DELAWARE, Ohio – ³Ô¹ÏÍø's Sarah Kaka, Ph.D., has been awarded a $25,000 federal grant to train future middle school and high school teachers to create social studies lesson plans using primary source materials from the Library of Congress.
"This grant gives us the opportunity to bring together future social studies teachers from colleges and universities across Ohio and train them in how to make history come alive for their students," said Kaka, Ohio Wesleyan's Ralph and Ella Schaaf Rodefer Associate Professor in the Department of Education.
"Using resources from the Library of Congress – like historic photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, and audio recordings – these teachers will learn to create short, engaging lessons that spark curiosity and encourage students to think like historians," said Kaka, who also serves as chair of OWU's Department of Education. "We call these lessons 'Micro-Inquiries' because they're bite-sized inquiries designed to fit into a single class period while still challenging students to analyze sources and build evidence-based arguments.
"The grant supports workshops, coaching, classroom practice, and the creation of a free online collection of lessons that any teacher can use," Kaka said. "We hope to work with and train 20 preservice teachers during their final year in social studies teacher education programs, along with five of their mentor teachers."
Kaka received the grant to support her project – titled "From Campus to Classroom: Strengthening Preservice Social Studies Instruction through Primary Instruction" – from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Midwest Region Program, located at Illinois State University. The one-year award covers the 2025-2026 academic year.
"Too often, history instruction becomes about memorizing names and dates rather than asking thoughtful questions about the past," said Kaka, who joined the Ohio Wesleyan faculty in 2017. "At the same time, most new teachers say they don't feel confident using primary sources or inquiry-based methods in their teaching. That's a problem because our democracy depends on students being able to ask hard questions, consider multiple perspectives, and think critically about how the past connects to the present.
"This project helps close that gap by equipping new teachers with the tools and confidence to teach history in a way that is more engaging, more relevant, and more rigorous – starting in their very first year in the classroom," Kaka said. "By focusing on practical strategies and easy-to-implement lesson structures, we're helping ensure that the next generation of social studies educators are prepared to meet the moment."
For the project, Kaka will collaborate with Ryan Suskey, J.D., director of professional development and programs at the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education. Suskey, the project's lead consultant, worked with Kaka and Lauren Colley, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati, to design the Micro-Inquiry model that will be utilized for the "From Campus to Classroom" research project. The developers define Micro-Inquiries as "an innovative, one-class-period (or less!) instructional format that makes inquiry-based learning more accessible."
In addition to Ohio Wesleyan students, Kaka plans to work with future social studies teachers at the University of Cincinnati, Otterbein University, and the University of Toledo during the project. Preservice social studies teachers from other schools may be recruited as well.
"They'll receive hands-on training in how to teach with Library of Congress primary sources, create and implement their own inquiry-based lessons, and get feedback from experienced mentors," she said. "They'll also build a portfolio of high-quality lessons, gain classroom-ready strategies, and earn a stipend for full participation."
All lessons and materials created as part of the project will be publicly available at the conclusion of the grant.
The Library of Congress has been awarding Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) grants since 2006. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS Midwest Region does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
Founded in 1842, ³Ô¹ÏÍø is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 and competes in 24 NCAA Division III . Through its signature experience, the , Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at or learn more at .