UDLib/SEARCH
A state-funded collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware Library providing online magazines, journals, encyclopedias and training for all Delaware K-12 public schools
A state-funded collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware Library providing online magazines, journals, encyclopedias and training for all Delaware K-12 public schools
Primary sources are:
A first-hand account or testimony of the past, written during that present moment
Something that describes the reactions or thoughts of a particular period of time
Examples of primary sources include:
For more information about finding primary sources, visit the Primary Sources Research Guide.
Searching for primary sources in UDLib/SEARCH databases is a little different than how you might find a primary source via the internet. Usually, you can find some primary sources within articles. There are a variety of primary sources you might be able to find:
Photos from events (Gale In Context: Middle School)
Political cartoons (SIRS Discoverer)
Cartoon: How Far the U.S. Has Come. ProQuest, 2009. ProQuest; SIRS Discoverer, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsdiscoverer/document/2254194331?accountid=202853.
Paintings or drawings (PebbleGo Social Studies)
The easiest way to find primary sources is to look within articles of topics or events in each database. You can conduct an Advanced Search in the SIRS Discoverer database and limit by Source Type:
To find primary sources from historical collections in the United States, visit the Additional Resources tab on the left-hand side.
Although students in Grades K - 2nd might not be able to read or fully understand letters, speeches, or written documents from history - these grades can still interact with primary sources!
Most articles on historical topics in databases like PebbleGo, WorldBook Kids, and others have original images from historical events included as visual aids. These images range in format - some are drawings, paintings, or photographs of an event. As long as the image was created near or around the time period you are studying - these would be primary sources!
The image below is from PebbleGo Social Studies. You can see that there is an image on the page that depicts a man standing under a sign at a train station. This image would be a primary source because it is a photograph from the 1960s that depicts segregation and the Jim Crow Era. Students would be able to look at this image and learn more about this time period and experiences of a Black person who lived then.
Interested in using an image in a lesson or exploring how you can use primary sources in the classroom? Visit the Finding Articles page on this guide to download a PDF that includes a sample lesson plan you could use to have students engage and learn more about a subject in history.
Primary sources are an excellent resource for helping 3rd-5th grade students better understand history, and the UDLib/SEARCH databases offer many opportunities to find these sources.
Just like with the elementary school databases, most articles on historical topics in 3rd-5th grade databases have original images from historical events included as visual aids such as drawings, paintings, documents or photographs. As long as the image or document was created near or around the time period you are studying - these would be primary sources!
In the image below from PebbleGo Next Social Studies, you can see an image of a section of the proposed 13th Amendment which abolished slavery. The image of this document would be a primary source because it was written during the actual historical time period and is signed by Abraham Lincoln. This document, which is written in cursive handwriting, may be difficult for a 3rd-5th grader to read, but they can learn more about the document from the article and access a higher resolution image on the internet.
Interested in using an image in a lesson or exploring how you can use primary sources in the classroom? Visit the Finding Articles page on this guide to download a PDF that includes a sample lesson plan you could use to have students engage and learn more about a subject in history.
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UDLib/SEARCH has a new database called Britannica Original Sources that has entirely primary sources on a variety of topics across history. Search for documents throughout history or use the "Topics" section located at the bottom of the homepage.
