Working with

Historical Documents

Why use historical documents?

Help students become aware of differences in perception and interpretation of historyShow the difference between primary historical documents and secondary historical interpretationForge a personal connection between students and people and events in the pastReinforce or supplement factual information from textbooksHelp develop comprehension and analytical skills

Types of Documents…

Personal sources:

• diaries• letters• journals

GLC02437.00638, Knox, Lucy Flucker (ca. 1756-1824)

Public Sourcesspeeches, official records,

newspapers, laws, pamphlets, reports, song

lyrics

GLC05214, George III, King of Great Britain (1738-1820)

Images• cartoons• paintings• illustrations,• charts• graphs• maps • broadsides

"The Bloody Massacre", by Paul Revere. GLC 1868

Boston in 1769

Photographsstaged, candid, people, scenery

69th NY Irish Regiment Civil War

What should we look for in a historical document…

Is the Document:related to a well known person or event that students might recognizeconnected to your state or local community“unique” appropriate for your teaching goal or theme and grade level – and if not, can it be edited or excerpted to make it more usefulAnd are you choosing a source because of your personal connection or because of its value in the classroom

Some Tips for Editing:• Include vocab

lists for dense documents with antiquated languageRespect the spirit of the document

• Provide background information or captions that frame the document

• Use ellipses strategically

In Summary:• Don’t be

deterred by long documents or more obscure documents

• Don’t be afraid to edit documents but do so purposefully

• Consider different types of sources

• Background information and captions are crucial to framing student interpretation of documents

Some Helpful Websites:Adapting Documents for the Classroom:http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/teaching-guides/23560National Archives, “History in the Raw”http://www.archives.gov/education/history-in-the-raw.htmlNational Archives Document Lesson Plans:http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/