Important Questions to Consider:
*significance - why is it important?
* perspective - what is the point of view?
*evidence - how do you know?
*connection - how does it apply?
*supposition - what if it were different?
* perspective - what is the point of view?
*evidence - how do you know?
*connection - how does it apply?
*supposition - what if it were different?
Primary and Secondary Source Documents
Primary sources are historical documents, written accounts by firsthand witnesses, or objects that have survived from the past. Examples include letters, personal papers, government documents, verbal accounts, diaries, maps, photographs, articles of clothing, artifacts (including art objects and architecture), coins or stamps.
When analyzing primary sources, you should ask these probing questions:
Secondary Sources are accounts of past events created by people some time after those events happened.
Resources to analyze secondary sources:
When analyzing secondary sources, you should ask these probing questions:
Resources:
Written Document Analysis Worksheet
Photograph Analysis Worksheet
When analyzing primary sources, you should ask these probing questions:
- Who created the source and why?
- Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event, or report what others saw and heard?
- Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the author have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded?
- Did the recorder wish to inform or persuade others? Did the recorder have reasons to be honest or dishonest?
- Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or after some lapse of time? How long a lapse of time?
Secondary Sources are accounts of past events created by people some time after those events happened.
Resources to analyze secondary sources:
When analyzing secondary sources, you should ask these probing questions:
- what type of document is it? is it a letter, an official proclamation, a private diary entry, an advertisement, or perhaps a coded message?
- why do you think the document was written?
- what evidence in the document helps you know why it was written?
- is there a bias or certain perspective that the author is writing from?
- write a question for the author that is left unanswered by the document.
Resources:
Written Document Analysis Worksheet
Photograph Analysis Worksheet