Opening America’s Archives Workshop
Click on the links to download materials from the Opening America’s Archives Workshop delivered March 2017.
Handouts:
Primary & Secondary Sources Matching Activity
Primary vs. Secondary: Comparing Sources
Mini-Lesson on Georgia’s Colonial Economy
Favorite Places to Find Primary Sources Online
Exploration Stations:
Station 1: Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool
Topic: World War II
In this example, students use the Library of Congress Analysis tool to analyze two primary sources from Lois Dozier Norvell Papers from the Georgia Historical Society collection. This simple tool asks students to “observe, reflect, and question” as they interact with primary sources. It can be easily adapted to any grade level.
Station 2: Quadrant Analysis
Topics: Tomochichi & Sequoyah
In this example, students analyze primary sources by uncovering one quadrant at a time and describing what they see. By forcing students to look at the visual sources one section at a time, they are more likely to take their time and look closely at the image’s details.
Station 3: Historical Assessments of Thinking
Topics: Colonial America & Japanese history
In this example, students answer questions about primary sources with assessments created by the Stanford History Education Group (SHEG). The assessments ask students to think deeply about primary sources and go beyond typical multiple choice questions.
- Download the PDF for Station 03: Historical Assessments of Thinking
- Visit the Beyond the Bubble website for more assessments
Station 4: Primary Source Timeline
Topic: Indian Removal in Georgia
In this example, students attempt to put a selection of historic maps in the correct chronological. The maps do not have a printed date, which will force students to look closely for details on the map that provide clues to its date. After making an educated guess, students are given map citations. The activity can be adapted to any set of primary sources that show a clear change over time.
Station 5: Historical Inquiry
Topic: Colonial Georgia
In this example, students are presented with an overarching big question and given a set of primary sources they need to use to answer the question. The activity is modeled after the Inquiry Design Model (IDM). A series of follow-up questions and guided worksheet help students take notes on the primary sources and pick out details to draft a written answer to the big question based on the evidence in the primary source set.
