Primary Source Exercise
PART 1: INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
- Describe your document in your own words.
- What is the first thing you notice?
- Is there anything that surprised you at first glance?
PART 2: ANALYSIS
- Who? Who was involved in the writing of this document? Who do you think was the audience? Who does it affect?
- What? What kind of document is this?
- 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?
- 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.
- Why? Why do you think someone created this document? What was the purpose?
- How? How was this document received? Does it go against or agree with general public sentiment of the time?
PART 3: SYNTHESIS
- Why do you think this source is important?
- What can you learn from this document?
- How does your primary sources challenge, expand, or confirm your understanding of history?
- 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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