1. Primary and Secondary Sources

3. What is going on in this photo?

4. What questions does it raise?

5. What does it tell us about this time period?

6. Different Types of Sources There are two different types of sources  Primary- evidence from a time period or event  Secondary- someone else’s interpretation of a time period or event.  Direct Source- First Hand account  Indirect Source- Second Hand information

7. What is a Primary Source? Autobiographies Diaries Documents Eyewitness accounts Laws Letters Newspaper articles Speeches Artifacts Oral histories Photographs Film footage Art Music An informational source from the time of an event

8. Why do we use primary sources? It’s hard evidence from the time period, not information that has been passed through the telephone game of telling and retelling history. Only your interpretation

9. Does a Primary Source have to be the original material? No – it can be in another form, but it can’t be edited or interpreted in any way. For example, A picture of King Tut’s coffin printed in a book or posted on a website can be considered a primary source.

10. Questions to ask yourself when looking at Primary Sources Who wrote (or made) this? How do they know the information they are telling me? When did they write/ make it? Why did they write/ make it? Who did they write/ make it for?

11. What are Secondary Sources? An informational source that analyzes the event. These sources often use several primary sources to compile their information. This is someone else’s interpretation of an event, not a first person account. Examples  Biographies  Encyclopedias  History books  Textbooks

12. Are Secondary Sources useful? Yes – They provide the necessary background or context to be able to interpret Primary Sources. For example, Your Social Studies textbook can provide background information about the events leading up to the Civil War.

13. Name that Source Primary vs. Secondary

14. Primary or Secondary? A copy of the USA Constitution, printed in an 8th grade text book. Questions to ask: When was it created?

15. Primary or Secondary? A drawing of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Questions to ask: Was the artist actually present at this event?

16. Primary or Secondary? Encyclopedia article about the first Emperor of China. Questions to ask: Were the authors involved in the events they are writing about?

17. Primary or Secondary? Homer’s Iliad, an epic poem about the men and women of the Trojan War. Questions to ask: When was the Iliad written?  At the time of the War?  Years after the War ended?

18. Primary or Secondary? Photos of the Terracotta Soldiers from a website. Questions to ask: When were they made?  During the time period or event?  After the time period or event?

19. Primary or Secondary? A journal written by an artist who made the terracotta soldiers. Questions to ask: When was it written? Was the person who wrote it actually involved in the event? Did the author get his/her information for someone else who was involved in the event?

20. Primary or Secondary? Artifacts from the tomb of King Tut. Questions to ask: When were they made? Who made them?

21. Primary or Secondary? Troy, a movie about the Trojan War starring Brad Pit. Questions to Ask: What was the author’s purpose:  Was this a documentary based on historical research?  Was this a film produced by Hollywood for entertainment purposes?

22. What do you think? Artifacts from the tomb of King Tut.

23. What do you think? Photo of the Terracotta Soldiers from a website.

24. What do you think? The USA Constitution

25. Primary or Secondary? Autobiographies

26. Primary or Secondary? Eyewitness accounts

27. Primary or Secondary? Letters

28. Primary or Secondary? A journal written by the farmers who headed West

29. Primary or Secondary? Achilles' speech to his soldiers before a battle in the Trojan War, from Homer’s epic poem Iliad.

30. Primary or Secondary? Artifacts

31. Primary or Secondary? Art

32. Beware of Bias! Is it possible for a Secondary Source to be completely objective (unbiased)?

33. Wikipedia ’ s entry on President Bush The following passage describes his National Guard service: In May 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, he entered the Texas Air National Guard. He trained in the guard for two years, where he was among the last to learn to fly the F-102, a plane not used in Vietnam and due to be retired. While this could be true, why would it be important to know that he was “among the last to learn to fly the F-102”? Is this a commentary on President Bush flying an outdated plane? Is it an unbiased point of view?

34. Encarta ’ s entry on President Bush (note that Encarta lets people edit its pages but with editor approval) Upon completing college, [Bush] became eligible for the military draft. To meet his service obligation, Bush enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard in 1968. He told the admitting officer that he wanted to become a pilot like his father, who was a highly decorated Navy flier in World War II. He did his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, and entered a pilot-training program at Moody Air Force Base Georgia. He received favorable reports from his superiors, attained the rank of second lieutenant, and was certified to fly the F-102 jet fighter during training missions in the South and along the Gulf Coast. Encarta doesn’t mention that President Bush being one of the last to fly the F-102, and instead notes patriotically how President Bush wanted to fly a jet like his father.

35. Where can I find Primary and Secondary Sources in my school library? OPAC Subject, Keyword, Power searches On-line Databases Nettrekker Elibrary ProQuest Search Engines Use your favorite, but use it wisely