Historical events and holidays like provide an authentic opportunity to investigate primary and secondary sources. Try these resources to encourage students to discover the stories behind historical documents.
The lesson plan asks students to think critically about commonly believed stories regarding the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Independence Day holiday. Check out these and other .
The article “” (pages 5-6) encourages teachers to use primary sources to deepen students’ understanding of historical events and the people who participated in them.
“” from 聽describes eight writing assignments that were the key activities of a nine-week history unit. In addition to suggesting ways to use primary sources in the classroom, the article concludes that writing helps students comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.
Interested in using diaries, letters, photographs, legal records, speeches, essays, biographies, and autobiographies? Check out “” from to find out how “primary sources and nonfiction [can] offer valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking in all fields of study.”
Authentic historical documents can awaken students’ interests and help them understand how purpose, audience, and context shape how such texts are interpreted as described in ““.
Explore how cultural knowledge creates common ground and a base for action in “” from , which includes an in-depth analysis of Frederick Douglass’s essay “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
File away these resources to capitalize on teachable moments throughout the school year!