In this activity, students discuss the reliability of a painting of the First Thanksgiving to introduce the idea that is crucial to consider a source's date.

Young scholars will analyze primary source documents related to the National History Day (NHD) theme for 2011-12: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, determine how the documents are connected to the theme, and evaluate the...

Learn how to analyze and compare the relationship between a primary and a secondary source.

This is an interactive historical thinking poster. History is an argument about the past. Constructing a narrative about history involves several tasks: Analyzing Primary Sources, Examining Source Information,Using Evidence to Support...

This site provides hints and guidelines on how to effectively use sources.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read primary source documents to solve a problem surrounding a historical question. This document-based inquiry lesson allows students to analyze two cartoons drawn by Thomas Nast, and to chart...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read primary source documents to solve a problem surrounding a historical question. This document-based inquiry lesson allows students to gain a more nuanced understanding of how Americans...

Students will analyze primary sources related to the New Deal. They will analyze specific documents to determine if overall the New Deal represents a revolution or a reform in our history.

Learners will analyze primary sources with an eye for cause-and-effect relationships.They will identify the roles of government policy and technological improvements in the settlement of the West, and explain their impact on Native...

Read about the Railroad Strike of 1877 using three excerpts from textbooks and three original newspaper articles. Compare and contrast the information in the primary and secondary sources.

In this activity, students will analyze video clips, photographs, and written documents related to General Douglas MacArthur to explore the controversy surrounding his career, especially the decision by President Harry S. Truman to...

In this activity, students will identify and analyze national monuments and buildings to discover how they represent American people, ideas and institutions.

Questions to ask yourself when determining if a source is reliable. Discusses difference between primary and secondary source. List of reference sources and links to other sites that teach you how to evaluate sources....

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion...

[Free Registration/Login Required] Lesson in which students analyze primary source material to consider different ways Castro viewed the United States. Includes teacher materials, student materials, PowerPoint and original documents.

Explore the dimensions of America's rich history by taking a detailed look at objects from our past. Examine stories, important moments, and the evolution of the American people via primary documents, photos, and other artifacts.

Learn how to analyze primary and secondary sources using text evidence. An example is provided. (Note: Exercises don't load in archived copy.)

In this activity, students will analyze a primary source document to find relevant historical data and calculate how much United States Senators were paid in the first Federal Congress.

In this activity, students will analyze documents pertaining to the women's suffrage movement as it intensified following passage of the 15th Amendment that guaranteed the right to vote for African American males. Documents were chosen...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A structured academic controversy opportunity to peruse and analyze documents to ignite a debate over the success or failure of the New Deal.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Lesson in which students analyze original documents to evaluate the conflict between colonists under King Philip and Native Americans.

In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the U.S. Constitution. Students will then make connections between the documents they have examined and the big...

Students will analyze a series of photographs taken by renowned photographer Mathew Brady to reflect on the lives of soldiers during the Civil War. The holdings of the National Archives include over 6,000 photographs taken by Brady and...

In this lesson, students will examine music during wartime protests. Students will analyze a wartime protest song and present it to the class. Includes a PowerPoint presentation discussing music as a primary source and links to help...