Incorporating Digital Archives into Secondary English Curriculums

This thesis investigates the impact of incorporating digital archives into secondary English curriculums. I explore the potential of digital archives as an expansive tool for improving students’ literacy skills and increasing their engagement in English classes. In the first half of my thesis, I analyze the current landscape of digital archives studies, highlighting the need to extend this scholarship beyond tertiary education settings into the high school classroom. I also show that a strong foundation exists within the scholarship and pedagogical practices for applying digital archives as a practical and feasible tool in secondary curriculums. I then provide a description of an imagined course built upon these findings, demonstrating how to weave the teaching of digital archives into that of traditionally canonical print texts. I conclude with an explanation of the pedagogical rationale behind my decision-making for class activities, readings, and assessments, focusing on how digital archives increase student agency, reflect students’ varied learning styles, and generate excitement for learning and writing.