This module is for Grades: 6-12 Welcome

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Let’s start by reviewing what a primary source is. A primary source is an original document or object created by someone who was living during the same historical period that you are studying. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts, and feelings from the past. Primary sources help you understand what happened and why it happened.

Primary sources aren’t only books. They can be any written document or object created during the historical period. Primary source examples include:

  • Letters
  • Speeches
  • Diary entries
  • Creative works
  • Photographs
  • Maps
  • Songs
  • Official records, such as birth certificates or marriage licenses
  • Personal items, such as clothes, tools, or coins

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Analyze a variety of primary sources.
  • Explain how a source provides evidence to support a claim.
  • Identify claims that are supported by primary source evidence.