Summary
Research involves gathering information from sources. Some are primary sources, which capture people’s first-hand experiences—like videos, emails, and eyewitness accounts. These sources can give you a real feel for people’s personal feelings and their perspective on an event. Others are secondary sources, like encyclopedia entries and textbook articles, which are written after the fact from second-hand knowledge. They combine information from other sources into a summary or analysis of a topic, which can help you understand the context and broader themes. When using sources in an assignment, evaluate each one carefully, considering the author’s perspective and biases, and whether it’s credible. And remember to cite your sources—you don't want to plagiarize! Want to learn more? You’ve come to the right source, so press “play.”
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Primary and Secondary Sources:
- What is one new thing you learned about primary and secondary sources?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining primary and secondary sources.
- Draw or give one example of your own.