The Social Studies Teacher's Toolbox: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Support Your Students by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Published: 2020-04-28T00:00:00+00:00

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF SOURCE

While the previous strategy provided a cursory overview of the document, students have yet to analyze the content in any depth. We continue the study of Hernán Cortés' letter describing the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan as soon as we complete Figure 13.1: At a Glance Analysis of Source.

It is helpful to provide students with historical context prior to analyzing a source. In this case, before the analysis of this letter, students have already learned about the general motives of European explorers and conquerors between the 1400s and 1600s. Specifically, they read about Cortés and his role in colonizing what is now Mexico.

We introduce Figure 13.5: In-Depth Analysis of a Written Source by providing copies to students and projecting one on a screen or whiteboard. We explain that we will continue where we left off in the last activity by addressing three themes: identification, message, and motive. These three themes (presented as separate sections on the handout) are inspired by different strategies of primary-source analysis that we have used in the past.

We review the three sections of the handout with students, specifically the guiding questions in the left-hand column, to help students understand what the three themes mean. We explain that Identification is responding to the questions “What is it?” “Who created it?” and “When was it created?” We go on to say that Message means literally “What does it say?” and “What does it tell us about the writer and the historical moment?” Finally, we tell students that Motive means “Why is the person doing this or why is this event happening?”

Before continuing with the reading of the letter, we ask students to consider what they can already answer in the handout. For example, if students have completed Figure 13.1: At a Glance Analysis of Source, it may be helpful to direct them to review it. In this case, we model how to use the notes from this handout to answer most of the first section, Identification, on Figure 13.5: In-Depth Analysis of a Written Source. We write: “This source is a letter. It was created (written) by Hernán Cortés in 1520.”

Students finish noting any other helpful information from Figure 13.1: At a Glance Analysis of Source. Next, we introduce the following annotation strategies (verbally and in writing) to continue our in-depth analysis:

First, highlight any text that stands out to you in the primary source document and write, in the left margin, why it stood out. Second, label the same text you highlighted, in the right margin, with one of the following section headers that you think the text might connect to: identification, message, or motive.

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