Primary vs Secondary Sources San Jacinto High School

Primary vs. Secondary Sources San Jacinto High School 2015

Types of Sources PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES

What is a Primary Source? • Original records of political, economic, artistic, scientific, social and intellectual thoughts and achievements • Produced by ppl who participated in or witnessed past • Offer variety of points of view and perspectives • Used or created by someone with first-had experience of an event.

Examples of Primary Sources • Audio: oral histories, memoirs, interviews, music • Images: photographs, videos, film, fine art • Objects / Artifacts: clothing, tools, pottery, gravestones, inventions, machines, weapons, memorabilia • Statistics: census data, population statistics, weather records • Text: letters, diaries, original documents, legal agreements, treaties, maps, laws, advertisements, recipes, sermons, lectures

What is a Secondary Source? • Documents written after an event has occurred • Interprets and analyzes primary sources • Offer different perspectives, viewpoints, interpretations of events • Provide background information that allow you to understand the context of an event

Examples of Secondary Sources • Textbooks • Magazine articles • Documentaries • Commentaries • Editorials • Essays • Book Reviews • Encyclopedias

REMEMBER: NO WIKIPEDIA!!!!!!

Scenario 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Primary or Secondary? Why?

Scenario 1 I was watching ESPN and one of the reporters said he had heard good reviews about a new sports movie. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 2 I found a letter to one of my friends in the locker room after school the other day. I know it’s private but I want to read it! Primary or secondary?

Scenario 3 My friends and I found an old wedding dress in our attic. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 4 At school we use textbooks to learn about the history of the United States. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 5 I like to read People magazine. I really like the articles written by others about Hollywood actors. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 6 My mom has CDs of my grandparents telling stories about when they were kids. We love to listen to these at family gatherings. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 7 I am writing an essay on George Washington for my U. S. History class. I used articles from an encyclopedia. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 8 When I am doing homework for U. S. Government and I read the commentaries by Supreme Court Justices on landmark case. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 9 When I was at summer camp a few years ago, I found at arrowhead; I did research and found out it has been made by the Cherokee Indians. Primary or secondary?

Scenario 10 My friend Tim said I should read a book that he really liked. He told me about it – it sounds really good! Primary or secondary?

Exit Slip 1. What is a primary source? 2. Give two examples of a primary source. 3. What is a secondary source? 4. Give two examples of a secondary source.