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Read Primary Source Documents

The world may little note nor long remember what we do here today.

---Abraham Lincoln

Rationale

Primary source documents include maps, documents, reports, photographs, letters, diaries, posters, and recordings created by those who participated in or witnessed the events of the past. Their use in all classrooms, all subjects allows students to touch the living past, to occupy the role of historian within that subject area. Perhaps most importantly the use of primary sources allows students to see that textbooks and other contemporary writings about the past---or even present---events is merely an interpretation that is shaped by the era, biases, and values of those who write them. There are two places students and teachers can easily find primary source documents: the National Archives (www.nara.gov) and the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov), both of which offer daily and ongoing exhibits and materils to support the use of these materials in the classroom. Of particular interest is the National Archives' two books Teaching with Documents: Using Primary Sources From the National Archives (Volumes 1 and 2). Primary source documents are excellent examples of texts we read to learn; students must also learn to read them. Thus using them also allows you to integrate writing and speaking in the reading curriculum as students, working as historians, create their own interpretations based on their readings of these archives. This invites a valuable discussion about the decisions they made as readers---and writers---while reading the documents.

What to Do

Elements to Consider

• Language
• Design and structure
• Materials
• Form and function
• Size
• Voice, tone, style

Questions to Ask

• In what context was this document created?
• Why did the individual choose this form or medium?
• What do the visual components of the text convey in terms of its meaning or status?
• Who authored/created it?
• For what purpose?
• Under what circumstances?
• Where did this document---e.g., article, art work, cartoon---originally appear?
• What alternative interpretations might you offer based on this same document?
• For whom did they create it?
• What biases or other cultural factors might have shaped the message of this document?
• Why are you looking at it now?
• What question are you using this document to answer?
• Is this document consistent with what we now know of the historical record from that time?
• Whose point of view is this document representing?
• What other perspectives are represented through other documents from this time or event? How does their story compare with that of the others?
• What limitations---self-imposed or otherwise---might affect the validity of or ability to generalize beyond this information?
• How can I verify the information in this document?
• Are there perspectives (e.g., slaves, the poor, immigrants) which are not represented through these or other primary source documents? If so, who represents their story/experience---and why should I believe them?
• How is this document interpreted today---and if differently than in the past, why?
• What are the facts?
• What are the opinions (if comparing the primary source document against a textbook or article written later)?
• What criteria are most useful and appropriate to consider when evaluating the perspective or veracity of a primary source document?

The information on this page comes from Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques, by Jim Burke. If you are interested in learning more about this book or ordering it, click here.