Historians use primary and secondary sources to create a narrative (story) of the past. Type 1: Primary Sources A primary source is an original record produced by the people who participated in or witnessed a historical event.
They do not have to be written. They can also be objects, living people, or images. Primary Source Examples 1) Audio (oral histories, music) 2) Images (photographs) 3) Objects (tools, pottery) 4) Texts (diaries, letters, a constitution) Type II: Secondary Sources A secondary source is created by someone who did not witness or participate in the event. They are often produced by using primary sources. More likely than primary sources to make an argument. Secondary Source Examples 1) Textbooks 2) Encyclopedias/Wikipedia 3) Biographies (not written by the person) 4) Gossip Quiz! Primary or Secondary? 1) I was watching The Today Show before school and the reporter said The Hunger Games 2 got really good reviews.
ANSWER: 1) Secondary! Quiz! Primary or Secondary? 2) I was at my friends house over the weekend. When she went to the bathroom, I saw that she got a new text message. It was from her older sister saying she got was going into labor! ANSWER: 2) Primary! Quiz! Primary or Secondary? 3) I was in the attic when I found my dads old baseball jerseys. He was number 25.
ANSWER: 3) Primary! Quiz! Primary or Secondary? 4) The textbook says that Christopher Columbus discovered America.
ANSWER: 4) Secondary! Quiz! Primary or Secondary? On Martin Luther King day, I watched a video- recording of the I Have a Dream Speech.
ANSWER? 5. Secondary! Writing Assignment (6-8 sentences) 1. Was the Juan Alvarez assignment difficult? Why or why not? 2. Restate what your groups response was. 3. Were you confident it was correct? Why or why not? 4. How can you relate this assignment to what historians do to write history?