Comments on: Snapshots in History: Utilizing Primary Source Materials in Education http://principleddiscovery.com/2006/06/05/snapshots-in-history-utilizing-primary-source-materials-in-education/ If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do? --Psalm 11:3 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:29:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Dana http://principleddiscovery.com/2006/06/05/snapshots-in-history-utilizing-primary-source-materials-in-education/#comment-269 Dana Thu, 08 Jun 2006 03:21:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=148#comment-269 Thank you, Denise! I am like you in that I tend to think of primary source documents as a high school or even college thing. I remember being told in college that it was preferable to go back to the original source where possible, but that is about it. I don't remember ever being taught how to look at a primary source document and begin solving the mystery of what life was like, or what motivated people in their decisions. I was used to reading and regurgitating. <br/><br/>I think simple activities like these (which can even be entirely oral while standing in the history museum) help to show the true purposes of primary source documents and provide quite a bit of interest for students. They also provide a nice context to refer back to continually throughout a unit. Using this example, you can see the potential for drawing connections. As you study Victorian history, you can continually ask how these events and ideas might have affected the Lillywhite family, making history a little more personal. Thank you, Denise! I am like you in that I tend to think of primary source documents as a high school or even college thing. I remember being told in college that it was preferable to go back to the original source where possible, but that is about it. I don’t remember ever being taught how to look at a primary source document and begin solving the mystery of what life was like, or what motivated people in their decisions. I was used to reading and regurgitating.

I think simple activities like these (which can even be entirely oral while standing in the history museum) help to show the true purposes of primary source documents and provide quite a bit of interest for students. They also provide a nice context to refer back to continually throughout a unit. Using this example, you can see the potential for drawing connections. As you study Victorian history, you can continually ask how these events and ideas might have affected the Lillywhite family, making history a little more personal.

]]> By: denise http://principleddiscovery.com/2006/06/05/snapshots-in-history-utilizing-primary-source-materials-in-education/#comment-268 denise Wed, 07 Jun 2006 04:13:00 +0000 http://principleddiscovery.com/?p=148#comment-268 Good post, Dana! I tend to think of using original sources as a high school thing (ie, "Go read the Federalist Papers"), but it was interesting to think about how many things could be discovered about the past by just discussing a photograph with young children. I generally take a biographical and historical fiction approach with my younger ones, but now I'll be on the watch for an opportunity to do as you described. Good post, Dana! I tend to think of using original sources as a high school thing (ie, “Go read the Federalist Papers”), but it was interesting to think about how many things could be discovered about the past by just discussing a photograph with young children. I generally take a biographical and historical fiction approach with my younger ones, but now I’ll be on the watch for an opportunity to do as you described.

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