working with historical documents

Working with

Historical Documents

Why use historical documents?

Help students become aware of differences in perception and interpretation of historyShow the difference between primary historical documents and secondary historical interpretationForge a personal connection between students and people and events in the pastReinforce or supplement factual information from textbooksHelp develop comprehension and analytical skills

Types of Documents…

Personal sources:

• diaries• letters• journals

GLC02437.00638, Knox, Lucy Flucker (ca. 1756-1824)

Public Sourcesspeeches, official records,

newspapers, laws, pamphlets, reports, song

lyrics

GLC05214, George III, King of Great Britain (1738-1820)

Images• cartoons• paintings• illustrations,• charts• graphs• maps • broadsides

"The Bloody Massacre", by Paul Revere. GLC 1868

Boston in 1769

Photographsstaged, candid, people, scenery

69th NY Irish Regiment Civil War

What should we look for in a historical document…

Is the Document:related to a well known person or event that students might recognizeconnected to your state or local community“unique” appropriate for your teaching goal or theme and grade level – and if not, can it be edited or excerpted to make it more usefulAnd are you choosing a source because of your personal connection or because of its value in the classroom

Some Tips for Editing:• Include vocab

lists for dense documents with antiquated languageRespect the spirit of the document

• Provide background information or captions that frame the document

• Use ellipses strategically

In Summary:• Don’t be

deterred by long documents or more obscure documents

• Don’t be afraid to edit documents but do so purposefully

• Consider different types of sources

• Background information and captions are crucial to framing student interpretation of documents

Some Helpful Websites:Adapting Documents for the Classroom:http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/23560National Archives, “History in the Raw”http://www.archives.gov/education/history-in-the-raw.htmlNational Archives Document Lesson Plans:http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/