Primary Source Synthesis Essay and Artifact Links
Primary Sources: Building the Skill of Historical Thinking
In his book Why Learn History (When It’s already on Your Phone), Sam Wineburg, Professor of history and education at Stanford University, explains that one of the most important aspects of training history teachers is put “historical thinking at the center” (pg. 123). Primary source documents are the fundamental unit of developing historical knowledge and scholarship. Therefore, in a history classroom in a secondary school setting, teaching primary source analysis and synthesis are two of the most important skills for students to develop in the pursuit of gaining the asset of historical thinking. The primary source-based experiences included in this portfolio represent means through which to achieve this historical thinking.
Examples of my use of primary source analysis with documents placed in context include an activity examining three sets of letters written from diverse perspectives during the 1860s in Minnesota, a culminating experience from a course in which students are asked to analyze primary sources as a means of critiquing a work of historical fiction for its historical value, and another culminating experience in which a primary source was analyzed to understand historical conditions and decision-making in South Carolina. In each case, placing the primary sources of the assignment or activity into the appropriate historical context was a critical first step. Without first establishing the context, a student cannot fully realize the value of the information contained within the assignment. For example, without first executing the necessary pre-work surrounding the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, full and complete analysis of Dakota prisoner of war letters from Camp McClellan would not be possible. While each of these activities presents challenges in setting context, and in the relatively verbose language used in some instances, the challenges do not outweigh the value. Successful analysis of these sources helps to develop some of the historical thinking skills history teachers aspire to share.
In each of these artifacts, there exists a strong potential for use in a secondary school classroom. The letters from Minnesota, some written by Civil War soldiers, others by Norwegian homesteaders, and those written by the Dakota prisoners of war, offer an opportunity to view history through the multiplicity of lenses and points of view in which it happened. No one perspective can ever be defined as correct when considering the experiences of those who lived in the past; their experience was as valid then as it is now. These letters would fit perfectly into a 6th grade Minnesota Studies class, as students could be provided excerpts from the letters to help students describe changing life-ways during the time of settlement and early Minnesota statehood for the represented groups. In a high school-level American history class, students could compare and contrast the contents and experiences in the letters from each group against letters from persons in other parts of American history, including soldiers at war, new immigrants, or oppressed populations. The series of lesson plans evaluating a work of historical fiction against primary sources is already designed for classroom implementation. The sources from South Carolina could easily be extended to compare conditions in any or all of the American colonies. Documents from the other American colonies could be gathered and synthesized, such as circular letters, to demonstrate public expressions leading up to the American Revolution.
These primary sources have immense value in the classroom, as demonstrating the lived experiences of individuals who were touched by or involved in a historical event cannot be more directly achieved. The exercises are strong examples of my philosophical stance towards the use of primary sources in a secondary-level classroom: Primary sources illuminate and humanize past people and events, and may gain relevance through direct comparison with other primary and secondary sources. Most importantly, exploration and analysis of primary sources are critical steps in development of the skill of historical thinking. These experiences demonstrate my achievement in the Gradate Certificate program for history, as my analysis and contextual placement of primary sources is central to each. Furthermore, I have carefully considered each for its potential for use in the classroom and believe students would successfully engage with them.
Examples of my use of primary source analysis with documents placed in context include an activity examining three sets of letters written from diverse perspectives during the 1860s in Minnesota, a culminating experience from a course in which students are asked to analyze primary sources as a means of critiquing a work of historical fiction for its historical value, and another culminating experience in which a primary source was analyzed to understand historical conditions and decision-making in South Carolina. In each case, placing the primary sources of the assignment or activity into the appropriate historical context was a critical first step. Without first establishing the context, a student cannot fully realize the value of the information contained within the assignment. For example, without first executing the necessary pre-work surrounding the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, full and complete analysis of Dakota prisoner of war letters from Camp McClellan would not be possible. While each of these activities presents challenges in setting context, and in the relatively verbose language used in some instances, the challenges do not outweigh the value. Successful analysis of these sources helps to develop some of the historical thinking skills history teachers aspire to share.
In each of these artifacts, there exists a strong potential for use in a secondary school classroom. The letters from Minnesota, some written by Civil War soldiers, others by Norwegian homesteaders, and those written by the Dakota prisoners of war, offer an opportunity to view history through the multiplicity of lenses and points of view in which it happened. No one perspective can ever be defined as correct when considering the experiences of those who lived in the past; their experience was as valid then as it is now. These letters would fit perfectly into a 6th grade Minnesota Studies class, as students could be provided excerpts from the letters to help students describe changing life-ways during the time of settlement and early Minnesota statehood for the represented groups. In a high school-level American history class, students could compare and contrast the contents and experiences in the letters from each group against letters from persons in other parts of American history, including soldiers at war, new immigrants, or oppressed populations. The series of lesson plans evaluating a work of historical fiction against primary sources is already designed for classroom implementation. The sources from South Carolina could easily be extended to compare conditions in any or all of the American colonies. Documents from the other American colonies could be gathered and synthesized, such as circular letters, to demonstrate public expressions leading up to the American Revolution.
These primary sources have immense value in the classroom, as demonstrating the lived experiences of individuals who were touched by or involved in a historical event cannot be more directly achieved. The exercises are strong examples of my philosophical stance towards the use of primary sources in a secondary-level classroom: Primary sources illuminate and humanize past people and events, and may gain relevance through direct comparison with other primary and secondary sources. Most importantly, exploration and analysis of primary sources are critical steps in development of the skill of historical thinking. These experiences demonstrate my achievement in the Gradate Certificate program for history, as my analysis and contextual placement of primary sources is central to each. Furthermore, I have carefully considered each for its potential for use in the classroom and believe students would successfully engage with them.