1. Can you solve the mystery of this historical event?
History Detectives
Can you solve the mystery of this historical event?

2. What is a source?
A person, place or thing where you can get information
Brainstorm ideas of sources:

3. Primary Source An original source or evidence.
An artifact, a photo, a document, a recording, or another source of information that was created at the time under study.

4. Secondary Source
A source of information created after an event has occurred, providing secondhand accounts of that event, person, or topic. (usually an article or book)

5. Directions: Search for the following…
Who is it about?
What is it? (What type of document is it?)
What is it about?
When was it written?
Where were they?

6. Question?
Take a few minutes to walk around and look at each document. Decide on one you’d like to study as a historian. Gloves keep the dirt and oils on your hands from affecting the document. Use your magnifying glass if needed to search for information on the document. Fill in as much information as possible about the source on the sheet of paper next to it. When the timer goes off, move to another document and try to add information to it the person before you did not.

7. Discuss
Are primary or secondary sources easier to read and why?

8. Discuss
Which are more reliable and why?

9. Discuss Does history change?
If not, why does it seem like that sometimes?

10. Perspective
Do you understand why books about historical events are sometimes different?
How might the story of the American Revolution be different if it were told by people from Great Britain?

11. NICE WORK!