USING PRIMARY SOURCESIn K-6 Social Studies

EDEL 157

3 February 2010

Robin M. Katz

http://researchguides.uvm.edu/edel157spring2011

Check Out Your Class

Research Guide Online!

PRIMARY vs. SECONDARY SOURCES

Eye-Witness

Testimonial

Contemporary

Original

Earlier drafts

Raw data

Second-Hand Account

“Pieced together later”

Uses Primary Sources

Interprets creative work

Analyzes Research

EXAMPLES: PRIMARY SOURCES

Diaries

Letters

Photos

Contemporary Newspapers

Business Reports

Vital Records (birth, death, marriage)

Creative works

Maps

Postcards

Receipts

Oral histories, interviews

Speeches

TV news footage

EXAMPLES: SECONDARY SOURCES

Books

Journal Articles

Textbooks

Biographies

Later or interpretive newspaper articles

Documentary Films

Art/literary criticism

Analyses of scientific studies

BENEFITS

• Fun!

• Real perspectives, “history comes alive”

• New information

• New views on old information

• Truth?

• How “history” is made

CHALLENGES

• Difficult Handwriting

• Old Language (spelling, words)

• Brittle paper, faded ink, holes in text

• Authenticity: Is this real? Trust-worthy?

• Not enough information or context:

who? where?

ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCESYOU HAVE TO SUPPLY THE CONTEXT

What is it?

Who created it? What do we know about them? Their perspective/bias?

When is it from? What do we know about the time period?

Where is it from?

What facts are included? Are they accurate?

What opinions are included?

What is implied, conveyed unintentionally, or left out?

What is interesting? Surprising?

What do I not understand?

Adapted from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-eg/745

USING PRIMARY SOURCES

Source Topic

USING PRIMARY SOURCES

Source Topic

*Teachers are more likely to do this

WHY TEACH with PRIMARY SOURCES?

Class divides in half:

Pros and Cons

Discussion, Report Back

HOW TO TEACH with PRIMARY SOURCES?

• Teacher support programs (Teaching American History grants, Library of Congress TPS program)

• Teacher kits / guides (American Diary series)

• Best practices, colleagues

• Apply other teaching methods

• Librarians/archivist s may or may not

help with this!

WHERE TO FIND?

• Cultural Repositories– Libraries (public, university, private)

– Archives (government, organizational, corporate)

– Museums, Historical Societies (educators, kits)

• Online– Subscription databases (through your library)

– Free Sites!

• Private Hands / Collectors– Students, Families

PHYSICAL (ANALOG) vs. DIGITAL

• Pros and Cons?

– Ease of access?

– Missing information?

– Fun factor?

USING DIGITIZED MATERIALS

• Read about Primary Sources

– Scout Report: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/

• Search for Primary Sources

– Google

– Library Catalog

• Go directly to an online repository to BROWSE