Free 8th Grade Primary And Secondary Sources Of Information Lesson Plan

Topic: Primary and Secondary Sources of Information

Objectives & Outcomes:

• Students will be able to identify and define primary and secondary sources of information.
• Students will be able to identify and use primary and secondary sources of information in their research projects.

Materials

• Handout with definitions and examples of primary and secondary sources of information
• Examples of primary and secondary sources of information (e.g. news article vs. textbook)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever had to do research for a project or assignment.
• Ask them to share some of the sources of information they used in their research.
• Discuss the different sources of information they used and how they might have determined which sources were the most reliable and trustworthy.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of primary and secondary sources of information.
• Primary sources are original materials or evidence that was created at the time of the event or topic being studied. These sources provide first-hand information and are considered to be the most reliable and trustworthy.
• Examples of primary sources include:
• eye-witness accounts
• official records (such as government documents, court records, etc.)
• materials from the time period being studied (such as newspapers, magazines, or advertisements from the time period)
• Secondary sources are works that discuss or analyze primary sources. These sources provide information based on the analysis of the primary sources and may include the author's own opinion or perspective.
• Examples of secondary sources include:
• research articles or essays that analyze or discuss primary sources
• theses or dissertations that are based on primary sources
• encyclopedia entries that are based on primary sources
• Using the handout, discuss the different types of primary and secondary sources and give examples for each. Emphasize the importance of using reliable and trustworthy sources in research.

Guided Practice

• Provide students with a primary source document and have them work in small groups to identify the source type (primary or secondary).
• Have each group present their findings to the class and discuss why they believe the source type they identified it to be.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a topic of interest and conduct research on it.
• Have them create a presentation (e.g. powerpoint, Prezi) on their findings, including both primary and secondary sources of information.
• Students can present their presentations to the class.

Closure

• Review the difference between primary and secondary sources of information.
• Ask students to reflect on what they learned during the lesson and how they can use this knowledge in the future.

Assessment:

• Observe students during independent practice to see if they are able to accurately identify and cite their sources.
• Evaluate the posters created during independent practice to assess students' understanding of the topic.References:
• “Primary Sources,” The New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/help/primary-sources (accessed February 17, 2017).
• “What Are Primary Sources?” The New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/help/primary-sources#whatareprimarysources (accessed February 17, 2017).
• “What Are Secondary Sources?” The New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/help/primary-sources#whataresecondarysources (accessed February 17, 2017).Assessment:
• Observe students during independent practice to see if they are able to accurately identify and cite their sources.
• Evaluate the posters created during independent practice to assess students' understanding of the topic.