TEKS Talk - SLA Inquiry Research image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

Task students with creating a brochure about the key components of primary and secondary resources and including examples of each.
 

Further Explanation

This assessment requires students to accurately describe primary and secondary sources and provide appropriate examples of each. Primary and secondary sources are introduced in second grade. By sixth grade, students should able to independently identify the components of each.

to demonstrate an awareness of the contrasting qualities and characteristics that distinguish one thing from another (e.g., primary vs. secondary source; paraphrasing vs. plagiarism)
Primary sources are firsthand accounts or documentation of an event (e.g., audio of an interview, photographs, or speeches). Secondary sources provide information about an event that may have occurred elsewhere or during a different time (e.g., documentaries, textbooks, or magazine articles). In order to tell the difference between these two types of sources, students should ask themselves questions such as “Was the author of this document present when the event occurred?” or “Did this expert learn about the topic through research or experience?” For example, students can determine that letters and communications exchanged between diplomats of two countries nearing conflict are primary source documents while a biography that describes the work of one of the diplomats is a secondary source.

Research

Anderson, M. A. (2009). The power of primary sources: primary sources aren't just about history. Their use can enhance learning in all content areas and for students of all ages. The widespread prevalence of digital primary sources makes a greater range available and accessible to all. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 16(6), 35+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A211806240/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=6b46063c

Summary: The author looks at a variety of primary sources, from diaries and letters to maps, YouTube videos, and more in this article on effectively using primary sources in the classroom.