Gathering and Interpreting Historical Sources
The Lesson Activities will help you develop these 21st century skills:
· Critical thinking and problem solving
· Information and media literacy
Directions
You will evaluate some of these activities yourself, and your teacher may evaluate others. Please save this document before beginning the lesson and keep the document open for reference during the lesson. Type your answers directly in this document for all activities.
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Self-Checked Activities
Read the instructions for the following activities and type in your responses. At the end of the lesson, click the link on the Summary screen to open the Student Answer Sheet. Use the answers or sample responses to evaluate your own work.
1. Sources of Historical Evidence
Complete the chart to identify the kinds of information and benefits provided by each type of primary source historical evidence. For each resource type, list an example and how this particular type of resource can help support an argument.
Type your responses in the chart:
Type of Resource / Examples and Benefitsmaps
charts, tables, and graphs
letters and diaries
advertisements
photographs
political cartoons
other
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How did you do? Check a box below.
Nailed It!—I included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Halfway There—I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Not Great—I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
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2. Interpreting the Evidence
a. Now that you have analyzed the resources provided in the lesson, write your own response to the question, What is the main reason the US Civil War started? Base your response on your own interpretation of the historical evidence.
Type your response here:
Now analyze your response. Treat your work as a secondary source of historical evidence. Try to be an unbiased observer of your own writing as you answer the following questions.
b. What is the credibility of the source?
Type your response here:
c. Is there any noticeable bias?
Type your response here:
d. How does the argument differ from others you have read?
Type your response here:
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How did you do? Check a box below.
Nailed It!—I included all of the same ideas as the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Halfway There—I included most of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
Not Great—I did not include any of the ideas in the model response on the Student Answer Sheet.
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