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The Process
I. Research, Research, Research!
a. You may want to start with children’s books to gain an understanding of the basic themes and how they might be presented to children.
b. Read or skim a “definitive” history of the topic to gain an understanding of how the themes fit together into a whole.
c. Use the web . . . cautiously. The internet can be a great resource for research, but double check your sources to make sure the information is accurate.
II. Determine the Themes
a. Look at history as a narrative. Tell as much of the story as possible.
b. Include topics that show different interpretations or points of view to prompt discussion among your students.
c. Focus on experience. Social history that explores the historical experience of people is more relevant to students and will be remembered long beyond a list of dates and events.
III. Search for Primary Sources
a. Primary sources should support the themes chosen.
b. Locate age-appropriate primary sources OR modify the source by eliminating unnecessary information with ellipses, adding a glossary, adding footnotes, etc.
c. If you are publishing the source in a curriculum, make sure you have permission to do so. Linking to a source online is usually not a problem.
d. Refer to the list of sites (attached) that provide access to primary sources.
IV. Check for Curriculum Alignment
a. State standards for various subjects are available online at www.dpi.state.wi.us/ Go to “Educator’s Page” and click on “curriculum guides.”
b. Consider how your themes might address these standards.
c. Brainstorm about how the themes connect with different disciplines to teach “across the curriculum”
V. Determine your Goals and Objectives
a. What concepts and/or ideas should the activity impart?
b. Make sure you have measurable outcomes to use in assessment. These usually address the curriculum standards directly.
VI. Write your Activities
a. Support or background activities may not include primary source documents.
b. If possible, scan documents or use digital images so students can “see the real thing.”
c. Use questioning strategies and tips (see Uses for Primary Sources) to build skills such as object reading, document analysis, and higher level thinking.