2. Primary Source
Any artifact or first-hand account of an event. Primary sources are witnesses to the event
Examples???

3. Secondary Sources
Any re-telling of a story by someone who was NOT present at the event and only knows about it by studying primary sources.
Examples??

4. Primary or Secondary?
Photographs

5. Primary or Secondary?
Essays/Reviews

6. Primary or Secondary?
News Reports/Newspaper articles

7. Primary or Secondary?
Diaries/Journals

8. Primary or Secondary?
Textbooks/Encyclopedias

9. Primary or Secondary?
Clothing

10. Primary or Secondary?
Statistics/Data/Maps

11. Primary vs. Secondary?
I was watching ESPN and one of the reporters said he had heard good reviews about a new sports movie. The reporter is a ….
My friends and I found and old wedding dress in the attic that my dad said belonged to my great-grandmother. The dress is a …
My mom has CDs of my grandparents telling stories from their childhoods and we listen to them at Christmas. The CDs are …
I like to read the articles written about Hollywood actors and music artists in People Magazine. These articles are…
I am writing an essay on George Washington for my US History class. I used articles from Wikipedia and information from my textbook. These sources are…

12. Cross-Reference Comparing Multiple Sources
The more sources that agree on the same story, the more likely the story is true
Examples??

13. Credibility A source’s trustworthiness measured by: Examples??
Having qualified authors with trustworthy reputations
Being created during acceptable circumstances
Including only consistent accurate facts
Agreeing with other trusted sources (cross-references)
Examples??

14. Bias
When a personal point of view and life experiences influence a person’s beliefs and/or actions.
can be either positive or negative
The less bias a source has the more credible it is.
Examples??

15. Credibility and bias practice

16. Who do you trust? Historical Question:
Who was present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence?
Source #1:
Hollywood movie about the American Revolution made in 2001.
Source #2:
Book written by a famous historian who is an expert on the American Revolution, published in 1999.

17. What was slavery like in South Carolina?
Who do you trust?
Historical Question:
What was slavery like in South Carolina?
Source #1:
1936 Interview with a former slave. Interviewer is a black man collecting oral histories for the Federal Writer’s Project.
Source #2:
1936 Interview with a former slave. Interviewer is a white woman collecting oral histories for the Federal Writer’s Project .

18. What was slavery like in South Carolina?
Who do you trust?
Historical Question:
What was slavery like in South Carolina?
Source #1:
1936 Interview with a former slave. Interviewer is a black man collecting oral histories for the Federal Writer’s Project.
Source #2:
1936 Interview with a former slave. Interviewer is a white woman collecting oral histories for the Federal Writer’s Project .

19. Who do you trust? Historical Question:
What was the layout of the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz?
Source #1:
Interview with an 80-year old Holocaust survivor in 1985
Source #2:
Map of concentration camp found in Nazi files.

20. Who do you trust? Historical Question:
Whose policies and actions made him was the better president, Bill Clinton or George W. Bush?
Source #1:
Head of the local county democratic party, in charge of online blogging
Source #2:
30 year experienced national political analyst unattached to any specific political party

21. Thesis Statement
An opinion based on credible evidence. An effective thesis:
Takes a position
Previews evidence (but is not just a list of facts)
Addresses all parts of the question
Uses descriptive vocabulary

22. Spotting a strong Thesis
Writing Prompt:
Discuss the social, political and economic effects of World War II on the United States.
Thesis #1:
World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of the United States.
Thesis #2:
World War II not only saved the US economy, but also altered the role of the American government and the American spirit forever.

23. Spotting a strong Thesis
Writing Prompt:
Describe 3 physical features of Latin America and their importance to the region.
Thesis #1:
The Andes Mountains, the Amazon River, and Yucatan Peninsula are the three most significant physical features in Latin America as shown by their impact on population and the environment.
Thesis #2:
Three physical features found in Latin America are the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River, and the Yucatan Peninsula.

24. Spotting a strong Thesis
Writing Prompt:
Early on in life, people develop an admiration for heroes. In a well-developed essay, discuss a person you admire and why you chose this person.
Thesis #1:
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, who played baseball from 1914 until 1935.
Thesis #2:
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time proven by his athletic skill, knowledge of the game, and heroic personality.