TUESDAY BELL RINGER: VOCABULARY PAGE 1 OF 2  Source: book or document used to provide evidence in research.  Reliability: Able to be trusted  Credible: Capable of being believed; worthy of belief.  Verifiable: To prove the truth with evidence  Refute: Prove a statement wrong or false

VOCABULARY PAGE 2 OF 2  Relevant: Connected to the material  Bias: Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared to another  Cite: To quote an authority; to mention in support  Context: What was going on during the time period of the source

HISTORICAL SOURCES & CREDIBILITY

IT’S 2115 AND A HISTORIAN IS RESEARCHING AND WRITING ABOUT YOUR LIFE!  On your paper, brainstorm a list of all of the things the historian could use to learn about your life.  You lived a full life: got a job, had a family developed your hobbies, etc.  I’ll get you started: When you are born, you receive a piece of paper that proves your existence! What is it?

A PRIMARY SOURCE IS...  An artifact of its time  A first-hand account of a historic event  A commentary or analysis of a historical event based on primary sources A Secondary Source is...

EXAMPLES  Primary Sources  Journal or diary entries  Letters  Newspaper articles  Pamphlets  Photographs  Clothing  Original buildings  Broadsides and posters  Artifacts  Cartoons  Secondary Sources  Text book  Book written by a historian about an event  A magazine article looking back on a historical event  Journal article written by an expert

PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY The Ohio State University First Football Team Photograph, 1890 Researcher finds photograph in the Ohio State archives Primary Source Secondary Source

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE PRIMARY SOURCES?  Why is it important to use credible sources?

THE TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA 10. You can never fully rely on any one source for important information 9. You especially can’t rely on something when you don’t even know who wrote it 8. The contributor with an agenda often prevails 7. Individuals with agendas sometimes have significant editing privileges

THE TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA 6. Sometimes “vandals” can create malicious entries that go uncorrected for months 5. There is little diversity among editors 4. The number of active editors has stopped growing 3. It has become harder for casual participants to contribute 2. Accurate contributors can be silenced

AND THE #1 REASON NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA IS… IT SAYS SO ON WIKIPEDIA!!!!

WHICH WOULD HELP YOU PRESENT AN UNBIASED OVERVIEW OF A HISTORIC ISSUE? A.Taking a survey of your friends B.Showing both sides of an issue C.Discussing only facts not opinions D.Including quotations from people who feel strongly about the issue

YOU ARE TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN A CITY  Which of the following would be unbiased information? A.An editorial in the newspaper B.Statistics about the crime rate from the city website C.Interviews with people who live in the neighborhood D.Videos of crime posted online by an unknown source

IN AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN, VOTERS RECEIVE LETTERS DESCRIBING EACH CANDIDATE’S POSITION ON THE ISSUES. These letters might be considered credible sources of information if they A.identify the writer so that his/her qualifications and reputation may be evaluated. B.use stereotypes effectively in describing the candidates. C.avoid references to other sources of information about the candidates. D.avoid presenting facts that would confuse the reader.

AT A PUBLIC MEETING, COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW CITY PARK. The live broadcast of the meeting will likely be a credible source of information about the meeting attendees’ feelings about the proposed park because A.the speakers’ opinions will be unbiased. B. the speakers will be heard in their own words. C. television makes presentations more interesting. D.many journalists and citizens will be in the audience.

WHICH SOURCES WOULD BE RELIABLE? WHY/WHY NOT?  Book about the Civil War written by an Ohio State University history professor  Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Civil War  Website named “Confederate Pride”  National Park Service website on Civil war Battlefields  A student report on Gettysburg posted online  Collection of diary entries by Civil War soldiers

ARE ALL PRIMARY SOURCES EQUAL?  Just because something is a primary source does not always mean it is credible or that it is the best source to use when researching.  Not all primary sources are relevant to your topic

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO FIGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR?