Primary Sources Thinking Like a Historian Memorizing Dates

Primary Sources Thinking Like a Historian Memorizing Dates vs. Investigating Evidence

Historians As Detectives ► Searching for evidence, among primary sources, to a mystery that can never be completely solved.

Do Historians Know Everything? ► No – They do know how to approach primary sources as evidence. ► You can do this as well!

Sourcing ► Think about the document’s author and it’s creation ► Who created it? ► When? ► For what purpose? ► How trustworthy might the source be? ► Why?

Contextualizing ► Situate the document and its events in time and place ► Piece together major events, themes, people in the era it was created

How do these items help? Context from the time period

Close Reading ► Carefully consider what the document says and the language used to say it. ► Think out loud: ► “I’ve never heard that expression before…Hmm, that may be a reference to…I wonder if that’s what really happened…)

Using Background Knowledge ► Use historical information and knowledge to read and understand the document. ► “What else do I know about this topic? ”

Reading the Silences ► Identify what has been left out or is missing from the document by asking questions of its account. ► “What is the author not mentioning? ” ► “Whose voices are we not hearing? ” ► “Which perspectives are missing? ”

Corroborating ► Ask Questions about important details across multiple sources to determine points of agreement and disagreement. ► “What other primary sources might corroborate or dispute this interpretation? ”

Think Like A Historian ► Question the Source ► Evaluate the evidence it offers for its assertions ► Read and consider the source more carefully than any historical account read before

Analyzing Photographs

Analyzing Primary Sources Observe – Identify and note details ► What do you notice first? Find something small but interesting ► What do you notice that you didn’t expect? ► What do you notice that you can’t explain? ► What do you notice now that you didn’t earlier?

Analyzing Primary Sources Reflect-generate and test hypothesis about the source ► Where do you think this came from? ► Who do you think somebody made this? ► What do you think was happening when this was made? ► Who do you think was the audience? ► Why do you think this was important? ► If made today, would it be different? ► What can you learn from examining this?

Analyzing Primary Sources Question- to lead to more observations and reflections ► What do you wonder about… ► Who? ► What? ► When? ► Where? ► How?

What’s in Lincoln’s Pockets?

Drawings ► ► Newe Welt und Americanische Historien – Johan Ludwig Gottfried, 1655 http: //www. americanjourneys. org/images. asp

► The Basle 1494 Columbus Letter ► Christopher Columbus's letter announcing the success of his voyage to the "islands of the Indian sea". . . http: //www. oshermaps. org/special-map-exhibits/columbus-letter http: //oshermaps. org/search/zoom. php? no=7325. 0070#img 64