Primary Sources Lesson Plan
PRIMARY SOURCES LESSON PLANLesson 1: Introduction: The Skill of Historical Sourcing Lesson objectives:Skills objective• Understand how the historical thinking practice of sourcing is critical for interpreting historical documents.Description:In this introductory lesson on historical sourcing, students begin by evaluating a series of statements about primary and secondary sources to dispel any misconceptions they might have about these terms. Then, they’ll complete the Sourcing—Introduction activity to learn about the “HAPPY” categories of historical source analysis. Students will also complete the Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios—Introduction activity and learn how to analyze graphic biographies. The lesson concludes with a quick-write exit ticket that asks students to decide which “HAPPY” aspect of sourcing they think is the most important.Opener: Primary or Secondary Source?If students have learned about primary and secondary sources before, they may think of the definitions as being very straightforward. This quick activity will help get them thinking about the nuances! Ask students to evaluate a few statements about primary and secondary sources. Consider writing these statements on the board or chart paper, and then having students use sticky notes to indicate whether the statements are true or false. We’ve included three statements as examples; feel free to edit these or use your own.
2Statement 1: Primary sources are usually those that provide a firsthand account of an event.Statement 2: Secondary sources are usually those that combine the work of others.Statement 3: Determining whether a source is primary or secondary depends on the question that the user (historian) is trying to answer. Note that all these statements are true, but the last statement should open up a discussion about how our classification of primary and secondary sources depends on the question we’re trying to answer. Therefore, there’s some nuance in how we define primary and secondary sources. For a visual example that you might use in your classroom, check out the blog post “Primary or Secondary Source? Let the Research Question Decide,” by historian Heather Nice in the OER Project Teaching Community.Activities:Sourcing—Introduction: Sourcing—the act of understanding who wrote a document, where they wrote it, and why they wrote it, for the purposes of analysis or interpretation—is integral to the work of a historian. Without properly understanding the author’s purpose and perspective, it’s difficult to properly interpret that document. In this activity on sourcing, students will discover how and why an author frames an event in a particular way.Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios—Introduction: In this activity, students are introduced to secondary sources in the form of graphic biographies that were written by historians using primary and secondary source materials. Students will learn how to analyze graphic biographies. Then, they’ll put their skills to use by analyzing the History and Memory—Graphic Bio. This will help students understand that sourcing is an essential skill and give them insight into how historians consider the usefulness and reliability of sources. Closer/Assessment: Quick-Write Exit Ticket To review key concepts from the materials above, students will write three-sentence responses to the prompt, Which aspect of sourcing (Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of View, or WhY/Importance) do you think is the most important and why? Then, they’ll pair with a partner to share their thinking and have an opportunity to revise before turning in their responses.Detail from Three Close Reads for Graphic Bios—IntroductionCover image: Illuminated manuscript page from Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio, Italian, c. 1467. © Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images.
Lesson 2: The Roman Empire: Determining if a Source Is ReliableLesson objectives: Skills objectives • Understand how the historical thinking practice of sourcing is critical for interpreting historical documents.• Apply sourcing skills to the historical content topic of the Roman Empire.Content objectives• Learn about the history of ancient Rome and its transition to empire..• Evaluate the accomplishments of the Roman emperor Augustus.Description:In this lesson, students will tap into prior learning with a “brain dump” on the Roman Empire. Then, they’ll read a secondary source article on the history of Rome and its transition to empire. Students will use this content knowledge to complete a sourcing activity on the accomplishments of the Roman emperor Augustus before they read a graphic biography about a Jewish woman in the Roman Empire who challenged Roman law. Finally, they’ll respond to a set of short-answer questions that ask them to return to the Augustus source and dig in.Opener: Roman Empire “Brain Dump” To tap into prior learning, ask students to respond to the prompt, What did the ancient Romans give us? If your students are stumped, give them a hint: The Romans used concrete to build many monuments and roads, some of which are still used today. Then, have a quick class discussion about why ancient history is relevant to their lives today.Activities:Read: “The Roman Empire”: Students will build content knowledge and practice their close-reading skills using this secondary source about the Roman Empire before diving into the sourcing activity that focuses on the accomplishments of Augustus, the first “official” emperor of Rome.Sourcing—”The Deeds of the Divine Augustus”: Students will analyze a primary source written by the Roman emperor Augustus to assess the reliability of the source. Augustus of Prima Porta statue of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar, c. first century CE. © Getty Images.
2“Babatha—Graphic Biography”: This article and activity set will allow students to build upon their sourcing skills and add to their content knowledge about the Roman Empire. Using the Three Close Reads for Graphic Biographies Tool, students will analyze the graphic biography of a Jewish woman who challenged Roman law.Closer/Assessment: Augustus SAQ Students will review their learning from this lesson by answering these short-answer questions—modeled on AP-style SAQs—which you can either have them turn in as exit tickets or use to check for understanding.1. Identify ONE of Augustus’s accomplishments.Sample answer: Augustus rebuilt many monuments such as temples and aqueducts that had fallen into disrepair.2. Describe ONE way that Augustus expanded the Roman Empire.Sample answer: Augustus waged many wars, his most famous being the war against Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Augustus won the war against them, which resulted in Egypt becoming a Roman province.3. Explain ONE way that Augustus attempted to control the narrative regarding his accomplishments.Sample answer: In “Deeds of the Divine Augustus,” the author states that he did not accept the role of dictator, even after it was offered to him several times by the Senate. Although Augustus may have formally rejected the title of dictator, he was the sole ruler of Rome and did not share his power with anyone. .Detail from “Babatha—Graphic Biography”
Lesson 3: Historical Sourcing: Quick Sourcing with the Mongols and the Black Death Lesson objectives: Skills objectives• Understand how the historical thinking practice of sourcing is critical for interpreting historical documents. • Apply claim testing and sourcing skills to the topics of the Mongols and the Black Death. Content objectives• Analyze historical evidence about how the Mongols created the largest empire in history and how their empire building affected trade networks.• Analyze historical evidence about the widespread impact of the Black Death through contemporary accountings as well as through the use of secondary sources that show how our understanding of the plague has evolved.Description:Students will begin this lesson by engaging in a simulation that previews the Black Death. They’ll then work on their quick-sourcing skills by analyzing historical evidence about how the Mongols were able to create the largest empire in history and the impact their empire building had on trade networks. Students will continue working on their quick-sourcing skills by examining historical evidence about the impact and spread of the Black Death. Next, students will use their content knowledge and sourcing skills to claim test a statement about the impact of the Mongol expansion on trade in Afro-Eurasia. The lesson closes with a formative assessment that asks students to analyze the Black Death and Mongols Thematic Map to decide if they would alter this map based on the new evidence they read in “Source Collection—The Black Death.”Opener: ContagionIn this activity, students will unknowingly simulate the spread of the Black Death to gain an understanding of how quickly and easily anyone can be affected by a pandemic, no matter who they are.Activities:Quick Sourcing—Mongol Collection: In this activity, students will practice a quicker kind of sourcing, which will help prepare them for DBQs (document-based questions). This activity is used in conjunction with “Primary Sources—Mongol Collection.” Students will source the documents in the collection and respond to the question, How did the Mongols create the largest empire in history and how did their imperial expansion impact trade over time?Quick Sourcing—The Black Death: Students will continue to practice their quick-sourcing skills in this activity, which pairs with the “Source Collection—The Black Death.” This collection includes primary and secondary source excerpts from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first century, allowing students to craft a response to the question, How has our understanding of the Black Death changed over time? Claim Testing—Expansion and Interconnection: In this activity, students will utilize their content knowledge to claim test a statement about the Mongols. Students will work together to generate supporting statements and counterclaims. Note that this activity includes four claims but we recommend asking students to evaluate only the first claim for the Mongols: As the Mongol Empire and Islamic states expanded and stabilized their control over portions of Afro-Eurasia, trade and prosperity increased.
2Closer/Assessment: Black Death and Mongols Thematic MapStudents will apply their understanding of the Black Death sources by analyzing the Black Death and Mongols Thematic Map. Once students have had a chance to examine the map, ask them to answer these questions:1. How have the sources you read in the Quick Sourcing—The Black Death activity changed your interpretation of this map?2. How would you correct this map based on the latest research that you read by historian Monica Green on the spread of the Black Death? If you need a refresher on Dr. Green’s research, check out Source 11 in “Source Collection—The Black Death.”Black Death and Mongols Thematic Map