for your instructional sessions. We are open to new ideas, so this list is not final. Please let us know what new ideas you may have!

1. What's in the Mystery Box: Interpreting the Past Through Archival Sources
   Description: Archival materials, such as documents, publications, photographs, yearbooks, and correspondence, are placed into boxes. Each group of students will receive a box of archival materials. It is up to the group to examine the contents of the box and develop a research or discussion topic based on the archival materials.
   Applicable Programs: History, Journalism, Communications, English/Humanities
    
2. Timeline Activity
   Description: Give students a series of primary and secondary sources, and have them arrange the sources chronologically. Students will also answer a series of questions to understand the different types of information and how they are produced: What types of sources are produced the fastest? Which types of sources come out later? How do you evaluate their credibility? What does this suggest about the way information is produced?
   Applicable Programs: History, Journalism, Communications
    
3. Archival Revival
   Description: Students curate a creative writing piece using archival photographs from our photographs and publications collections. The purpose of this assignment is to present the archives in a more creative and more inviting way to our community. Using images of our past to create a new story helps students to think more in-depth about their selected primary source.
   Applicable Programs: English/Humanities
    
4. Archival Photos Reimagined
   Description: Art students select a photo from our photographs or publications collections and create a work of art inspired by their selection. Artworks are integrated into the Archival Photos Reimagined collection.
   Applicable Programs: Art, Art History