Primary and Secondary Sources Lesson Plan: Historical Sources and Evidence
Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12
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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Primary and Secondary Sources, and supports the standard of summarizing how different kinds of historical sources are used to explain events in the past. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.
Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Ask students:
- What are some different ways you learn about history?
- How does reading about an event compare to interviewing someone who was there?
Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE
- Read the description on the Primary and Secondary Sources topic page.
- Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS
Assign Primary and Secondary Sources Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.
Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND
Students express what they learned about primary and secondary sources while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.
- Make-a-Movie: Produce a mini-documentary that explains how to use primary and secondary sources to complete a research project. Include details about how to evaluate information for credibility.
- Make-a-Map: Create a concept map defining primary and secondary sources and identifying examples of each.
- Creative Coding: Code a learning game challenging players to sort sources as primary or secondary.
More to Explore
Related BrainPOP Topics: Deepen understanding of historical sources and evidence with these topics: Research, Citing Sources, and Online Sources.
Teacher Support Resources:
- Pause Point Overview: Video tutorial showing how Pause Points actively engage students to stop, think, and express ideas.
- Learning Activities Modifications: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
- Learning Activities Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.
Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments
Grade: 06, 07, 08
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Grade: 06, 07, 08
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Grade: 03
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Grade: 03
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.
Grade: 04
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Grade: 04
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Grade: 05
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Grade: 08
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Grade: 08
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Grade: 03
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Grade: 04
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Grade: 05
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.2
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.
Grade: 08
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.5
Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
Grade: 03
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6
With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
Grade: 04
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9b
Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text”).
Grade: 05
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9b
Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]”).
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
Grade: 06
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9b
Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Grade: 07
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9b
Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).
Related:
Filed as:
6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.8, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.8, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9b, Lesson Plan, Primary and Secondary Sources, Social Studies, Study and Reading Skills, Teacher Resources
