What is a Primary Source?

My last post was in June.  Says it all... doesn't it?  Let's face it.  My blog has never been more sad than over the past 6 months.  Not a post, not a comment, not even a thought to energize it and bring it to life.  So here we are in December and I'm finally getting back to it.  A lot has happened in the last 6 months. I went from being the librarian, to being the librarian, building technology... (not sure what my title actually is), and English department chair.  Don't get me wrong.  I like to be busy and feel that I'm being productive.  But my lack of attention paid to this blog clearly indicates that my daily routine has gotten significantly more full of responsibility, and I LOVE IT!   I have had many days when a subject for a blog post surfaced, but the minutes just weren't there to actually sit and put it in print.  Maybe today marks the turning of a corner?  We'll see.  As for now, a few ramblings.

It's coming!  Or perhaps I should say, it's here.  The big CC!  The Common Core.  With these new standards comes a lot of responsibility for educators to provide students with access to quality resources, teaching practices, and learning environments.  Increased attention is being paid to utilizing primary source materials to help students think critically and make connections.  So, when I had a teacher ask me what a primary source is, I almost fell over. Call me crazy, but I figured everyone knows what a primary source is. After regaining my composure, I provided a basic definition and some well-known examples.  Following this small teachable moment, I reflected on the idea that not everyone does know what a primary source is, nor do they know how to find them.  

In the spirit of the CC and primary sources, here is a brief lesson:


The Library of Congress is a great resource for learning about primary sources.  Did I mention that I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE LOC!  It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  More on that in another post.  Anyway... I love the LOC's definition for primary sources.  Short, sweet, and easily understood.  Here it is,

"Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience."   See - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/.

Got it?  If not, how about this?

Primary sources are "things" we can read, look at, hold, admire, talk about that are original to the time period in which they were created.  For example:  The Declaration of Independence is a PRIMARY SOURCE!  It is the original founding document of our great nation's freedom.  Anything written about the Dec. of Ind. is NOT A PRIMARY SOURCE.

PRIMARY SOURCE

SECONDARY SOURCE

Hopefully, these examples clarify the meaning of a primary source.  For additional information, visit: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/index.html.