Other
New York State Library: Student Activity: Primary Versus Secondary Sources
Read about the Railroad Strike of 1877 using three excerpts from textbooks and three original newspaper articles. Compare and contrast the information in the primary and secondary sources.
George Mason University
Gmu: Virginia Montecino: Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of Www Resources
An easy-to-follow guide to assist in determining whether online resources are reliable and true. Find questions to ask while reviewing sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Part 1 Reading: Literature: Summarize
Summarizing is a key skill needed in reading comprehension. This page describes how to summarize main ideas in a text. Click on Model button for a model with explanation and then click on Practice (Bottom Right)
Other
Primary Research Through the History of Beverly
At Beverly High School in Massachusetts, students learn history through their own primary research on local history topics. This article and links from it explain how it's done.
Other
Fair: Retractions of Reporting Are Quite Selective
Interesting essay on the use of unnamed or anonymous sources, accuracy of reports, and retractions of innaccurate reports by major news outlets. Eye opener.
Library of Congress
Loc: Does the Camera Ever Lie?
A presentation of how photographs were manipulated by photographers during the Civil War.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Purdue University Owl: Common Pitfalls of Primary Research
Learn about the common mistakes made when reporting primary research findings.
Other
Independent Television News: Itn
ITN is your United Kingdom news source. This site features links to ITV news stations, British news, world news, money, sports, weather, and entertaiment.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Using Primary Sources in the Classroom [Pdf]
This lesson provides guidelines for teaching students how to use primary sources such as images, text, or statistics (e.g., maps, census). Includes a document analysis worksheet.
Other
Library of Congress: Teaching With Primary Sources
This website is an excellent resource for teaching with primary sources. This resource features Holocaust lessons, lesson plan strategies, and podcasts.
Sam Houston State University
Texas Center for Academic Excellence: Summarizing Pre Test
Check students' prior knowledge and understanding of how to summarize passages and identify main ideas.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Teaching With Documents
Site from National Archives provides copies of primary documents that can be used while presenting various topics in U.S. history.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Informational Text: Determine Central Ideas and Supporting Details
Read a short informational text and determine the main idea and supporting details. Click to check your answers then click on Practice.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Key Ideas and Details: Use Text Evidence
Learn how to analyze primary and secondary sources using text evidence. An example is provided. (Note: Exercises don't load in archived copy.)
Library of Congress
Loc: Sourcing a Document: The First Thanksgiving
In this activity, students discuss the reliability of a painting of the First Thanksgiving to introduce the idea that is crucial to consider a source's date.
Curated OER
Mc Graw Hill: Compare Primary and Secondary Sources
Learn how to analyze and compare the relationship between a primary and a secondary source.
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Score: Guide to Reading Historical Documents
Here are some questions that serve as a guide while you read and study historical documents. The information at this website was originally written by the National Council for the Social Studies. W.11-12.9b US Doc Analysis
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How to Choose Your News
Damon Brown gives the inside scoop on how the opinions and facts (and sometimes non-facts) make their way into the news and how the smart reader can tell them apart. [4:48]
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How False News Can Spread
In previous decades, most news with global reach came from several major newspapers and networks with the resources to gather information directly. The speed with which information spreads now, however, has created the ideal conditions...
BBC
Bbc Skillswise: Fact or Opinion
As part of the BBC's Skillswise unit, this resource covers the basics of separating fact from opinion through a worksheet, a factsheet, and a quiz.
Other
National Council on Public History: Evidence of the Past
Understand how historians are like detectives- studying evidence from the past.
Cyberbee
History Investigation: Old Hand Written Letter
Examine this old hand-written letter to discover information about the author, his plans, and the time he lived in. A transcript of the letter is provided, as well as bonus activities and links to sources to complete the activities.
CNN
Cnn: Newspaper Won't Identify Sources in Bombing
Remember Richard Jewell? He was the man accused of being the Olympic bomber by anonymous sources. Jewell was cleared and sued the paper for libel. Links to related stories allows viewers to follow Jewell's story.
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University
Purdue University Owl: Primary Research
Learn the difference between primary and secondary research as well as some different types of primary sources that can be used when gathering research.