Primary sources add depth and dimension to your social studies lessons.

I think of primary sources as the magic part of social studies that helps make history come to life.

Some primary sources are self-explanatory, but there are many primary sources that require guidance and instruction on the part of the teacher.

What are primary sources?

Primary sources can be a number of things, but basically, a primary source is a record or object created by someone who lived through a time period or witnessed an event.

Primary sources can be:

• Letters
• Images, Photographs, Paintings, Drawings
• Objects
• Newspaper Excerpts
• Diaries/Journals

Use Excerpts of Primary Sources

I would never give 5th graders an entire primary source and expect them to analyze it.

Instead, I use excerpts, or pieces of the primary source along with direct instruction.

By breaking longer primary sources into pieces, you make the primary source more manageable, understandable, and engaging for students.

Watch this video for practical, ready-to-use tips for using primary sources in your classroom:

Ask Questions

I know, I know, this goes back to teaching 101, but how do we gauge and assess students’ understanding of any given topic?

We ask questions!

I like to use questions in my introduction of the primary source.

I ask questions to introduce the source rather than ask questions after students have learned about the primary source.

Example Questions:

Why do you think the artist included this background? (image)

Why do you think the writer of this primary source included this phrase? (written)

Why do you think this advertisement was placed in the newspaper? (newspaper)

Why do you think the artist used this facial expression for a particular person? (image)

What might have been the purpouse of this object? (object)

I recommend using a variety of higher-level and lower-level questions to guide your students in thinking about and analyzing primary sources.

Model Your Thinking

Modeling your thoughts for students is powerful for any subject matter, but especially for primary sources.

Modeling your thinking means that you are speaking aloud what you think when you look at a primary source.

For example, if I displayed this object on my technology board, I might model my thinking this way:

“Hmmm, I notice that this object looks like it is made out of carved wood. I wonder what its purpose was.”

“It looks as though the top can be taken off or flipped up, so I wonder if items were stored inside this object.”

“I notice that from top to bottom, the object is slanted, so I wonder if it could be some sort of a surface for drawing or writing.”

“Students, what do you notice and wonder about this primary source object?”

Sometimes students will guess an` object’s purpose, but often they do not have any idea, so it’s fun to get to tell them what the object was used for and who used it.

I love the “Ohhh” and “Cool” responses that I hear from students.

This object is a portable writing desk purchased by the Washington Family around 1795. There is space in the interior for letters, pens, ink, and etc.

How to Choose the Best Primary Sources

Choose primary sources that relate to your content and are relatable to students.

Remember, you don’t always have to use written primary sources. There is an abundance of images and objects to use as well.

The explosion of technology helps us teach about the past using objects that we’d normally never see. For example, take some time to explore Mount Vernon’s online gallery.

Choose primary sources that are interesting to you because if you are bored looking at them, I guarantee your students will be bored as well.

Often, social studies units, like my Road to Revolution Unit, American Revolution Unit, and Civil War Unit, will have included primary sources, but if you are teaching without a pre-made unit, you may have to find your own primary sources.

I recommend Google searching your topic + primary source and looking through the first few results. Remember, the most reliable primary sources often come from .edu and .org websites.

This video will walk you through my favorite primary source to use while teaching Jamestown:

Grab a freebie here:

Help Students Analyze a Primary Source Portrait from the American Revolution

If you are looking for ready-to-use primary source analysis activities, look no further:

The post How to Help Students Analyze Primary Sources appeared first on Thrive in Grade Five.

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There are many pieces of information for students to learn in our social studies classes. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the facts and details that we sometimes forget to look creatively at the big picture of what happened and why.

Asking “What If” questions allows students to stop and think about why things happened a certain way, what could have happened differently, and how events and ideas are interconnected throughout history.

Also, when connecting ELA skills to social studies, asking “What If” questions helps students make excellent cause and effect connections within informational text.

The advantage of using “What If” questions is that students will have to use the information they just learned and take it one step further with creativity and critical thinking.

Ideas for Using “What If” Questions in Your Classroom:

• Lesson Closer: Ask a “What If” question to close the lesson. For example, “Now that we’ve learned about what happened during the Boston Massacre, let me ask you a thinking question. What if the British soldiers had not fired their weapons that night? What do you think would have happened?”

• Exit Ticket: There are lots of ways to do exit tickets, but one of my favorites is to have students write their answers to “What If” questions on sticky notes and stick the notes to the classroom door on the way out.

• Partner Discussion: “Today, we talked about how George Washington laid down his power and walked away at the end of his second presidential term. What if he had continued with a third, fourth, or even fifth presidential term? How might our country be different today? Share thoughts with a partner for 3 minutes.”

• Journal Prompt: “What might have been the outcome or fate of the Roanoke settlement if John White had NOT returned to England and left the settlers behind?”

Roanoke, Jamestown, & Plymouth “What If” Questions

Roanoke

• What might have been the outcome or fate of the Roanoke settlement if John White had NOT returned to England and left the settlers behind?

• What if the colonists had left behind better clues to their disappearance?

Jamestown

• What might have been different in Jamestown if the colonists had worked with the Powhatan and shown friendship at all times, rather than stealing and being cruel?

• What if the Starving Time had never occurred?

Plymouth (Plimoth)

• What if the Wampanoag People had not been so friendly and welcoming toward the Plymouth settlers?

• What if William Bradford had not been re-elected to the Plymouth governor position 30 times?

Colonial America “What If” Questions

When I say Colonial America, I am referring to all three colonial regions, New England, Middle, and Southern.

New England Colonies

• What if the Puritans had been open and accepting of the beliefs of other religious groups?

• What if the concept of “town meetings” caught on throughout the colonies and became the standard everywhere?

• Roger Williams believed it was wrong for England to take Native American land without payment. What if the Puritans had agreed with him instead of banishing him?

Middle Colonies

• What if the Quakers had not been tolerant of the beliefs of all people?

• What if Benjamin Franklin had been unwilling to share his designs and inventions?

Southern Colonies

• What if the Southern Colonies had thin, rocky soil?

• What if Carolina had never split into North Carolina and South Carolina?

American Revolution “What If” Questions

When I say the American Revolution, I’m referring to both the Road to Revolution and the American Revolution.

Road to Revolution

• What if King George III had never issued the Proclamation of 1763?

• What if Parliament had respected the colonists’ request for representation in Parliament?

• What if the Boston Tea Party had turned violent?

• What if British leaders had responded to the Boston Tea Party with understanding and willingness to change instead of with punishment and anger?

American Revolution

• What if the French had remained neutral or refused to get involved on colonists’ side during the American Revolution?

• What if George Washington had been captured as a prisoner of war during the American Revolution?

• What if the delegates to the Second Continental Congress were too frightened to write and sign the Declaration of Independence?

• What if women were allowed to step into leadership positions during the American Revolution?

• What if the British had won the American Revolution?

Early Government “What If” Questions

Early government refers to the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.

Articles of Confederation

• What if the Articles of Confederation were written with a stronger central government?

U.S. Constitution

• What if the delegates to the Constitutional Convention refused to compromise with one another?

• What if the role of president was never created, and instead, the highest leadership role in the United States was king?

• What if the Bill of Rights had never been added to the U.S. Constitution?

Civil War “What If” Questions

There are so many Civil War “What If” questions that can be used, but these are my favorites:

• What if the Southern states had not seceded from the Union?

• What if Abraham Lincoln had not been elected president?

• What if the war had lasted 10 years instead of 4?

• What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War?

• What if the Civil War had led to the United States splitting into two separate countries?

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