Primary Source Exercise

PART 1: INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

 

  1. Describe your document in your own words.
     
  2. What is the first thing you notice?
     
  3. Is there anything that surprised you at first glance?

 

PART 2: ANALYSIS

 

  1. Who? Who was involved in the writing of this document? Who do you think was the audience? Who does it affect?
     
  2. What? What kind of document is this?
     
  3. When? When was this document created? If there’s no date, when do you think this source was created? What else was happening at the time?
     
  4. Where? What places are relevant to this source? This could be where it was written, places mentioned, or places that would have been affected by it.
     
  5. Why? Why do you think someone created this document? What was the purpose?
     
  6. How? How was this document received? Does it go against or agree with general public sentiment of the time?

 

PART 3: SYNTHESIS
 

  1. Why do you think this source is important?
     
  2. What can you learn from this document?
     
  3. How does your primary sources challenge, expand, or confirm your understanding of history?
     
  4. Get together with a classmate who chose a different document. What conclusions can you draw looking at both documents together that you may not have been able to draw from just one?


 

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