Understanding history is one of the most important things a well-rounded, educated human can do. Who are we, as a human race? How did we get to where we are in the current stream of time? What lessons can we learn from the past to improve our future? These are not simple questions to answer, with simple answers. So let’s begin somewhere productive. Where should we start our investigation of history?
Simple answer: at the source--the primary source.
What are “Primary Sources”?
Primary Sources are things that were created during a certain time-period, or by individuals who participated or were involved in a certain event or time-period. Some primary source documents might be obvious, or easily come to mind: an autobiography, a diary, a photo, census records, or a painting created at a given point in history. Some other primary source documents might not be so obvious. Tax records, children’s textbook, old magazine ads, amateur video footage, songs and lyric, and interviews are also great sources of information created during a certain time-period that is often over looked.
Why should you teach with, or learn from, “Primary Sources”?
Ever heard the saying, “Get it from the horses mouth”? That’s exactly what Primary Sources allow you to do. There is no better way to know what it was like during WWII than to hear the accounts from people who lived through it.
Also, Primary Sources will be less tainted than information that’s come through several hands before it reaches you. In essence, it allows history to be presented in an “it is what it is” fashion. The beliefs, prejudices, and core judgements of the people who provide history textbooks, websites (even this one) and information will taint the way the information is presented, or even what they chose to present in the first place. Even if it’s not done on purpose, the way the manufacturer of the information sees the world will affect their final products.
You don’t have that problem with Primary Sources. While everyone
may interpret a source differently, the information, or document, remains the is the same. By examining the content made d
uring the time, you have the best shot of understanding views of what was going on back then, given to you from history itself.
Have you ever seen a picture of the aftermath of war, the faces of holocaust survivors, or the brave students of Tiananmen square? Those pictures are Primary Source documents, and they have lasting
emotional effects. One of the best ways to help understand the importance of History is to let people feel connected to it. The use of primary sources, especially visual ones, sometimes created during the peek of raw emotion is a great way to do this.
But how can you find and use Primary Sources? Stay tune for our next article...
