Primary+Sources

** English 2 Honors: Locating Primary Sources **
1. Identify and locate primary sources pertaining to the Civil War 2. Use media and technology to create and present information to share with others 3. Participate productively in workgroups and other collaborative learning environments 4. Use information, media and technology in a responsible manner
 * Goal:**

Assignment:
Students will work in groups of two to create a "page" on the class wiki that contains information about the Civil War. Students will use the Internet to locate __**Primary Sources**__ pertaining to __**Soldiers of the Civil War**__. These primary sources will be added to the class wiki for the purpose of sharing among the class.

(All Information obtained is from ALA: American Librarians Association)

**What is a primary source?**
==== ﻿ Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories. Primary sources may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons. These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research.====

Consult major collections of primary sources

 * American Memory: [|www.memory.loc.gov]
 * National Archives: [|www.archives.gov]

Browse a history directory
 * History Matters: []
 * History Guide: []

Use a search engine:
 * Google: [|www.google.com]
 * Yahoo: [|www.yahoo.com]

Get recommendations from your teacher or librarian:
 * Duke University Library: []
 * Destiny: []

Finding Pictures and non-text sources:
 * American Memory: [|www.memory.loc.gov]
 * NY Public Library Digital Collection: []

** How do I know if this source is a creditable source? **
====Look for websites with a non-biased, balanced approach to presenting sources. Websites produced by educational or governmental institution often are more reliable than personal websites, but governement sites may be subjected to propaganda. Some tips to follow when evaluating websites:====


 * Who is responsible for the website - URLs?
 * **Domain** || **Sample Address** ||
 * **.edu** = educational institution || http://docsouth.unc. **edu** ||
 * **.gov** = US government site || http://memory.loc. **gov** ||
 * **.org** = organization or association || http://www.theaha. **org** ||
 * **.com** = commercial site || http://www.historychannel. **com** ||
 * **.museum** = museum || http://nc.history. **museum** ||
 * **.net** = personal or other site ||


 * Who is responsible for the website - AUTHOR?
 * Credentials — who is the author or organization and what sort of qualifications do they have?
 * Contact address — is an email or some other contact information given?
 * "About" link — is there an “about,” “background,” or “philosophy” link that provides author or organizational information?
 * Is there a clear reason or purpose for this website?
 * Can I determine its origin?
 * What do others say about this website?
 * Is the content clearly explained, organized and assessible?
 * Is there a free use?

**How do I cite my primary sources?**
It is important to provide complete information about your primary source whether found in a printed source or online. The basic elements to include in a citation for an online source are: author of the document, title of the document, title of the web site, author or producer of the web site, url, date (if given) and date accessed.
 * NoodleTools (Noodle Bib Express): [|www.noodletools.com]
 * Son of Citation: [|www.citationmachine.net]