2. An Introduction to Primary and Secondary Sources

3. What are primary sources? Original records from the past recorded by people who were: Involved in the event Witnessed the event, OR Knew the persons involved in the event

4. They can also be objects (artifacts) or visual evidence. They give you an idea about what people alive at the time saw or thought about the event. What are primary sources?

5. Keep in mind that a primary source reflects only one point of view and may contain a person’s bias toward an event. What are primary sources?

6. Examples of primary sources: Books, newspapers Printed Publications

7. Examples of primary sources: Personal Records Diaries, journals, records

8. Examples of primary sources: Visual Materials Paintings, drawings, sculpture

9. Examples of primary sources: Visual Materials photographs, film, maps

10. Examples of primary sources: Oral Histories Chronicles, memoirs, myths, legends passed down by word of mouth Click on this button to hear an example of oral history -------- >

11. Examples of primary sources: Songs and Poems

12. Examples of primary sources: Artifacts Tools, ornaments, objects

13. Secondary Sources

14. What are secondary sources? Secondary sources are made at a later time. They include written information by historians or others AFTER an event has taken place.

15. What are secondary sources? Although they can be useful and reliable, they cannot reflect what people who lived at the time thought or felt about the event. But they can represent a more fair account of the event because they can include more than one point of view, or may include information that was unavailable at the time of the event.

16. Examples of secondary sources: Textbooks, biographies, histories, newspaper report by someone who was not present

17. Examples of secondary sources: Charts, graphs, or images created AFTER the time period.

18. An era is the period identified by some special feature by historians. For example, the Texas Revolution Absolute chronology is the exact date. Relative chronology is a period in time in relation to another event.

19. Absolute/Relative October 1835- Battle of Gonzales; marks the beginning of the revolution March 1836- Texas Declaration of Independence was signed December 1845- Texas became 28 th state of United State Texas Revolution 1830- 1848 Industrial Revolution 1878-1898 Great Depression 1929-1941

20. Name that Source! The following slides contain examples of primary and secondary sources. See if you can classify each example as a primary or secondary source.

21. Classify these: primary or secondary?

22. Classify these:

29. The End