Using Primary and Secondary Sources

Transcription

1 LESSON PLAN: Preparation Learning Objective Students will learn the difference between primary and secondary sources. Pacing minutes Suggested Readings The Galveston Hurricane of 1900: One Story, Two Ways of Telling It A Picture of Friendship by Achieve3000 Found: Oldest Flute, Oldest Carving by Achieve3000 Lesson Overview In social studies, students frequently use both primary and secondary sources for research. To choose the best sources for particular research tasks, it s important for students to understand what primary and secondary sources are and how to tell the difference between them. In this lesson, students read a primary and a secondary source. You will help students to understand and discuss the differences between these two types of sources by reading a passage about a newly discovered primary source. Next, students explore the differences between primary and secondary sources in a small-group activity. Throughout these steps, students learn how to use photographs and other primary resources to enhance their understanding of the historical context presented in secondary texts. Students apply their learning independently using the 5-Step Literacy Routine with an article (a secondary source) that includes a photograph of an ancient flute (a primary resource). The lesson closes with a review of the concepts learned and an opportunity to record new vocabulary in student vocabulary journals. Do Before Teaching Be prepared to project the Lesson Masters.

2 Teaching Routine Before Reading Introduce Lesson: Bell-Ringer Activity Project One Story, Two Ways of Telling It so it will be visible to all students as they enter the classroom. Students should read the text and respond to the question, How are these two paragraphs alike and different? When students are ready, ask for volunteers to share their alikes and differents. Lead students to understand that the way an event is described by someone who was present at the event differs from the way an event is described by someone who was not actually present. Explain that the eyewitness report is a primary source, but a report written after the fact by someone who wasn t there is a secondary source. Provide Direct Instruction and Modeling Explain that when studying the past, we have two basic types of sources we can use for information. A primary source is something that has a direct link to a past event or person being studied. There are several different kinds of primary sources, including: A written eyewitness description, such as the short description of the Galveston hurricane in the bell-ringer activity A book, newspaper article, magazine article, journal entry, or letter about an event written at the time of the event, such as a story about the hurricane written immediately after it happened or the diary entry of a person who survived it (This category includes autobiographies.) A photograph related to an event, such as photos of buildings destroyed by the hurricane (Films and audio recordings of events are also primary sources.) An artifact (physical object) related to an event, such as a child s toy found floating in the water after the hurricane or a piece of debris An interview with a person involved in an event Write a list of primary sources so that it is visible to all students. Ask students to contribute other examples of each type of primary source as they think of them and add these examples to the list. 2

3 Explain that secondary sources are those that interpret and analyze primary sources. Secondary sources are a step removed from the events they describe. The writer of the second description in the bell-ringer activity based it on the words of those who were present. The writer was most likely not present in person. Types of secondary sources include: textbooks encyclopedias books and articles not written in the wake of an event or by someone involved in it, such as a book about the Galveston hurricane written in modern times biographies (be sure to differentiate them from autobiographies, which are primary sources) Point out that secondary sources often contain primary source materials. For example, a textbook chapter on the Galveston hurricane might quote eyewitnesses or contain photos taken at the time of the disaster. Extra Support Tell Spanish-speaking students that the English word photograph is cognate with the Spanish word fotografía. Pronounce the English word again, then pronounce it syllable-by-syllable (pho/to/graph) and have students mimic your full-word and syllable-by-syllable pronunciations. Model using the article A Picture of Friendship. Post the article and accompanying photo and distribute copies. Read the article to the class, thinking aloud about how its contents represent both primary and secondary sources. Take note that the photograph itself is a primary source about the life of Helen Keller. It is believed to be the earliest photo of Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, taken together. Following paragraph 2, note the description of the photo. The doll in the photo is important because the first word that Annie spelled for Helen when they met was doll. Following paragraph 6, ask students, In what way was Hope Thaxter Parks a primary source for the life of Helen Keller? (Because she was a playmate of Helen s, she could tell about Helen s life in a direct and personal way.) Take note of the various types of source materials mentioned in the last half of the passage: photo albums, letters, diaries, the magazine and newspaper that printed the Keller photograph. Note how each is a primary or secondary source for the life and times of Helen Keller. Ask: Is this whole article a primary or secondary source about the life of Helen Keller? (It s mostly secondary, but the photo is a primary source, and it mentions several other primary sources.) 3

4 Small-Group Practice Extra Support If students need additional practice identifying primary sources, have them complete the Cave Paintings activity. This activity can also be used at the end of this lesson to reinforce and to assess students understanding of the concepts presented in this lesson. Students are asked to study a photograph and caption, identify whether it is a primary or secondary resource, explain how they know, and consider reasons why ancient peoples might have created cave paintings. In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and write a short answer for the following question: How is reading or studying a primary source different from reading or studying a secondary source? After 5 to 10 minutes, ask volunteers to share their answers with the class and discuss. During Reading Student Practice (15 25 minutes) Next, have students work independently to apply their learning using the 5-Step Literacy Routine with the article Found: Oldest Flute, Oldest Carving. Remind them to preview the photograph and caption and think about how they contribute to the information presented in the article. The 5-Step Literacy Routine 1. Before-reading Poll Brings students prior knowledge into the classroom as they make connections and express opinions about the topic of the day. 2. Article Students derive information from nonfiction articles differentiated to their levels. Repeated exposure to vocabulary and embedded strategy support enables all students to participate in classroom discussions. Access to grade-level text and activities ensure that students have frequent interactions with grade-appropriate complex text. 3. Activity Students demonstrate successful close reading of text by responding to text-dependent questions that require higher-order thinking skills. 4. After-reading Poll All students express their opinions again, based on the reading they did that day, with teachers requiring students to provide evidence for their opinions. Teachers then facilitate discussion and debates in the classroom. 5. Thought Question A critical-thinking activity guides students to write in more formal scenarios with the intent to either argue or inform about a situation or narrate an event. After mastering the concepts at reading-level, students have the opportunity to complete the same Article and Activity at grade level. They can also review their Poll results from both before and after reading and reflect on how their readings and experiences affect the evolution of their opinions. 4

5 After Reading Whole-Class Wrap Up When all students have completed the 5-Step Literacy Routine, bring the class together to review the lesson, discuss any questions students have, and provide any necessary reteaching. Have students enter new vocabulary in their vocabulary journals and indicate their level of understanding for each of the new terms learned in the lesson, including primary source and secondary source. Lesson Extensions Have students classify classroom or school library books as either primary or secondary sources and explain why. Divide the class into pairs. Have each member of the pair interview the other and write a brief biography of the other person. Remind students that they are primary sources for their own lives. Using YouTube or some other video library, have students find examples of primary-source news footage of a historical event such as the September 11 attacks, the 2003 start of the Iraq War, the 2004 Pacific tsunami, or other events you (or your students) choose. Have students complete the Cave Paintings activity. This activity can be used to support step 6 of the lesson. It can also be used to reinforce and to assess student understanding of the concepts presented in this lesson. Students are asked to study a photograph and caption, identify whether it is a primary or secondary resource, explain how they know, and consider reasons why ancient peoples might have created cave paintings. Have students pair up afterwards and share their responses with one another. Then invite volunteers to share with the class. 5

6 Lesson Masters The Galveston Hurricane of 1900: One Story, Two Ways of Telling It Description #1 I was in the Tremont Hotel during the storm.... Men were praying throughout the night, and above the roar of the wind could be heard the crash of waves and the splash of water against the buildings. We expected the hotel to go down at any minute. Description #2 Throughout the long night of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, the wind roared, sending waves crashing against buildings. Those inside the buildings feared they may not survive the night. Eyewitnesses said they heard people praying to be delivered from the storm s fury. How are these two descriptions alike? How are they different? Explain. 6

7 Cave Paintings Lesson Masters The photograph below shows ancient cave paintings that were discovered in 1994 in Ardeche, France. The cave is decorated with around 300 paintings that were made almost 20,000 years ago. The paintings depict bears, owls, mammoths, rhinos and felines. French cave painting photograph from Directions: Study the photograph and caption. Then respond to these questions: 1. Is the photo above a primary resource or a secondary resource? How do you know? 2. What are reasons ancient peoples might have created these cave paintings? What message or story do you think the paintings communicate to the viewer? Describe Achieve3000, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7