Primarily Me

Preparing Tomorrow to Explore Today

How do we know about the past? Most of what we know comes from what people left behind. Everything from what they wrote to what they created is a record of life lived. Each record, or primary source, tells a story about people, how they lived, and the environment they lived in. What will people in the future know about how we live today? That depends on what we leave behind!

This is the Primarily Me challenge. Each challenge activity is a new way for you to record your own story. Follow along and explore all sorts of primary sources and the stories they can tell. Some of our rangers will be playing along and sharing their stories, too! You can see ranger responses and follow along on social media by using #WMNHSPrimarilyMe.

 

Telling Your Story

A primary source is anything that was written, drawn, or created during a certain time. Primary sources can be used to learn about almost any topic and can be found in museums, archives, and even your own home!

Each primary source tells a story from a certain perspective, or point of view. Everyone's perspective is important to understanding history. We learn the most when we compare different primary sources and the perspectives they share. If you know someone else who is doing these activities, you might want to share what you created with them. How is what you created like what they created? How are they different?

Many different things like journals, laws, drawings, maps, and objects can be primary sources. Each Primarily Me activity will have some suggestions for the type of source or record you can create, but you can be as creative as you want!

You Might Respond By...

• Writing in a journal or diary
• Writing a story, poem, or song
• Drawing or painting a picture
• Taking a photograph
• Recording a video or your voice
• Making an object
• Or anything else you can think of!

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