ANALYZING
PRIMARY
SOURCES
Junior Research Project
First-hand works, records or evidence about a
person, place, event or object.
They are the raw materials of history. Produced in the
WHAT IS A
moment.
SOURCE?
Gives you original information from that time
PRIMARY
period.
• photographs
• newspapers
• diaries and journals
• letters
• inventories
• oral histories
• objects
• art
• music
Accounts that analyze or interpret primary sources.
Sources that you often interact with in school.
SECONDARY They often quote or use primary sources but they are a
WHAT IS A
SOURCE?
step removed. Secondary sources are someone else's
interpretation of primary sources.
Examples include:
Biographies
Non-fiction books on a topic or time-period.
Academic journal article
Documentary
GIVE UNIQUE INSIGHT INTO A
HISTORICAL TIME PERIOD THROUGH
THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF
WHY USE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THE
EXPERIENCE.
PRIMARY
SOURCES?
Primary Sources reflect the
language and attitudes of
the time period.
Often we now consider these attitudes and language offensive.
MEET THE
DOCUMENT
(OBSERVE) • Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What do you notice that
you didn't expect?
• Who or what is depicted?
• Who or what is missing?
REFLECT: USE
YOUR PRIOR • Try to make sense of what
KNOWLEDGE you see.
• What do you know about
this time period?
• Who is the audience?
• What is the purpose of
the piece?
CONCLUDE:
• What does it tell you
about what was important
at the time?
• How does it augment (add
to) your understanding of
this time period?
QUESTION: WHERE DOES
THIS TAKE YOU?
• What new questions do
you have?
• What do you want to
learn next?
• Try to think of one or two
open ended questions
that this source inspires.
