Using the SOURCES Model
to Analyze the
Constitution of the United
States of America
DANIEL A. COWGILL II- UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Agenda

What is the SOURCES model?

Implementing the SOURCES model

Scrutinizing the Fundamental Text

Organizing Thoughts

Understand the Context

Read Between the Lines

Corroborate and Refute

Establish a Plausible Narrative

Summarize Final Thoughts

Why use the SOURCES model?

Questions?

Contact
What is the SOURCES Model?

With the SOURCES framework, students are asked to critically examine the past
in a structured way that replicates the methods conducted by historians and
other social scientists.

This framework require that students:

Scrutinize the Fundamental Source

Organize Thoughts

Understand the Context

Read Between the Lines

Corroborate and Refute

Establish a Plausible Narrative

Summarize Final Thoughts
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Scrutinizing the
Fundamental Source

In order to have students understand what the Constitution was, we felt
that it was best to have students analyze the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights itself.

In order to aid the analysis of this document we provided students with the
written document analysis worksheet from the National Archives and Records
Administration

This analysis sheet provides great scaffolding questions that require students to move
beyond the surface of the text.
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Organizing Thoughts and
Understanding Context

Helping students construct an understanding for why the Constitution was
developed can help them understand the content of the document.

To provide students with context as to why our Founding Fathers found it a
necessity to replace the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution, we had
students analyze Washington's letter presenting the Constitution

Having students read this document provides them the opportunity to see that
our country was built on the idea of discussion and compromise, rather than
divine conception.
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Organizing Thoughts and
Understanding Context

To help students develop further contextual knowledge regarding the
need to write the Constitution, we had students:

Analyze the Articles of Confederation

Read multiple Federalist papers and Anti-Federalist Papers

Read The United States Constitution: The Graphic Adaption

Read multiple children's books that detailed the events and the justifications for
why the Constitution was written.
Recommended Children’s Books

Burgan, M. (2006). The creation of the U.S. constitution North Mankato, MN: Graphic
Library.

Catrow, D. (2005). We the kids: The preamble to the constitution of the United States.
New York, NY: Puffin.

Cheney, L. (2012). We the people: The story of our constitution New York, NY: Simon and
Schuster.

Fritz, J. (1997). Shh! We’re writing the constitution. New York, NY: Puffin.

Levy, E. (1992). If you were there when they signed the constitution. New York, NY:
Scholastic Paperbacks.

Taylor-Butler, C. (2008). The bill of rights (true books). New York, NY: Scholastic
Paperbacks.

Travis, C. (2002). Constitution translated for kids. Brookings, SD: Oakwood Pub.

Sobel, S., Gilgannon, D. (2001) The U.S. constitution and you New York, NY: Barron’s.
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Corroborate and Refute


With students now having a sufficient background on the topic of study, we
had students split into pairs and use a character analysis sheet to analyze the
view points of Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

In each pairing, one student was asked to focus on the Federalists, and the other
student was asked to focus on the Anti-Federalists.

In order to fill out these character development sheets, students were allowed to
consult any of the sources they had had previous access to and were also
encouraged to visit the Library of Congress and National Archives and Records
Administration websites to gather additional sources.

Students were required to explicitly cite the sources they used as they filled out their
character development sheet.
The completion of this character development sheet helped students to be
able to answer the overarching question of “what lead to the writing of the
Constitution of the United States of America?”
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Corroborate and Refute

After the completion of the character development sheets, students were
asked to compare and contrast each party with the question “what lead
to the writing of the Constitution of the United States of America?” in
mind.


Once again, students were asked to specifically reference the texts where their
information was gathered
At the culmination of the conversation, students were asked to fill out an
exit slip referred to as shape reflections.

Here students are required to point out three points that they want to
remember, four connections that they have made, and questions that are still
circling in their heads.
Implementing the SOURCES
Framework: Establish a Plausible
Narrative

In order to have our students demonstrate their knowledge regarding how and why the
constitution was written, we had students create a mini documentary.


This documentary was supposed to answer the question “what events lead to the writing of
the Constitution, and how did those events impact the content of the document?”
Through the creation of this video students were required to discuss multiple events that
lead to the Constitutional Convention, show the struggle and compromise that took
place during the convention, and also highlight the discord the eventually lead to the
writing of the Bill of Rights.

Students were allowed to pull supporting documents and pictures from the Library of
Congress website, the National Archives and Records Administration website, and various
other websites.

The synthesis of information from these various documents allowed students to construct a
broad understanding of what lead the writing of the Constitution and the effects of the
decision to create a representative government.
Why use the SOURCES framework?

Within the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (2010), it is outlined in Theme 2
(Time, Continuity, and Change) that students should know how to:


read, reconstruct, and interpret the past in more formalized ways, which will enable them
to expand upon their understandings of historical events and time periods and provide
them with the skills necessary to conduct authentic historical inquiry.
Furthermore, the creators of the Common Core State Standards (2012) suggest that
students should be able to have opportunities to:

Integrate information from diverse sources in order to address a question or solve a
problem

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources

Provide accurate summaries of sources

To evaluate and challenge author’s premises, claims, and evidence

To create a coherent understanding of an idea or event from a diverse set of sources.
Interaction with Common
Core/Florida Core

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such
features as the date and origin of the information.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or
digital text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important
distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and
multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

While Florida has adapted many of these standards, and at times has made them more content specific, Florida Core is asking students
to demonstrate these same skills.
Sunshine State Standards

SS.912.A.1.2: Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical
significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical time period

SS.912.A.1.4: Analyze how images, symbols, objects, cartoons, graphs, charts, maps, and
artwork may be used to interpret the significance of time periods and events from the past

SS.912.A.1.5: Evaluate the validity, reliability, bias, and authenticity of current events and
Internet resources

SS.912.W.1.3: Interpret and evaluate primary and secondary sources

LA.910.2.1.7: The student will analyze, interpret, and evaluate an author’s use of descriptive
language

LA.910.6.2.2: The student will organize synthesize, analyze, and evaluate the validity and
reliability of information from multiple sources
Links/Contact

Daniel Cowgill


Daniel.Cowgill@hotmail.com
http://www.DanielCowgill.weebly.com
References

Common Core State Standards Initiative (2012). English/language arts
standards. Retrieved from Common Core State Standards Initiative: Preparing
America's Students For College and Career:
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy

Document Analysis Worksheets. (n.d.). National Archives and Records
Administration. Retrieved December 5, 2013 from
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/

Teacher’s Guides and Analysis Tool. (n.d.). Library of Congress. Retrieved
December 5, 2013 from
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/guides.html

National Council for the Social Studies. (2010). National curriculum standards
for social studies: A framework for teaching, learning, and
assessment.
Silver Spring, MD.