Types of Primary and Secondary Sources

A primary source is a direct account or record from the period, place, or people who are the subject of the historian's study. A secondary source is an account written later in time—for students, the familiar textbook article is a good example. Whether a source is considered to be primary or secondary depends on how it is being used. An opinion article about the holocaust written in 1972 would be a secondary source on the topic or period of the holocaust. However, on the topic of "evolving perspectives on the holocaust through the last half of the 20th century," it becomes a primary source. Neither is to be confused with first-, second-, or third-order sources (for a description, see "Associations among sources" in the DELIBERATE Sourcing Approach for Context-based Analysis).

There are many different types of sources. Instructionally, it is useful to employ terminology, or classifications, for sources as a means of facilitating classroom discussion, not as a set of terms to be memorized and tested over.

Students will doubtless find sources that fit into multiple categories, and possibly even some that call for the creation of a new category. This is quite acceptable. One arbitrary, but logical and useful, classification of sources might include those that consist of primarily text, those that are mainly visual, and those that are mainly oral or auditory. The following depictions are included in the student guide, along with the descriptions for each. The student guide also contains information regarding the importance of citing sources appropriately. Note the information contained on each the illustrations below, and discuss with students the manner in which sources used in research should be referenced in writing.

Text Sources	Visual Sources	Auditory Sources

Text sources consist of published and unpublished documents. Published documents—articles, books, and so forth—are usually easier to find. However, unpublished notes, diaries, letters, memos and the like often provide wonderful insights as well, and should play a large role in helping us to learn about people and events in a way that has been less manipulated. Instructionally, you will need to watch for student difficulties in reading text-based sources. Just as with a textbook—a secondary source—reading problems can interfere with students' progress in developing abilities to work with sources, analyze their content and meaning, and form valid conclusions. This is not an issue to avoid, however. There are, in fact, some excellent reasons why the two can and should be addressed simultaneously. Check out some of the research regarding Reading Comprehension and Historical Thinking: Classroom Realities in Building a Context Connection (http://www.designedinstruction.com/learningleads/reading-historical-sources.html).

Visual sources consist of a multitude of portraits, photographs, and even physical artifacts—personal belongings, tokens from a battlefield, and the like. As the old saying goes, seeing is believing.

Auditory sources such as speeches, songs, debates, and other recordings shed light on emotions and cultural ideals like no other medium. Hearing it "straight from the horse's mouth" can have a very special ring.

For each type of source, and the many possibilities within, there are special advantages and constraints. If you have not already done so, read Teaching with Source Documents: Creating Meaning Through Historical Source Document Analysis (http://www.designedinstruction.com/learningleads/teaching-historical-source.html).

If you are using one of our context-based lessons, or one of your own devising, you may want the accompanying Student Guide: Types of Primary and Secondary Sources. Choose below from two versions formatted for student use and ready for the copy machine. For the best possible print quality, access the PDF version, and use the "quality" setting on your printer.

Access the print-optimized PDF version of the student guide.

Or, if you prefer, try the print-friendly html version.

For more on teaching and learning using historical source documents and artifacts, see CASE: Context Analysis Source Explorations. CASE represents a cohesive instructional approach that is adaptable to any classroom or home teaching environment. The CASE overview page contains a regularly updated variety of CASE instructional units (including the free lesson sampler on child labor—"A Long Time Ago"), as well as links to each pertinent instructional resource used in units. Visit regularly for new additions and options.

If this is your first time to visit LearningLeads™, or if it has been awhile, be sure to take a look at the LearningLeads™ homepage at: http://www.designedinstruction.com/learningleads/index.html

For more on using context, go to the Learning Through Context curriculum and learning strand overview page at: http://www.designedinstruction.com/learningleads/learning-through-context.html