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Showing 419 results for primary source documents ...

Primary vs. Secondary Sources in Archeology
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Primary vs. Secondary Sources in Archeology thumbnail image

How do primary and secondary sources help archeologists learn about the past? Students will: 1) Learn the differences between primary and secondary sources and 2) Glean information from examples of different sources.

Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

Learning about Mill Workers through Primary Sources
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Learning about Mill Workers through Primary Sources thumbnail image

In this lesson, students will examine primary resource documents of mill workers at the Lonsdale Company in 1942. Though these are injury reports, students can get a glimpse into who was working at the mills and what types of jobs they had. Students will compare primary sources to determine similarities and differences among this sample of mill workers.

Whitman Mission National Historic Site

Primarily Me: Primary Sources from Whitman Mission
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Primarily Me: Primary Sources from Whitman Mission thumbnail image

Primarily Me is a lesson for older elementary students to explore the various primary sources from Whitman Mission NHS and learn about how primary sources help us learn about the events of the past and how they can be used in different ways.

Trail Of Tears National Historic Trail

TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES—MTSU, Lesson Plan: The Trail of Tears
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES—MTSU, Lesson Plan: The Trail of Tears thumbnail image

Students will understand the background of the Trail of Tears, the different views of the Indian Removal Act, and how the Trail of Tears affected the American Indians who participated in it.

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

History and Memory: Contrasting the Civil War South in Film and Primary Documents
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade

How do different forms of media impact our understanding of slavery and the Civil War?

Salem Maritime National Historic Site

What can we learn about the lives of enslaved people from primary sources?
  • Type: Primary Sources ... Student Activities ... Teacher Reference Materials
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
What can we learn about the lives of enslaved people from primary sources? thumbnail image

Students examine primary and secondary sources, including two short films, to explore the life of an enslaved woman in Salem. The essential question asks students to consider what we can learn about the history of slavery from primary sources.

Fort Necessity National Battlefield

The French and Indian War 1754-1763: Primary Documents and Artifacts - Unit 8
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
The French and Indian War 1754-1763: Primary Documents and Artifacts - Unit 8 thumbnail image

This unit includes one lesson plan: “Working with Primary Documents and Artifacts." Students read about one of 14 primary documents or artifacts associated with the French and Indian War, and then analyze the document or artifact.

Shiloh National Military Park

Research Made Real – Using National Park Service Web Pages to Locate Primary Sources
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
Research Made Real – Using National Park Service Web Pages to Locate Primary Sources thumbnail image

Students will learn how to navigate these sites to find information about the Civil War and then use that information to enhance their writing on an informative paragraph assignment.

Tumacácori National Historical Park

Critical Source Evaluation
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Critical Source Evaluation thumbnail image

National parks are valuable repositories of information including subject matter experts, photographs, and tangible objects. One of the founding principles of national parks is that this primary source information be preserved so that people may learn from it in the future. Students today may take advantage of this opportunity both in person and online.

Cowpens National Battlefield

Comparing Sources: The Decision to Fight at Cowpens
  • Type: Primary Sources
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

Students will use multiple primary sources to build analytical and corroborative skills to examine the circumstances surrounding Daniel Morgan’s decision to fight when and where he chose in the American Revolution.

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site

Why People Move: Introduction to Using Primary Sources (Grades 3-5) Lesson 3 of 3 Carl Sandburg Home NHS
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Why People Move: Introduction to Using Primary Sources (Grades 3-5) Lesson 3 of 3 Carl Sandburg Home NHS thumbnail image

This lesson helps upper elementary students to identify primary and secondary sources and explain how they are used to better understand historical events. It introduces Carl Sandburg and helps students to understand the relevance of the Carl Sandburg Home NHS to the history of the area. Students will learn to differentiate between primary and secondary sources throughout the lesson's activities. This is the 3rd of three lessons intended to build upon on another's content and exercises.

Acadia National Park

Virtual: What Do Rangers Do?
  • Type: Distance Learning
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Virtual: What Do Rangers Do? thumbnail image

Investigate various jobs that rangers do in National Parks. Learn about the variety of jobs it takes to keep Acadia running! What Do Rangers Do? is the prerequisite for completing the Junior Ranger Program and earning a Jr Ranger badge. Request your copy of our Jr. Ranger Book ahead of time, so you can choose the pages you want your students to work on. Discuss program conclusion with your ranger and whether you want a badge ceremony as part of the conclusion. (45 minutes)

Andersonville National Historic Site

Document Based Questions: Conditions at Andersonville
  • Type: Primary Sources
  • Grade Levels: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Document Based Questions: Conditions at Andersonville thumbnail image

Andersonville artwork

Cowpens National Battlefield

The Battle of Cowpens: Lesser-Known Participants
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

What can a primary source document tell us about the past?

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Document-Based Inquiry: Carve the Mountain and They Will Come
  • Type: Primary Sources ... Student Activities ... Teacher Reference Materials ... Other Education Materials
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
Document-Based Inquiry: Carve the Mountain and They Will Come thumbnail image

This lesson plan will allow students to have an interactive experience with the history of Mount Rushmore without being physically present at the memorial. With historical images, newspaper articles, letters, telegrams and maps, students will dive into the history of Mount Rushmore, explore the motivating factors for creating a large-scale sculpture in the Black Hills, and consider how choices of South Dakotans in the past continue to impact the lives of South Dakotans today.

Acadia National Park

What Do Rangers Do? (3rd Grade)
  • Type: Field Trips
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
What Do Rangers Do? (3rd Grade) thumbnail image

One hour classroom program that introduces kids to the unique jobs that different rangers do via skits. Program works in tandem with Junior Ranger Day and all of the events lead up to kids earning their junior ranger badge.

Acadia National Park

What Do Rangers Do? Program Planner
  • Type: Other Education Materials
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
What Do Rangers Do? Program Planner thumbnail image

One hour classroom program that introduces kids to the unique jobs that different rangers do via skits. Program works in tandem with Junior Ranger Day and all of the events lead up to kids earning their junior ranger badge.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest thumbnail image

Follow a trail of discovery to the Pacific Northwest. Although the corps' findings destroyed the dream of a water route to the Pacific Ocean, their accomplishments had far reaching effects in expanding human knowledge and opening a new course for American history.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site

Declaration of Independence Remix
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Declaration of Independence Remix thumbnail image

In this lesson, students examine primary source documents and discuss ideas and beliefs in the Declaration of Independence and who was included and excluded.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

The War of 1812 - Baltimore's Role
  • Type: Lesson Plan
  • Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
The War of 1812 - Baltimore's Role thumbnail image

Students will read primary and secondary source documents to identify the actions of the citizens in the defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812.