Teaching With Primary Sources Project

1. Teaching with
Primary Sources
By: Jessica L. Owens

2. WHAT ARE PRIMARY SOURCES?
• Primary sources are original documents and objects.
• According to the Library of Congress, “examining primary sources gives students
a powerful sense of history and the complexity of the past.”
• To use primary sources you should first look at your learning objectives and
course of study in order to locate supportive sources.

3. WHY USE PRIMARY SOURCES?
• Engage students
• Promote student inquiry
• Develop critical thinking skills
• Construct knowledge
• Assess how students apply critical thinking and analysis skills to primary sources

4. HISTORY
• History is a great place to use primary sources
for teaching.
• There are so many historical documents that
you can use in your classroom.
• The picture shown is a pile of shoes from a
concentration camp during the Holocaust.
• A great place to start with this picture is to
show it to students and let them have a few
minutes to gather their thoughts and/or
questions (SS.11.9).
• This is a great way to incorporate inferring
into your history lesson.

5. SCIENCE
• This image is from Alexander
Graham Bell’s laboratory
notebook.
• Using documents such as this
can help students understand
the scientific method (Standard
12. Understands the nature of
scientific inquiry).
• Students will also see the
importance of keeping a
notebook when experimenting.

6. LANGUAGE ARTS
• You can incorporate history into your Language
Arts class just by using primary sources such as
this one.
• One way to do this, is by giving students a copy
of a photo of Abraham Lincoln.
• Have students complete an I see…, I think…, I
wonder… page.
• Then, have students pair up to compare and
contrast their pictures (RI.3.9).

7. MATHEMATICS
• Primary sources can be used for
math as well.
• The source to the right is the
blueprint for the Mission San
Francisco de la Espada Covent &
Church.
• Students can use the source to find
the area of the building (MA.6.21).
• Another example of using primary
sources in math include finding
geometric shapes.

8. FINE ARTS
• Primary sources can also be used in
Fine Arts to encourage students to use
critical thinking skills.
• Photographs of the same person can
be used to teach students that pose,
setting, clothing, props, and focus all
impact the perception of the viewer.

9. WORKS CITED
• Abraham Lincoln & Kid. N.d. www.myinterestingfacts.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/06/Abraham-Lincoln-and-Kid.jpg. Accessed 1 October 2017.
• Dille, Lynne. "Learning Activity - Elementary Level." Library of Congress. N.p., n.d.
www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/quarterly/science/activity.html. Accessed 1 October 2017.
• "Feature Article." Feature Article - Teaching with Fine Arts, Fall 2014 - Teaching with
Primary Sources | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress. N.p., n.d.
www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/journal/teaching_with_fine_arts/article.html. Accessed 1 October
2017.
• Huxley, R. Bruce. Mission Espada Convento and Church Floor Plan. 08 June 1909. Mission
San Francisco De La Espada, San Antonio. etc.usf.edu/clippix/picture/mission-espada-
convento-and-church-floor-plan.html. Accessed 1 October 2017.

10. WORKS CITED (CONTINUED)
• Moler, Karen. "Using Primary Sources." Flamingo Fabulous in Elementary. N.p., 05 June
2013. flamingofabulous.blogspot.com/2013/06/using-primary-sources.html. Accessed 1
October 2017.
• Upton, Dana. 75004. May 1945. Holocaust, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 20
June 2006. collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/pa1158439. Accessed 1 October 2017.
• "Using Primary Sources." Library of Congress. N.p., n.d.
www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/. Accessed 1 October 2017.
• "Why Use Primary Sources?" Library of Congress. N.p., n.d.
www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/whyuse.html. Accessed 1 October 2017.