Virginia White
7th/8th Study Skills
Holbrook Junior High School
Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources
Completion Time – 7 – 10 days
This lesson combines research, writing and technology. Students will begin with an activity located within the CEISE site. After participation in this site, they will branch out into other sites to evaluate primary sources. They will finish the unit by returning to the CEISE site, creating their own treasure chest pulled from their own history, and publishing in the CEISE site and on the class web page.
The following standards will be evaluated over the course of the unit. The results of the standards should be evident in the final product. Standards preceded by * will be the standards specifically contained within the final project.
*1T-E2, PO2: Retrieve and save information remotely
*4T-E2, PO1: Plan, design and present an academic product using technology tools
5T-E1, PO1: Identify electronic research resources
5T-E1, PO5: Identify the author of the information found from electronic resources and
determine whether the author is an authority, displays bias and is a primary or secondary source
R-E2 Use reading strategies such as making inferences and predictions, summarizing,
paraphrasing, differentiating fact from opinion, drawing conclusions, and determining the author’s purpose and perspective to comprehend written selections
W-E8. PO1: Implement a research strategy that includes
- selecting best source for specific research purpose
- taking notes that summarize and paraphrase information relevant to the
topic
- incorporating notes into a finished product
*VP-E2 Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using a variety of media such
as videos, films, newspapers, magazines and computer images
*VP-E3 Compare, contrast and establish criteria to evaluate visual media for purpose
and effectiveness
The student will:
Use information saved on the server to create their own primary source treasure chest
Use technology tools such as scanners and cameras to create their own primary source treasure chest
Plan, develop, produce and publish to a web site
A student-developed rubric will be used to evaluate the published product from the web site. Teacher will access the web site to do the evaluation. Technical questions will be asked during the unit to determine skill levels.
Basic computer skills have been taught. Technology skills will have been taught within the unit before the requirement of a finished product.
This unit will take place within a classroom and a computer lab. Whole group instruction, small group instruction, peer teaching, and partners will all be utilized within the unit
Overhead projector will be used to display questions.
Camera (mine) for pictures
Digital camera if available
Scanner to place pictures and original hand written work onto server for access by
students
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/treasure/index.html (Treasure Chest; CEISE)
http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/saapreserv/text/links.htm (How to preserve primary sources)
http://www.jerseyhistory.org/howtofind.html (Jersey history, operates on same principle as CEISE)
http://www.lib.duke.edu/reference/natam/speccoll.htm (Contains many links to Native American primary sources)
http://www.oocities.org/vwhite1212/index.html (Under construction)
Limited to questions and background information printed in advance of Internet access
Paper, pencils for note taking
Access to technology listed in peripherals
Web sites
Family members
Cultural information, if desired
1. Using Treasure Chest located in CEISE, students will look at primary sources. They will search these sources and answer questions about each one, determining the strengths and weaknesses of such sources. They will look at a picture from the 1900’s, a letter from Theodore Roosevelt Sr. to his son, an ancient map drawn by a Spaniard in the 1600’s, and an early basal reader from the 1800’s.
2. Upon completion of the above, they will leave CEISE and explore primary sources located on the web. We will search for primary sources depicting northern Arizona – Holbrook and surrounding area in particular.
3. The students will then be told that they are going to develop their own treasure chest containing primary sources of their own.
4. As a whole group, a rubric will be developed so that expectations of the treasure chest can be clearly understood.
5. Create and publish their own treasure chest of primary sources.
ESL
This is a visual unit, which will meet the needs of many ESL students. Oral language will expand as primary sources are discussed in small groups and opinions are presented to whole group. Expectations will be readily understood as rubric is developed in class.