History is a STORY. How should we learn it?

- Textbooks?
- Videos/Movies?
- Primary Sources?
What are the benefits of each of these?
What are the drawbacks?

Historical Passages vs. Historical Narratives

Historical Passages
Primary sources that provide firsthand testimony
Written during the time period
Definite historical passages: diaries, newspaper
articles, journals, speeches, letters, government
documents, photographs, interviews, etc.

Historical Narratives
Research-based stories or accounts that describe
or interpret historical events
Written after the event happened
Definite historical narratives: essays/books
written by historians, textbooks, historical
journals, etc.

Possible primary sources: political cartoons,

maps, songs, movies/documentaries,
manuscripts, plays, charts, poems, oral history,
social media

Possible historical narratives: political

cartoons, maps, songs, movies/documentaries,
charts, poems, manuscripts, plays, oral history,
social media

When using primary sources, we cannot judge them based on OUR personal values or TODAYS
societal norms and values. We must use the historical context in which the events unfolded
(what was happening in history AT THE TIME, and how did people feel about it THEN?) We should
also analyze the authors biases and motivations in creating that source. To study any primary source
(or even historical narratives), we must consider the following

A Author (Who created this?

What do you know about them? What is their point of view?)

P Place and Time (When and Where was this produced?

How might this affect the meaning?)

P Prior Knowledge (What do you already know about this document or its context?)
A Audience (For whom was the source created?

How does this affect reliability?)

R Reason (Why was this source produced at the time?)

T The Main Idea (What point is the source trying to make?)

S Significance (Why is the document important?

CARE?)
Declaration of
Independence

A=
P=
P=
A=
R=
T=
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Washington Crossing
Delaware

A=
P=
P=
A=
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T=
S=

Columbus Letter

A=
P=
P=
A=
R=
T=
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Two Tales of Thanks

A=
P=
P=
A=
R=
T=
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I Have a Dream
(Written)

A=
P=
P=
A=
R=
T=
S=

I Have a Dream (Video)

A=
P=
P=

What references can be made? WHY DO WE

A=
R=
T=
S=

What I Learned Today: