TUESDAY BELL RINGER: VOCABULARYPAGE 1 OF 2

Source: book or document used to provide evidence in research.

Reliability: Able to be trustedCredible: Capable of being believed; worthy of belief.

Verifiable: To prove the truth with evidence

Refute: Prove a statement wrong or false

VOCABULARY PAGE 2 OF 2

Relevant: Connected to the materialBias: Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared to another

Cite: To quote an authority; to mention in support

Context: What was going on during the time period of the source

HISTORICAL SOURCES & CREDIBILITY

IT’S 2115 AND A HISTORIAN IS RESEARCHING AND WRITING

ABOUT YOUR LIFE!On your paper, brainstorm a list of all of the things the historian could use to learn about your life.

You lived a full life: got a job, had a family developed your hobbies, etc.

I’ll get you started: When you are born, you receive a piece of paper that proves your existence! What is it?

A PRIMARY SOURCE IS . . . An artifact of its timeA first-hand account of a historic event

A commentary or analysis of a historical event based on primary sources

A Secondary Source is . . .

EXAMPLES Primary Sources

Journal or diary entries

Letters Newspaper articles Pamphlets Photographs Clothing Original buildings Broadsides and posters

Artifacts Cartoons

Secondary Sources Text book Book written by a historian about an event

A magazine article looking back on a historical event

Journal article written by an expert

PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY

The Ohio State University First Football Team Photograph, 1890

Researcher finds photograph in the Ohio State archives

Primary Source Secondary Source

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE PRIMARY SOURCES? Why is it important to use credible sources?

THE TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA

10. You can never fully rely on any one source for important information

9. You especially can’t rely on something when you don’t even know who wrote it

8. The contributor with an agenda often prevails7. Individuals with agendas sometimes have significant editing privileges

THE TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA

6. Sometimes “vandals” can create malicious entries that go uncorrected for months

5. There is little diversity among editors4. The number of active editors has stopped growing3. It has become harder for casual participants to contribute

2. Accurate contributors can be silenced

AND THE #1 REASON NOT TO USE WIKIPEDIA IS…

IT SAYS SO ON WIKIPEDIA!!!!

WHICH WOULD HELP YOU PRESENT AN UNBIASED OVERVIEW OF A HISTORIC ISSUE?

A. Taking a survey of your friendsB. Showing both sides of an issueC. Discussing only facts not opinionsD. Including quotations from people who feel

strongly about the issue

YOU ARE TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN A CITY Which of the following would be unbiased information?

A. An editorial in the newspaperB. Statistics about the crime rate from the city

websiteC. Interviews with people who live in the

neighborhoodD. Videos of crime posted online by an

unknown source

IN AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN, VOTERS RECEIVE LETTERS DESCRIBING EACH CANDIDATE’S POSITION ON THE ISSUES.

These letters might be considered credible sources of information if they

A. identify the writer so that his/her qualifications and reputation may be evaluated.

B. use stereotypes effectively in describing the candidates.

C. avoid references to other sources of information about the candidates.

D. avoid presenting facts that would confuse the reader.

AT A PUBLIC MEETING, COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON A PROPOSAL FOR A NEW CITY PARK.

The live broadcast of the meeting will likely be a credible source of information about the meeting attendees’ feelings about the proposed park because

A. the speakers’ opinions will be unbiased. B. the speakers will be heard in their own words. C. television makes presentations more interesting. D. many journalists and citizens will be in the

audience.

WHICH SOURCES WOULD BE RELIABLE? WHY/WHY NOT?Book about the Civil War written by an Ohio State University history professor

Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Civil War

Website named “Confederate Pride”National Park Service website on Civil war Battlefields

A student report on Gettysburg posted onlineCollection of diary entries by Civil War soldiers

ARE ALL PRIMARY SOURCES EQUAL?

Just because something is a primary source does not always mean it is credible or that it is the best source to use when researching.

Not all primary sources are relevant to your topic

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO FIGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR?