After the project is complete, teachers and students are encouraged to revisit the sites they’ve archived to see which have disappeared from the web and how the sites have changed. Teachers might also be asked for input in developing a broader student-based web capture program.
“Throughout the years, the students’ responses have been amazing—they’re incredulous that other people care what they think,’” Hanna said.
It is important that teachers are the facilitators and coaches, but that the archiving efforts remain the students’ projects.
“These kids aren’t librarians or archivists yet, but we think that being able to add some sort of description, and being able to catalog their collections, is important,” Hanna said.
“The program and kids have inspired us all and motivated us to work a little harder at the Internet Archive,” she added. “We can talk on and on about the importance of keeping our cultural and historical records as adults, but some of these kids … the clarity is so profound.”
For more information on using primary sources in the classroom, see:
- Children learn best on paper: We need better technology, not less of it - July 13, 2026
- In districts, reaching readiness, retention, and success - March 5, 2026
- AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace? - January 2, 2026