Reading Like a Historian: Evaluating Sources

In this lesson, students inhabit the roles of historians as they try to judge the accuracy and trustworthiness of one primary source over another. Students are divided into groups of 3 and given 6 historical questions-for each, 2 sources/accounts are listed and students explain which they find more trustworthy, and why. (Example: a high school history textbook vs. a contemporary newspaper account.) In a class discussion, students explain their answers, and the teacher has the opportunity to explain that true historical understanding is intertextual, depending on corroboration of sources.

Resource ID#: 37275 Type: Lesson Plan

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Direct Link: https://sheg.stanford.edu/history-lessons/evaluating-sources

General Information

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Social Studies

Grade Level(s): 11

Intended Audience: Educators

Instructional Time: 1 Hour(s)

Keywords: sourcing, corroboration

Instructional Component Type(s): Lesson Plan, Worksheet

Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction

Resource Collection: General Collection

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