The Library of Congress

Evaluating Primary Sources

Primary source: one obtained by, coming from, or being direct personal observation or experience Some examples are: art artifacts autobiographies diaries interviews journals letters music news footage newspapers photographs poetry speeches	Secondary source: one created using information provided by someone else, i.e., using someone's recollection to create the item. Examples are: textbooks encyclopedias biographies
Question: What critical thinking skills can we teach students when we use primary sources? How can we use primary sources help students learn these skills? Let's try a simple activity to work toward an answer to this question. Go to Scanning a Primary Source Evaluating Primary Sources: Getting Ready | See | Hear | Read | Together | Resources

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Last updated 09/26/2002