This document provides an overview of how to analyze historical sources by examining their purpose, context, bias, reliability, and other attributes. It includes examples of primary and secondary sources and different types of sources like graphics, text, photographs. The document outlines tasks for students to classify sources and answer analysis questions about the sources and topics included in the learning object, which are Shogunate Japan, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Stolen Generation. Students are to examine 4 sources on one of these topics and fill out analysis grids to understand the message, connections, biases, and conclusions that can be drawn from each source.

1. Historical Source
Analysis
A Learning Object designed to help students
analyse and examine sources as evidence.

2. SourceAnalysis
In History, we study
the facts in order to
piece together our
interpretation of the
past.

3. SourceAnalysis
In order to
understand the
message conveyed
within a source we
need to look deeply

4. SourceAnalysis
Historical
Sources are
created for a
Purpose

5. SourceAnalysis
Sometimes, what
information is missing
from the source is
more important than
what is included

6. SourceAnalysis
Historical Sources
can be classified as
either Primary or
Secondary source
material

7. Historical Sources
• is an eyewitness account of what
occurred and therefore dates back to the
actual time when the event took place
Primary Source Material
• is produced after the event has occurred
and therefore is not an eyewitness
account given by a person who was
present when the event occurred.
Secondary Source Material

8. Types of Sources
• Prints, Paintings, Drawings,
Photographs, Cartoons, Graphs,
Tables, Maps, Comics, Diagrams,
Posters, Statistics
Graphics
• These come in a range of printed
and handwritten modes.
Textual

9. SourceAnalysis
Purpose
Context/Background
Bias
Reliability

10. Source Identification
• What was the
original purpose of
the source? To whom
was it targeted?
Purpose

11. Source Identification
•When was the
source created?,
Where? By
Whom? and How?
Context or
Background

12. Source Identification
• Is prejudice in favor of or
against one thing, person, or
group compared with another.
Bias isn‟t necessarily „bad‟ as it
can tell you how a person or
group felt at a particular time,
you just need to realise it is
only „part‟ of the picture.
Bias

13. Source Identification
• Is about considering how
reliable a source is for a
purpose. When you judge a
source‟s reliability you ask
questions like: Who made
the source and why? Is their
bias present?
Reliability

14. • Choose a topic (there
are 5 contained in this
learning object) and in
table format use the
LIST on the next slide
and apply it to the four
sources within the topic.
Task One:

15. Source Identification: LIST
When?
Where?
Who?
How?

16. • Choose a topic (there are
5 contained in this
learning object) and in
table format or using
another graphic tool use
the GRID on the next slide
and apply it to the four
sources within the topic.
Task Two:

17. Source Analysis: GRID
CONTENT: What
message/information is
being conveyed
through this source?
CONNECTIONS : How
does this connect to
what you already
know?
COMMUNICATIONS:
How does this express
bias or point of view?
CONCLUSIONS: What
conclusions can we
make about this source
and its place in history?
Source:
Classify/Type

18. • Choose a topic (there
are 5 contained in this
learning object) and
respond to the
questions on the next
slide in full sentences.
Task Three:

19. Source Analysis Questions:
When responding to questions, take note of the points/marks allocated. They are a good
indication as to the number of ideas/sentences you should be writing.
1. Which of these sources had the most impact on you? State reasons for your
answer.
3 points
2. Identify each of the four source materials, what are they and what type of
evidence are they an example of? 6 points
3. What facts can you learn about your chosen topic from examining these
sources? 3 points
4. How do any two of the Sources differ in their purpose and tone? 4 points
5. What is the main feeling conveyed in source 4? Give reasons for your answer.
3 points
6. Other than the fact these are all sources deal with the same topic; what other
common links do you see between all four sources? 4 points
7. Choose a source and mention how it could be biased. 3 points
8. Choose a source and mention how valuable it is. 3 points

20. Source Analysis Topics:
Shogunate Japan
World War I
World War II
The Vietnam War
The Stolen Generation

21. Shogunate Japan

22. Source 1:
Painting
Prince Shotoku flanked by
younger brother (left: Prince
Eguri) and 1st son (right:
Prince Yamashiro),
Woodblock painting. drawn by
unknown author 573-621 CE

23. Source 2:
Painting
Samurai on horseback,
wearing armor and horned
helmet, carrying bow and
arrows circa 1878 artist
unknown

24. Source 3: Photograph
Photograph by Henry Guttman, produced 02 Jan 1754. Navigator William
Adams (1564 - 1620), (standing), the first Englishman to visit Japan, who
was at first cast into prison as a pirate, but was freed after building two
ships for the Emperor Iyeyasu, (1542 - 1616), (seated, second from left).

25. Source 4: Painting
Painting displaying the lineage pf the Tokugawa Shoguns by
Yoshitoshi Taiso 1839-1892.

26. World War I

27. Source 1: Diary
Extract
Extract from diary of Signaller Ellis Silas, a
soldier at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

28. Source 2: Painting
Detail from a painting by official war artist, George Lambert of The Charge
of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, 7 August 1915. This painting
was produced after the war when Lambert visited Gallipoli in 1919. It now
hangs in the Australian War Memorial at Canberra.

29. Source 3:
Cartoon
This cartoon, „The Dinkum Anzac‟
featured on the cover of the book
Imperishable Anzacs:
A story of Australia’s 1st Brigade,
published in 1916. It was based on
the diary of Private Harold Walter
Cavill who had fought at Gallipoli
and been wounded. Private Cavill
dedicated the book to „mothers,
wives and sisters‟.

30. Source 4: Newspaper Article
Newspaper report of the Anzac Landing at Gallipoli on 25 April
1915, by English war correspondent, Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett,
published in The Hobart Mercury, 12 May 1915.

31. World War II

32. Source 1: Letter. Written by Colin Flockhart, 20
years old and sent to his family on 7 January 1945

33. Source 2:
Poster
“You talk of sacrifice: He
knew the meaning of
Sacrifice”

34. Source 3: Photograph
The Age Newspaper. Photograph published April, 27 2009
showing Australian prisoners of war during World War II,
unknown photographer.

35. Source 4:
Poster
“Waste helps the Enemy:
Conserve Material”

36. Vietnam War

37. Source 1: Written Reflection of an
anonymous soldier about his first combat experience in Vietnam.

38. Source 2: Painting
Painting by Bruce Fletcher, Long Tan Action, 1970. An artists
depiction of events in Long Tan Phuoc Province, South
Vietnam, 18 August 1966

39. Source 3: Poster, artist unknown. Four out of five of these
men chose their careers. 1970 lithograph in red and black, 50.6 x
38 cm.

40. Source 4:
Photograph
Taken in Trang Bang, South Vietnam, June 8,
1972 by Nick Ut. Shows a nine-year old girl
running naked after her back has been burned by
a Japanese Napalm attack.

41. The Stolen Generation

42. Source 1: Photograph
Young Aboriginal Children who were taken from their parents
and raised in Anglo-Saxon homes, in what has become known
as the Stolen Generation, photographer unknown, published by
Peter Plit.

43. Source 2: An
Act of Law
The Aboriginal Protection Act
Victoria 1869. Victoria enacted
this law to regulate the lives of
the Aboriginal people. The
Board for the Protection of
Aborigines gained the right to
control and make decisions
about where aboriginal people
lived, where they could work
and who they could marry.
They could also remove people
of mixed decent to merge into
white society.

44. Source 3:
Film Poster
Rabbit Proof Fence, Directed
by Phillip Noyce, 2002.

45. Source 4: Poem
The Stolen Generation: Poem written by a surviver from
personal experince. Published October 21, 2007 by Paul
Buttigieg