Sources+as+Evidence

=//**Are you an historical detective?**//= What is an historian? How do you begin to think like an historian? Clearly, historians like to study the past and examine evidence to begin to appreciate events as to when and why they happened? It is a bit like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle when some of the pieces are missing. How do you find those 'missing pieces' and will they all fit into the 'big picture' of history?

Why should we study history? Listen, watch and learn! media type="youtube" key="vgmNkYUL_Cw" width="560" height="315" How do you then examine the evidence that you have found? Well, it helps by asking some questions about the evidence? **Keep your source workbook handy: **

media type="youtube" key="um9GV6_AILM" width="560" height="315"
 * Historians use historical evidence to understand the past. They find this evidence in sources. A source can be anything that survives from the past and tells us about the past. There are many different kinds of sources. For example, if we were to study World War I, we might find letters and diaries writing about events in the lives of the people who experienced the war. We also might find artifacts from the war itself, such as weapons used during the war, or newspaper articles written during the war. These are just a few of many.**
 * Working with sources can be very interesting, especially if they only tell part of the story. The following short film was taken in 1913, and is without sound, yet still manages to capture an event which raises questions even one hundred years later. Watch the film and look for clues as to what the event is and, even more importantly, why it took place.**
 * A source is NOT the same as evidence. A source can //become// evidence if we can use it to answer questions about the past. Questions to ask about a source are:**
 * 1) **What do I want to know about the past?**
 * 2) **How does this source help me to answer my questions about the past?**
 * Emily Davison- Victim or Martyr?**

Task 1: Study the pieces of evidence with your group about the death of Emily Davison. Was she really a martyr or a woman who made a mistake which cost her her life? [|What actions did the Suffragettes take?] What really happened to Emily Davison at the Derby in 1913? [|What happened to Emily Davison?] media type="youtube" key="DuuetSX620U" width="560" height="315"

Sinking of the Titanic- who was responsible? media type="youtube" key="FSGeskFzE0s" width="560" height="315" Task 2: Complete the following assessment, in your group, using the resources made available.

** We would also want to determine if the source is __primary__ or __secondary__. A primary source comes from the time period that the historian is studying. A secondary source, on the other hand, has been produced after the time period of the historian's study. It is not always easy to determine whether a source is primary or secondary, until you know what you are trying to find out. For defintions of primary, secondary and tertiary sources, look here: [|University of Maryland] ** media type="custom" key="23764674" media type="custom" key="23885770" [|The assassination of John F Kennedy] Review this source about the shooting of President Kennedy using your source support sheet to help:
 * Who shot JFK? Working with primary and secondary sources:**

(Attributed to: [|Using newspapers for evidence]
 * What are the skills we need to use when analyzing sources? [[file:History 9 Analysing-Sources-Review.pptx]]**
 * Working with Sources**
 * Historians work with many types of sources, both primary and secondary. For example, historians work with newspapers and, generally speaking, are looking for three kinds of evidence.**
 * 1) Learning facts about specific events**
 * 2) Looking for long-term trends**
 * 3) Searching for details surrounding an event**
 * Newspaper articles, however, can include factual errors (reporters are only human!) can be incomplete or inaccurate and will sometimes contain //bias,// a particular point of view. This does not mean that they still are not useful, but historians would not rely on newspapers alone. Examine the Calgary Daily Herald from 1918 to see what types of stories people from this Canadian city would be interested in reading about! [|The Calgary Herald].**

//**Task 1: How to get evidence from a source**// //**You and your partner will look at a variety of newspaper articles. Choosing two, you will identify the origins of the newspaper (its name, who published it and when) and then take two articles and identify**// //**a) their author**// //**b) the intended audience**// //**c) five facts from the article**// //**d) whether the article provides an opinion and/or bias**// //**e) what evidence that you can gather from the way in which the article is written as to the background of the story (it is a one time event or an ongoing situation?)**// //**f) can you make inferences from the article (in other words, go beyond the obvious facts of the story)?**//
 * This worksheet will help you with your responses:[[file:history9_chart_for_newspaper_analysis.doc]]**


 * Working with Sources**
 * How do we get evidence from a source? Good question! Sometimes the evidence from sources is straightforward and obvious. However, when it is not, we have to //make inferences, __or go beyond the obvious facts.__// Sometimes it is possible to use inference to establish what the attitude of a writer may be. Knowing the attitude of the author of the source can help you decide how trustworthy the source is. Guidelines to remember when examinng sources-**
 * 1) not all sources are what they seem to be**
 * 2) not all sources are easy to understand, although some may //seem// easy to understand**
 * 3) not all sources can be trusted**
 * This photo is a good example of how evidence can be manipulated; if you look at the image from both the far right and the far left, you have very different impressions than if you see the full photo, in the centre. Is the soldier a prisoner, a victim or both?**

[] []
 * Have a look at the following websites: Do the guidelines apply?**

Task 3: Take a look at the following photos. If you were a reporter, what would you have to say about these stories? What could the headlines be? Source: []

Photo 1:



Questions to Consider:

 * 1) ===How would you describe the events you perceive to be taking place?===
 * 2) ===What social issues might this image be addressing?===
 * 3) ===How does this image make you feel? Offer your interpretation of its significance.===
 * 4) ===How does your "report" differ from those around you? Discuss what may have led to these differences.===

Photo 2:

Primary and Secondary Flow Chart:

**Bias and Reliability**

 * To be able to make clear judgements, historians need to decide how useful sources are. Some important questions include:**
 * **Is the source //biased// in any way?**
 * **Does the source confirm //facts// or //opinions//?**
 * **How reliable is this source for the intended purpose?**


 * Bias, or __one-sidedness__, is written in most sources, to varying degrees. It is important to recognize bias when it appears. It is also important to be able to identify the difference between fact and opinion. Facts are __provable__ and opinions are based on __points of view.__ Historians need to decide if a source provides reliable evidence for the intended purpose. View the following powerpoint and fill in the chart to determine whether the sources are __reliable__ as evidence.**

Task 4: Now that you have an appreciation for sources as evidence, you will need to complete a source analysis assessment, following the structions on this document: