Using Primary Sources
"Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects (diaries, paintings, letters, prints, photographs, political cartoons, interviews, speeches, film footage, manuscripts, government reports, maps, songs, etc.) which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. Examining primary sources gives students a powerful sense of history and the complexity of the past."
Here are some things to think about when using primary sources:
Closely observe the source:
Pay attention to details:
Think about your personal response to the source:
Speculate about the source, its creator, and its context:
Does the source agree with other primary sources, or with what you already know?
For more on analyzing different types of primary sources, please visit the following page:
Section drawn from Library of Congress, "Using Primary Sources," Teachers, accessed February 13, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/index.html