In this module, educators will learn 5 different strategies to engage students in reviewing, comprehending, and analyzing primary sources.
What is a Primary Source?
Primary sources are the voices of the past. They are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. Documents, letters, posters, film, artifacts, photographs, maps, etc. can be primary sources that tell the story of people, places, an events of the past.
Why Use Primary Sources in the Classroom?
Examining primary sources gives students a powerful sense of history and the complexity of the past. Helping students analyze primary sources can also guide them toward higher-order thinking and better critical thinking and analysis skills (from the Library of Congress).
Using Primary Source Analysis Strategies Helps:
Enrich student understanding of content Build historical thinking skills and context Derive conclusions based on evidence Examine bias, perspective, and POV Reinforce the importance of sourcing
3. Source Comparison
When comparing two sources from different time periods, it allows students to see change over time and then consider how that change may affect people and places.
- What differences do you see between the two maps?
- What might you infer about those differences?
- What do these maps show about changes in transportation in 20 years?
Reflect:
- When might you use this strategy in your classroom?
- What higher order thinking skills might students demonstrate with this strategy?