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Primary Documents and American History

Lesson Author
Krumlinde, Georganna
Course(s)
American History
Required Time Frame
2-3 days
Subject(s)
Civil War
Grade Level(s)
10
11
12
Lesson Abstract
Get student to make connections between documents and history using Civil War primary sources.
Description
  • Individual assignment
  • Technology based
  • Primary sources
Rationale (why are you doing this?)
  • Get students to use primary sources.
  • Get students to do some critical thinking.
  • Get student to make connections between documents and history.
Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • Learn how to analyze a primary document.
  • Understand how that document either causes something in history, or is a result of something that is happening in history.
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met
  • Goal 1 Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to gather, analyze and apply information and ideas.

Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to

1. develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research

2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas

4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information

5. comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works

10. apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different contexts as students, workers, citizens and consumers.

  • Goal 2 Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom.  Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to

1. Plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences

2. Review and revise communications to improve accuracy and clarity

  • Goal 4 Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to make decisions and act as responsible members of society.  Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to

1. explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions

4. recognize and practice honesty and integrity in academic work and in the workplace

5. develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and accomplish goals

6. identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to complete those tasks

Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
  • Computers with Internet access
  • History text
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
  • Documents from 100 Milestone Documents on the Missouri Digital Heritage website.
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
  • I will give the student directions to go to the website, www.sos.mo.gov/mdh and go to Our Documents: 100 Milestone Documents in U S History, under the Sites of Interest.
  • The student will choose one document.
  • The student will print out their choice of documents.
  • The student will write a 2-3 page paper in which they show the importance of this document to history; either how this document came out of a particular event in history, or how this document caused a particular event in history.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide
  • By reading the papers I will be able to tell if the student has made appropriate connections between an event in history and a milestone document.