Primary and Secondary Sources Teacher Resources

Young historians play the role of history detectives as they investigate some primary source texts and images related to the early colonization of America, The Jamestown Settlement, and the Mayflower Compact. 

Offer your students excellent fact sheets and graphic organizers when introducing the difference between primary and secondary sources. This resource also includes an activity where learners review a variety of source scenarios and...

Students explore primary and secondary sources. In this historical research activity, students use the internet to find sources of information . Students describe what information they gained from the document or program.

Students use primary documents to explore the past. They consider the source of the documents and identify and biases that the author may have held. They identify any questions about the historical event that may remain after reading the...

Fourth graders recognize that photos introduce you to life in the past.  In this primary source lesson plan, 4th graders explore photographs to understand an historical event. Students create a multimedia project about their historical...

Students examine the time in which the Puritans lived in colonial New England. In groups, they research the Puritans view on life and death and discuss as a class. They read gravestones, diaries and other primary sources to discover...

Fourth graders watch video clips and view a website to work out a definition of "primary source." They determine how primary sources can be used in research.

Students discover what a primary-source document is, what different types there were back in 1867, and what newer kinds there are today. They play a form of bingo using printed cards that reproduce documents related to Confederation.

Students break into groups and closely investigate primary sources associated with the seven different continents. After deciding which continent their primary sources relate to, representatives from each group present their findings to...

Was Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite? Tackle this question with primary source analysis and an essay. The packet includes historical background, a writing prompt, a combined outline and checklist, and ten primary documents paired with...

Learners analyze three primary source letters from 1939, each detailing the use of tobacco stringing. After thorough investigation, pupils take part in a grand conversation about the letters' purpose, accuracy, and relevance to the...

Your young learners will delve into the language of primary source documents in order to identify the characteristics, benefits, and costs of nonviolence. The lesson includes a mix of activities, including an anticipatory activity,...

Proficient reading of informational text, especially primary source documents, requires practice. This message from Thomas Jefferson about the Louisiana Purchase offers readers a chance to develop these comprehension skills.

Students examine the use of primary sources. They read and discuss excerpts from the "Diary of Anne Frank," write journal entries, identify examples of altruism from the book, write an essay, and complete a worksheet.

Students examine primary source documents about slavery in the United States. They evaluate the documents for the evidence they provide, reliability and bias. They present their evaluation to the class.

Seventh graders differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources, such as biographies from the Handbook of Texas. They analyze the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations, such as the railroad,...

Students examine primary sources. In this primary source lesson, students explore the impact of personal experience and perspective as they read assigned articles and share their impressions of the article with others in a blogging...

The transition between rebellion to reunification was not smooth after the Civil War. Young historians compare primary and secondary source documents in a study of the Reconstruction era in Virginia, noting the rights that were not...

Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...

What would be in your life's scrapbook? Scholars use short video clips, primary and secondary documents, and photos to investigate a 1909 scrapbook. They analyze and uncover what the Rogue Book tells them about the past in Western...

Through close analysis of a primary source document and discussion questions, learners gain great insight into how Abraham Lincoln viewed his duties as president of the United States, as well as his response to those who criticized...

First person accounts, while a gold mine of historical information, are biased. Model for your classes how to uncover the bias in these primary source documents and how to use multiple documents to gather a more complete picture of...

Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...