How do you Know?

Goals:

To help students develop an understanding of the different sources to use when doing accurate research.

To help students develop an understanding of how to incorporate literature in historical research.

Content Areas:

History - analyzing primary and secondary sources

Language Arts - using literature as a primary source.

Materials:

Stevenson, Robert Louis. (1924). Treasure Island. Chicago: Winston.

A book about pirates to be used as a secondary source
 

Pringle, Patrick. The Jolly Roger: The Story of the Great Age of Piracy.

Wheeler, Richard. In Pirate Waters.

Woodbury, George. The Great Days of Piracy in the West.



Recent newspaper article about pirates (information and an article received from the Navy liaison)

Procedure: (1 hour)

1) Ask the students if they know the differences between primary and secondary sources. If not, explain that primary documents are documents written during that specific time period. For instance, a newspaper article the day it happened, a sculpture done during the period, or a book written during the period. Also explain that secondary sources are those that analyze primary documents and interpret their relevance to the particular event. For example, contemporary books about pirates. Then explain why there is so much controversy over different views about primary documents. It is all a matter of educated interpretation. Use a contemporary example. The same fact can be interpreted in many different ways, which is one of the reasons there will probably never be such a thing as an unbiased historical document.

2) Ask the students to guess what time period Treasure Island was written in. Then ask them what else was happening during this time period. (If they do not respond to these discussion questions, then come prepared to feed them information that is relevant and can be found in any of the reference books listed in the materials.)

3) Bring out your books about pirates. Explain a little bit about what each book is about and ask the students to identify the advantages of using both the reference book and Treasure Island.

4) Ask the students to get into their groups and draw a Venn diagram (two circles overlapping a little bit). Have them label one circle Treasure Island and another Jolly Roger.

5) Ask the students to brainstorm reasons each source would be good to use in a paper about 17th Century pirates and the people's attitude about them.

6) Once they are finished, have them fill out the Venn Diagram putting the common reasons in the center.

7) Draw a large Venn Diagram on the board and as a class have each group, and individual students, discuss what they came up with and fill out the diagram.

8) Have each student write in his/her journal about how he/she would go about interpreting Treasure Island as a primary source document for a paper on what contemporary 17th Century society thought about pirates.

Assessment:

In order to assess whether students understand the different types of sources to use when doing accurate research, participation in both the group work and discussion is necessary. Criteria for success: See peer evaluation and group work rubric.

The journal assignment will help the teacher assess whether or not the students understand how to incorporate literature into historical research. Criteria for success: The student needs to express at least two methods on interpreting primary sources in their journals. This will show that the student can express his/her understanding of how to go about interpreting primary sources.

Extensions:

Bring in other primary and secondary documents to class and assign each group one of each to analyze and present to the class.

 This page was submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program