Primary Sources for Elementary

Course

Practical Tips [6:26]

Along with the many strategies, content connections and extensions, there are some considerations to make that are specific to elementary students working with primary sources.

Our example of studying the construction of the Statue of Liberty takes place within a social studies unit. Teachers usually think of primary sources in social studies, but there are other areas where primary sources can be utilized in student learning. There are primary sources that convey scientific thinking. As students learn to think like a scientist, analyzing sources from scientists that convey how they document their thinking to certain audiences can be part of that learning.

There are great papers at the Library of Congress from Alexander Graham Bell and the Wright brothers, just as a couple of examples. Other primary sources are evidence of scientific thinking at a moment in time. Students often study weather at least once during their elementary school career. How might their understanding of how we measure weather will be altered if they analyze images of early weather tools? Will they have new ideas about how we could react to certain types of weather in the future by, for example, studying blizzard snow removal a century ago and comparing that to snow removal today?

In addition to science, there's also a role for primary sources to play in literature. How would students' understanding of a historical fiction novel with the Dust Bowl in the backdrop benefit through the analysis of primary source photos and first-hand accounts of the event as they read the book? Could students put themselves in the shoes of an illustrator or of a picture book based on a historical event if they viewed photos likely used for inspiration of the illustrations? If students were able to study, through historic newspapers, an event that a book was based on, would they agree with the author's interpretation? Would they tell the same stories?

We spoke earlier about the Library of Congress's primary source analysis tool and the further investigations options at the bottom of the sheet. These are some options for further investigations in other subject areas. The analysis of a primary source through the Library of Congress tool or the strategies from Stanford History Education Group allows students to do more than just study the source. They support students in taking that thinking and applying it to new learning and new situations.

Along with the many strategies, content connections and extensions, there's some considerations to make that are specific to elementary students working with primary sources. I've already mentioned the benefits of collaborative discussion. My experience is that there needs to be a point during or after the analysis when students are able to talk through their thinking, the younger the student, the more beneficial the collaboration to the student's thinking through and learning with the primary source. Done as a whole class, it also allows you to monitor student thinking and model for them.

I've also found it beneficial to gather students' observations, reflections, and questions in one place so that students can refer to them, not only for future use, but because seeing one student's thinking will often bring about new thinking in another student. When analyzing a primary source as whole class, I've recorded responses on my interactive whiteboard or on chart paper. If students are reporting out individual, pair, or small group analysis, we can gather their thinking in the same way on sticky notes. I typically use different colors for the different types of thoughts, either observation, reflection, question or sourcing, contextualizing, and close reading with a separate color for questions. The sticky notes allows us to group and arrange their thinking and further look for patterns and related ideas.

Students also benefit from a close look and a group look at a primary source. If possible, I like to have individual or paired printouts of the primary source for students to examine closely. It allows them a space to focus, look for fine details, and preferably write on the primary source. My students are encouraged to circle parts of an image they want to share in a larger conversation or underline words they find important and to write in the margins with their thoughts, reactions, and questions. You may notice that your younger students will have a tactile involvement with the primary source image, tracing their fingers along the lines and curves, touching imagery that seems to have a pattern or texture and that may help them understand the image better.

My language and accompanying perspective is also an important aspect to students' analysis of a primary source. I try to always come in with the mindset of them uncovering their own understanding, with my role as someone who is not to get them to a particular piece of knowledge, but of a teacher librarian who will assist them in their own thinking, to bring it as far as it can go, both individually and collectively as a class. As a teacher librarian, I work on being an active listener.

If a student hasn't shared an observation to support their reflection or question, I may ask, "What do you see that makes you think or wonder that?" As students see new things based off another student's ideas, I point out the connection and that we can make new observations based off another's questions or reflections. For students who are working to express themselves, I model the "I see, I think, I wonder" language and I collect that student language for them to use as a model and to refer back to, often color-coding my documentation on the whiteboard or chart paper, much as I do with the sticky notes.

I work to bring in other primary sources and secondary sources when they can be used to inform student's understanding of another source, especially when it may answer a question that was posed through the analysis of the primary source itself. Just as important is what I don't do. I don't lead them to my conclusion, I don't negate or confirm their reflections because they aren't correct or incorrect, they are their opinions. I minimize my own observations, reflections, and questions using them only when modeling would be beneficial or when a critical piece of information may be missed. I know this can seem overwhelming, at least it did for me at first. The best advice I can give is to try bringing primary sources into your students' learning in a small way. Reflect on its success and be willing to adapt and try again. That risk-taking will help give your students ownership of their own learning and lead to their own engagement, critical thinking, and construction of knowledge.

Create or Adapt a Lesson with Primary Sources

Context:

Lesson 6 offers practical advice for teaching with primary sources. These strategies are applicable across grade levels and subject areas. Some strategies are ways of interacting with students, such as recording discussion responses for all to see, and providing opportunities for close looks and group looks at primary sources. Other suggestions deal with the teaching mindset, including modeling active listening and guiding students' learning, rather than supplying answers and information. This collection of approaches and questioning techniques is a helpful accompaniment to the lesson ideas listed in the bibliography.

Instructions:

Create or adapt a lesson plan using primary sources. Adapt an idea from the workshop or articles in the bibliography, or develop an original plan. Even if your lesson plan template doesn't require writing out teacher statements or questions, take time to compose some questions and prompts for your learners, building from the ideas offered in this workshop.

MLA Citation

Morris, Rebecca J. "Primary Sources for Elementary: Create or Adapt a Lesson with Primary Sources." School Library Connection, October 2024, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045339?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905.

Entry ID: 2122743

Additional Resources

About the Author

Tom Bober is a school librarian, 2018 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, and author of the books Elementary Educator's Guide to Primary Sources: Strategies for Teaching and Building News Literacy: Lessons for Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary and Middle Schools. He is a Digital Public Library of America Community Rep, a member of the Teachers Advisory Board for the National Portrait Gallery, and a co-chair of the Education Advisory Committee of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Tom writes about student learning on AASL's Knowledge Quest blog and publications such as School Library Connection and American Libraries and has given workshops and spoken across the country. His foundation is built on over twenty years in public education, with six years as an elementary classroom teacher, seven years as a building and district instructional technology specialist, and over eight years in school libraries. Find him at https://tombober.com/ and on Twitter @CaptainLibrary.

MLA Citation

Bober, Tom. "Primary Sources for Elementary. Practical Tips [6:26]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, November 2016, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045339?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905.

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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/2045339?learningModuleId=2045332&topicCenterId=2247905

Entry ID: 2045339