Primary Sources for Elementary
Course
The Importance of Primary Sources [7:12]
Before we begin talking about how elementary students can use primary sources in their learning, I think we should address why we, as educators, should want to use primary sources in student learning and what a primary source is.
I was told, as part of a training session years ago, there would be three benefits: when using primary sources with students, they would become engaged in their learning, they would think critically, and they would construct knowledge.
After using these resources for a short time, I find all these to be true. First, when students interact with a compelling primary source, it will draw them in. There will be a mystery to it that they will want to study, to figure out, to solve. That mystery not only leads to engagement for the students, but also encourages them to think critically about the content of the primary source.
Unlike a textbook, website, or non-fiction book, the primary source likely will not give a complete story. But not giving a complete story engages the students in the mystery and will encourage them when using analysis techniques to understand, question, and interact with the primary source.
As students think critically using the primary source, they will construct knowledge, they will develop their understanding and interpretation of what they are seeing or reading, and they will have looked at it so closely, that their understanding of it can go far beyond other ways that they construct knowledge in the classroom.
You may hear this and wonder how a younger elementary student can successfully engage with a primary source to think critically and construct knowledge. I promise you that they can and that when my students use primary sources in their learning, especially my youngest students, their learning, thinking, and engagement never ceases to surprise me.
Let's look at how elementary students can use primary sources. When we think of primary sources, we may think of formats, such as photographs or letters. But when using primary sources with elementary students, it may be more helpful to think of how a primary source is related to what your students are studying. A primary source is an item identified with a topic and a time. The topic is typically tied to a place, person, or event under study.
For example, students may study American symbols as part of the unit on civics. Specifically, they may study the Statue of Liberty: why it is a national symbol, and what it symbolizes. Learning more about that may lead us to explore the construction of the statue. There are many resources that relate to the topic of the construction of the Statue of Liberty. I would consider any of these sources.
Primary sources on this topic would also be connected to the time of the event, between 1865 and 1886. I would consider anything related to the topic of the construction of the Statue of Liberty created during these years to be a primary source. This could include a variety of formats such as photographs, newspapers, architectural drawings, letters, or other formats. I would also consider something created after that time period by someone with a direct connection, a primary source.
For example, an interview given in the early 20th century with a worker who built the statue would be a primary source. In this example, anything else related to the construction of the Statue of Liberty, but created outside of the time period, would be considered a secondary source. Books, websites, photographs, or film of the statue taken later, or newspapers marking the anniversary of the event, could all be considered secondary sources.
Notice that items of the same format can both be primary and secondary. Here, as we study the construction of the Statue of Liberty, a photograph taken of it during the time period it was being constructed is a primary source. While a photograph of the statue taken years after its construction would be considered a secondary source. The format does not dictate whether something is primary or secondary. Instead, the topic under study and time period when the item was created helps us to determine that item as primary or secondary.
There are also common misconceptions about primary sources. First, many believe that an item can be permanently labeled as a primary source. With our definition, we can see that this isn't true because for something to be a primary source, it has to be connected to a specific topic and time period. A 1980 secondary source photograph of the Statue of Liberty for our study of the construction of the Statue of Liberty becomes a primary source when we study the need for restoration of that statue during the 1980s. The same photo is not a source at all when we're studying the Liberty Bell or another American symbol.
A second misconception is that some think that primary sources are more factual, while secondary sources are opinions. Primary sources often contain opinions or biases. Any format of a primary source can contain a bias. Letters or newspaper articles may contain an individual's perspective on an event. Photographers make decisions about what to focus on, what to include and what to exclude in their photographs. Maps may show boundaries or features that show one group's perspective. It is these perspectives that can make primary sources interesting and engaging resources to use with students.
A final misconception, many believe that primary sources must be a firsthand account of an event, that the creator of the source must have been present when the event took place. This maybe one of my more controversial misconceptions, as you will find the phrase 'firsthand account' in many definitions of primary sources.
If, though, you look not at definitions, but at how major educational institutions utilize primary sources they describe, you will see that many are not firsthand accounts. Instead, they are sources related to a topic under study, created during the time of the event, person, or place being studied.
An example, based off our earlier topic, would be an 1885 newspaper article from outside of New York, reporting on the construction of the base of the Statue of Liberty. I would consider this a primary source, based on it being about my topic of study and when it was written. Determining the exact geographic location of the creator to establish whether a person's documentation is a first hand account can be guess work and tricky.
These aspects of primary sources aren't things I directly teach my students, but they are important factors that I take into consideration when selecting primary sources for my students to use in their learning.
This lesson examines rationales for using primary sources with elementary students. Tom Bober also discusses examples of primary sources and considers common misconceptions. For instance, the notion that primary sources are factual and secondary sources are opinions isn't necessarily true. Bias may be demonstrated in primary source articles, and primary source photographs and maps reveal perspectives of the creators.
Bober recalls that when he first started learning about using primary sources with elementary level students, he asked himself why educators should use primary sources. He revisits this question of "why" when encountering new primary source materials for use in his teaching. As you begin this workshop, ask yourself the same question: why do you want to use primary sources with your students? What are your hopes for their learning outcomes, or yours? Write three to four bullet points, building on Bober's reasons or listing your own. At the conclusion of the workshop, revisit your list as a self-appraisal exercise. Do you have the background to start working toward your goals? What information or tools do you need?
MLA Citation
Morris, Rebecca J. "Primary Sources for Elementary: Why Use Primary Sources?" School Library Connection, October 2024, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045334?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905.
Entry ID: 2122738
Additional Resources
About the Author
MLA Citation
Bober, Tom. "Primary Sources for Elementary. The Importance of Primary Sources [7:12]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, November 2016, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045334?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905.
https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045334?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905
Entry ID: 2045334