Historians review multiple types of sources in order to develop interpretations of the past. Through the asking of questions, they turn traces of the past into evidence. The synthesis and corroboration of multiple pieces of evidence informs how we understand the past.
The below exercises offer opportunities to explicitly introduce students to the concept of evidence.
Pre-Lesson
- Introducing Evidence(link is external): This lesson introduces students to primary sources and illustrates how historical narratives are constructed.
Content Application
Each of these scaffolds can be customized to support your unit of study while reinforcing the historical thinking concept.
- Primary Source Analysis(link is external)
- Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources(link is external)
- Sourcing Secondary Texts(link is external)
- Constructing a Narrative(link is external)
- Covid19 Journal Assignment - Witnessing a Historical Event(link is external)
Critical Pedagogy
- Silences in the Archive:(link is external) Four critical lenses to apply to the archive, articulated by theorist Michel-Rolph Trouillot.
- Asking Critical Questions of the Past(link is external)
- Interrogate the Source - Impact of Passive Voice(link is external)
Culminating Project
Class Museum(link is external): This project asks students to bring personal artifacts to class in order to create a “Museum of Us.”
Connection to Local History
Visiting a Local Museum(link is external): Use this activity on a visit to a community museum or historical society.
Related Model Lessons
- Advertisements as Evidence(link is external) (8th grade lesson)
- Oral History as Evidence(link is external) (10th grade)
A Note on Supporting Literacy Development: We encourage you to refer to these UCBHSSP planning templates(link is external)(link is external) as you make use of the Making History modules. Additional UCBHSSP strategies can be found in our literacy handbook, Access for All Learners.