Dr. Mike Scarlett (Associate Professor, Education Department, Augustana College) just finished his week-long visit combing through the Center's library and archives for resources to develop a historical inquiry for middle school students.
He says, "As a teacher educator working with future history teachers my primary goal was to develop a model curriculum unit investigating the experience of Swedish immigrants using primary historical sources...Some of the archival materials I examined included the Hilda J. Linder papers, some of the vast Oliver Anderson Linder papers, and 'The Farm Life of a Swedish Immigrant in Illinois, circa 1900-1925.' Within these archives I found a treasure trove of information, including a memoir of the Swedish immigrant experience, advertisements from Swedish newspapers encouraging immigration, and several other interesting first-hand accounts of immigration...What I discovered from examining these sources were insights into the diverse reasons Swedes immigrated and the very wide range of experiences they had once they arrived."
Look for Mike's full report in the next issue of Swedish American Genealogist. Mike received the Center's Faculty Research Stipend.