Resources for School of Education

Through this library session, students will learn to:

• Define what primary sources are and describe their potential role in elementary social studies lesson plans.
• Explain ways in which primary sources can bring social studies to life for elementary students.
• Apply search strategies to locate a primary source using given resources, such as websites and online databases.
• Reflect on ways in which primary sources can enhance a lesson plan and students’ learning.

Primary sources are first-hand accounts, original manuscripts, records, or documents produced from the time period at hand. Some examples of types of primary sources include the following:

• Letters

• Photographs

• Maps

• Speeches

• Interviews

• Government documents

• Historical records

• Personal papers, memoirs, diaries

• Artwork

• Newspaper articles from the time period

• Original records on science experiments

These may be available in their original form or they may be reproduced or reprinted in another book.

Learn more about primary (and secondary!) sources through the links below from TeachingHistory.org:

Below are a couple game-like activities:

Rochester and New York State

United States-based

Areas of the World

Conglomerate Sites

Listed below are various K-12 level online databases that include a variety of primary sources.