How to understand source based questions Source Analysis 101 How to understand source based questions

Types of Sources There are numerous types of sources you will find in the Social Studies PAT, including: Web Speakers Illustrations Charts Diagrams Flow Charts Tables Spectrums Photographs Graphs Quotations Political Cartoons Posters Excerpts Newspaper Headlines Speeches Information

Types of Sources: Four Categories Charts, Graphs, & Other Numerical Sources Political Cartoons, Illustrations & Other Images Speakers, Articles, & Other Opinion Based Questions Spectrums, Diagrams, & Other Informative Sources

Identify the Source Type: Numerical Source

Identify the Source Type: Informative Source

Identify the Source Type: Opinion Based Source

Identify the Source Type: Illustrative Source

Types of Questions On the PAT they ask two types of questions: Knowledge & Understanding Questions Straight Content Questions Mostly use Informative Sources to ask these questions Skill & Process Questions Testing your critical thinking and problem solving skills In these questions they are applying your content knowledge by asking to you identify the Issue or perspective of the source.

2012 PAT Questions – Question 1

2012 PAT Questions – Question 2

2012 PAT Questions – Question 3

2012 PAT Questions – Question 4 The last question in a set will almost always ask you to identify what all the sources have in common. You can use the same techniques as with previous questions to help you find the answer, as well as the following: Compare each potential answer against each source if it doesn’t make sense with all, or most, of the sources, it probably isn’t correct Compare each potential answer against the previous questions Do the choices make sense with what the other questions were asking?

2012 PAT Questions – Question 4

Try for yourself! Working with those around you answer the remaining four questions based on the three sources given. Remember to: Identify the source types Identify the question types Highlight key words Cross out obvious incorrect choices