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Library Webquests » Grade 5 - Abigail Adams and Primary Sources
Grade 5 - Abigail Adams and Primary Sources
Big6 Research Model
Primary and Secondary Sources
Historians use a wide variety of sources to answer questions about the past. In their research, history scholars use both primary sources and secondary sources. Primary sources are actual records that have survived from the past, such as letters, photographs, and articles of clothing. Secondary sources are accounts of the past created by people writing about events sometime after they happened. For example, your history textbook is a secondary source. Someone wrote most of your textbook long after historical events took place. Your textbook may also include some primary sources, such as direct quotes from people living in the past or excerpts from historical documents. People living in the past left many clues about their lives. These clues include both primary and secondary sources in the form of books, personal papers, government documents, letters, oral accounts, diaries, maps, photographs, reports, novels and short stories, artifacts, coins, stamps, and many other things. Historians call all of these clues together the historical record. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/psources/source.html
You will be examining primary sources – Abigail Adams Letters. To familiarize yourself with Abigail Adams, please read pages 4 -5 in your packet and the encyclopedia articles in the folder to get a general overview of Abigail Adams. Write notes about anything important on the back of your packet or in notepad.
Now that you have some background information, you may start to read Abigail’s letters (internet). These letters are primary documnets.
Task - Create a SmartBoard presentation telling me all about Abigail Adams. At the end of your presentation, tell me if you think she should be famous? What, if anything, has she contributed to the history of the United States?
Information Seeking Strategies - Good places to look for information on Abigail Adams are the encyclopedia and the Massachusetts Historical Society (internet).
Locate and Access
- The encyclopedias are located at the check out desk.
- You will access the Massachusetts Historical Society through the internet - http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/aea/letter/.
- I will also provide a folder of EBSCO articles on Abigail Adams to each group.
- You may search the electronic database Kidsinfobit.
Use of Information - Read and take notes from the encyclopedia, EBSCO articles, Kidsinfobit, and the Massachusetts Historical Society website. You will also be provided with a handout on Abigail Adams.
Synthesis - Put all your information together and start to create your presentation.
Evaluation - When you have completed your project, you will receive an evaluation sheet. The evaluation sheet will have the following questions:
- What did you learn from working on this webquest?
- Did you do your best work on this presentation?
- Did you work well with your partner?
- Is there something you could do better on your next presentation?
- What was your favorite part of this presentation?
Computer and Library
Our Lady of the Assumption School
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