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Introduction of photographs, maps, letters and newspaper articles as primary sources (Lesson 4)

Created By: Debbie Hohulin, Gibson City Melvin Sibley Elementary School (Gibson City, IL)
Grade Level: 1st
Content Area: Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts, Technology
Database Integration: Students will learn about the TDC database, and use it for a final project.

Background information for the teacher:

Main page to access TDC database.

Materials:

LDC projector
Easy Reader fictional book on Abraham Lincoln
Xerox copies of examples of letters, maps, newspaper articles, and artifacts directly related to Abraham Lincoln
Large poster paper and stick glue
Black felt pens

Procedures:

A. Introduction: teacher directed.
1. At the carpet, read a fictional book about Abraham Lincoln. Then ask, how do we know he was real and not make-believe? How can we really know? (Can use any famous person/ or well-known event).
2. Move to LCD projector. Show different aspects of Abraham Lincoln's life. Real pictures of him (as a boy, a man, as president, his family, etc.)
B. Hands-on Activity: In groups.
Tell them you had found other types of primary sources that prove that Abraham was real. Pass sources out to each of your groups and discuss how this helps us know that Abraham Lincoln was real.
1. Photographs of real artifacts he owned...tools, books, home, etc.
2. Photographs of letters he had written.
3. Photographs of maps of where he lived, worked, went to school.
4. Photographs of articles in newspapers written during the time he was alive.
5. Have each group glue the photograph of the primary source on a large poster board and label it (letter, artifact, map, newspaper article) and then have each person in the group write down ways this primary source proves Abraham Lincoln really lived.
C. Wrap-Up:
1. Call over to carpet area. Ask for each group to share their poster.
2. Collect all posters. Hang up in the classroom.
3. Point back to large poster paper and say: Some other primary sources are letters, newspaper articles, maps and photographs. Write these down as you say them on the large Primary Source Poster. You may have the actual letter or newspaper article, or any of these, or you may have photographs of them, like we have from the TDC site.

Assessment:

Students will be able to write about and orally describe the other types of primary sources: letters, photographs, maps, and newspaper articles and how they can help verify that something is true. They will continue to be exposed to the terms: artifacts, letters, newspsper articles, photographs and maps as primary sources and the idea that websites, like the TDC are places they can go to find primary sources.

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Introduction of photographs, maps, letters and newspaper articles as primary sources (Lesson 4)

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