Primary and Secondary Sources

1. Primary and Secondary Sources

2. H • What is going on in this photo? • What does it tell us about this time period?

3. A Who was the picture created for?

4. P Why was the picture taken?

5. Y Why is the photo significant? What questions does it raise?

6. Different Types of Sources • There are two different types of sources • Primary- evidence from a time period or event • Direct Source – First Hand account • Secondary- someone else’s interpretation of a time period or event • Indirect Source – Second Hand information

7. What is a Primary Source? • Autobiographies • Diaries • Documents • Eyewitness accounts • Laws • Letters • Newspaper articles • Speeches • Artifacts • Oral histories • Photographs • Film footage • Art • Music An informational source from the time of an event

8. Why do we use primary sources? • It’s hard evidence from the time period, not information that has been passed through the telephone game of telling and retelling history. • Only YOUR interpretation

9. Does a Primary Source have to be the original material? No – it can be in another form, but it can’t be edited or interpreted in any way. For example, A picture of King Tut’s coffin printed in a book or posted on a website can be considered a primary source.

10. Questions to ask yourself when looking at Primary Sources – First Peek at POV • Who wrote (or made) this? • How do they know the information they are telling me? • When did they write/ make it? • Why did they write/ make it? • Who did they write/ make it for?

11. What are Secondary Sources? An informational source that analyzes the event. • These sources often use several primary sources to compile their information. • This is someone else’s interpretation of an event, not a first person account. • Examples • Biographies • Encyclopedias • History books • Textbooks

12. Are Secondary Sources useful? Yes – They provide the necessary background or context to be able to interpret Primary Sources. For example, World Book 2005 or your Social Studies textbook can provide background information about the events leading up to the Trojan War.

13. Name that Source Primary vs. Secondary

14. Primary or Secondary? • A copy of the USA Constitution, printed in a text book. Questions to ask: • WHO wrote it? • WHY did they write it? • What influence shaped the author?

15. Primary or Secondary? • A drawing of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Questions to ask: • Was the artist actually present at this event? • Who was the document created for?

16. Primary or Secondary? • Encyclopedia article about the first Emperor of China. Questions to ask: • Were the authors involved in the events they are writing about? • Why is the author writing this?

17. Primary or Secondary? • Homer’s Iliad, an epic poem about the men and women of the Trojan War. Questions to ask: • When was the Iliad written? • At the time of the War? • Years after the War ended?

18. Primary or Secondary? • Photos of the Terracotta Soldiers from a website. Questions to ask: • What was the artists GOAL in creating the soldiers?

19. Primary or Secondary? • Artifacts from the tomb of King Tut. Questions to ask: • When were they made? • Who made them? • Does this information affect the reliability of the artifacts?

20. Primary or Secondary? • Troy, a movie about the Trojan War starring Brad Pit. Questions to Ask: • What was the author’s purpose: • Was this a documentary based on historical research? • Was this a film produced by Hollywood for entertainment purposes?

21. First Peek at Bias in a Source • Who produced it? • When was it produced? • Who was the intended audience? • Why? What was the motivation for producing the document? • Put these together and you get BIAS: • Why THIS PERSON would be producing THIS PIECE of information at THIS TIME.