Name:
Carlene Dowling
Subject/Grade Level:
Social Studies/ 8th grade
Unit:
U. S. Civil War and Reconstruction Era
Lesson Title:
Primary Sources Document Analysis
Date:
November 25, 2007
Description of the Learning-Teaching Context: (Describe those classroom and student
characteristics that directly impact your teaching and student learning in this lesson.)
Classroom is technology rich. There are 6 student computers for group work. Teacher has access to an
interactive white board for instruction. Students have had previous experience using a computer as a
research tool.
Rationale: (Why is this lesson particularly relevant to these students now? How does this fit in with
what I know of them--their interests, needs, cultural backgrounds, English language proficiency,
learning styles, progress yesterday, etc.?)
This lesson serves as the introductory lesson for a Civil War and Reconstruction unit. Students will
be introduced to primary sources as a means of understanding an historical event or time period.
The Civil War era is the time period to be analyzed. Subsequent lessons will examine various means
of conveying meaning and history to include lessons on quilts and oral traditions, music (Strange
Fruit lesson) and everyday correspondences during the years of the Civil War.
We all live in a complex, interdependent world. Students need to be able to evaluate where, how and
who creates “knowledge”. By becoming critical consumers of knowledge students are better able to
make informed decisions. Being an informed decision-maker is critical to active participation in a
democratic society.
Objective(s)/Learning Target(s): (What, in observable, measurable terms, will the students have
learned, and perhaps be able to do, when they have successfully completed the lesson? This is not to
be confused with an activity.)
Understand the concept of primary and secondary sources.
Understand the limits of the historical record
Locate appropriate and varied information sources
Standards(s): (Which EALRs are being addressed?) (Pick the 2-4 most relevant and write them out.)
NCSS Social Study Skills
Social Studies
EALR WA.1.1. Social Studies Skills: Inquiry and Information Skills: Understand and use inquiry and
information skills required by citizens in a democratic society
COMPONENT 1.1.2b. Identify key words, develop search strategies; locate appropriate and varied
information sources; distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
COMPONENT 1.1.2c. Identify the time, place, audience, purpose, and form of a source
Library / Technology
EALR WA.1. ALA National: Information Literacy: The student who is information literate accesses
information efficiently and effectively. COMPONENT 1.4. Identifies a variety of potential sources of
information. COMPONENT 1.5. Develops and uses successful strategies for locating information.
Assessment of learning: (What will I do to ascertain if students successfully learned what this lesson
was intended to teach? This needs to be tied directly, even verbatim, to objectives, with specific criteria
noted. Include both formal and informal assessment strategies.)
Teacher will assess students’ understanding of the concept of primary and secondary sources by
listening to students’ responses during discussion and classification of documents into the correct
categories.
Teacher will assess students’ understanding of the limits of the historical record by reading students’
expository paragraphs about the historical record looking for appropriate responses to the prompt.
Teacher will assess students’ understanding of the various information resources available to them by
evaluating students’ citations of at least three Civil War related websites looking for appropriate
websites.
Instructional Strategy (Day 0ne)
Teacher
Phase 1: (Present goals & establish set)
Question to hook students: Whose history is it?
Ask class if anyone can explain what is
considered a primary and secondary source.
Students
Students listen and respond accordingly.
Students listen and discuss examples and nonexamples. Students clarify their understanding or
raise questions on the concept of primary and
secondary sources.
Phase 2: Input Examples and non-examples
(Deductive Approach)
Students distinguish between two types of
documents
Concept: Primary Source Documents
Teacher discusses critical attributes and
examples and non-examples.
Critical Attributes:
Primary sources: actual evidence that has
survived from the past.
Secondary sources: accounts written after the
fact.
Discussion Notes:
People leave clues about their lives. There are
many types of clues such as books, documents,
maps, oral history, photographs, art, artifacts
such as quilts, stamps and many other things.
Clues include both primary and secondary
sources.
Both primary and secondary sources make up
the historical record.
Phase 2 (Continued)
While vast, the historical record is limited by the
fact that much of what happens is never formally
recorded or has been lost or destroyed in
subsequent years.
Illustration of example/non-example
Diaries/Journals vs. textbooks, non-fiction
history books, biographies.
Teacher analyzes primary and secondary sources
with class using time, place and purpose rules.
Note: bias in sources will be in subsequent lesson.
Students listen and discuss what makes up the
historical record.
Students work in table groups to categorize
documents.
Phase 3: (Test for Attainment)
Teacher presents additional examples and nonexamples to test students understanding of
primary and secondary sources.
Students summarize their understanding during
all class debrief.
Students share their strategies and rationale for
categorizing documents as they did.
Teacher distributes primary and secondary
documents to table groups.
Teacher instructs students to determine as a
group if documents are primary or secondary
sources.
Students take notes on assignment and guiding
question.
Phase 4: (Analyze Student Thinking processes
and integration of learning)
Teacher asks table groups to summarize their
classification of documents.
Students are asked to explain why they classified
certain documents in the manner, which they
did.
Teacher helps students integrate new knowledge
by relating concept to everyday life by assigning
the following homework:
Teacher instructs students to log their activities
until the next class period.
Students asked to consider what evidence of their lives they
are leaving behind and what might be left out. (Connects to
next lesson and future learning)
Materials/Preparation:
Paper/Pencil
Document Analysis Worksheet
Copies of primary and secondary sources
Library of Congress:
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/psources/psteach.html
National Archives: forms: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/
Analysis forms available: document, artifact, cartoon, map, motion picture, photograph,
poster, sound recording
Preparation:
Retrieve documents from above referenced website.
Photocopy appropriate number of copies
Time needed: Two to Three
45 minute sessions