Primary Sources

Teaching with primary documents encourages a diverse learning environment for teachers & students. Lectures, demonstrations, documents analysis, independent research, & group work with historical records sharpen students' skills & enthusiasm for the humanities. Use these forms to aid in analyzing primary sources: Written Documents, Artifacts, Cartoons, Maps, Film/Motion Pictures, Photographs, Posters, & Sound Recordings.

Students can use this simple tool to examine & analyze any kind of primary source & record their responses. Includes various primary sources for students to use.

Blank form for recording student's work.

Analysis is the ability to demonstrate an understanding of the elements that contributed to the creation of a historical source. There are six analysis skills that you need to master: information, origin, perspective, context audience, & motive.

Having successfully analyzed your sources, you need to evaluate their value. Evaluating a source is central to doing history. Source evaluation is the ability to reach an informed judgment about the value of a source to your historical topic. It addresses how useful, accurate, & reliable the source is.

History Skills is an educational website that offers a variety of materials & tools for teachers & students when studying history. It provides detailed articles on a variety of historical topics, including ancient, modern, & medieval history. Download ready-to-use digital learning resources, & access detailed guides on researching, source criticism, quoting, referencing, assessment, & more. The creator is an award-winning senior high school History teacher based in Australia. He studied a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in Ancient History, & has post-graduate qualifications in secondary education. He has over 14 years' high school teaching experience.