Archival Document Sets

About Document Sets

1967 Maps event, 2017

A group gathers in the Reuther Library Reading Room to analyze primary source maps, September 27, 2017

Welcome to document sets from the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University. 

We believe that working with primary sources is one of the best ways to develop critical thinking and build students' confidence in understanding the information that is coming at them. Strong primary source skills lead to engaged, active students asking important questions. We hope our sets, drawn from collections documenting the labor movement and urban affairs in Southeast Michigan, will help students draw connections between history and their lives today.

On this site, you'll find selections of our primary source materials to use in classes, along with a teacher plan to help guide you through class discussions and suggest some possible assignments. Each set is marked with the intended grade level and some educaitonal standards they cover. 

Check out our first set of materials covering Detroit's 1967 urban rebellion, aimed at a high school age group.