Before embarking on the study of history, understanding how to "do"
history can be useful. To most people, the definition of history is
simple – it is what happened in the past. However, it is really not that
simple. Since we cannot revisit the past (except if you are Dr. Who),
the main task of the historian is to interpret the artifacts that have
been left behind. These artifacts from the past are what historians call
"primary sources." Primary sources are the raw materials of
history--original documents and material objects which were created in
the past. You have probably experienced primary sources in your own
life. For example, many of you have visited museums, and the objects
found in a museum are primary source objects – things created by those
people living in the past. Another example is a book that may have been
assigned in a class like one from Shakespeare or Jane Austen; those too
are considered primary sources because they are written by authors from
the past.
When historians write about the past, they interpret the meaning of
those objects. Interpretations of history are known as "secondary
sources" and you have also encountered these in your life. A textbook,
for example, is a secondary source because it was written by a historian
living today. Other examples of secondary sources (which again, are
interpretations of the past) include most history books at Barnes and
Noble, documentaries on TV, and even movies (think of Twelve Years a Slave).
One of the problems that historians face is the biased nature of
sources. It is important to consider who created the object, why they
created it, and what message was it intended to convey. Even historians
can be biased based on their personal beliefs (politics, religion, race,
gender, etc.). A good historian attempts to understand these biases and
write accounts that are based on sound logic and supported with
evidence (sorry fans of Ancient Aliens, that show doesn't meet the threshold).
The goal of this assignment is twofold. First, you will learn more
about the nature of reading primary source documents and interpreting
them. Then you will apply what you have learned by choosing a primary
source to analyze. By the time you are done, you will hopefully have a
better understanding of what historians do!
Task
Initial Post:
- For Part 1, read the article Reading Primary Sources and
choose 3 key themes from the document that you find most interesting.
Spend one paragraph discussing each theme (for a total of 3 paragraphs).
In each paragraph, you should clearly identify the theme you have
chosen in the first sentence, spend several sentences explaining the
theme and providing examples from the article to illustrate your theme,
and conclude with 1-2 sentences discussing why you think that particular
theme is significant for understanding history. Each paragraph should
thus be at least 6-7 sentences in length. - For Part 2, you will become a historian by applying what you have
learned. For this part, you will analyze one of the primary sources you
should have already read from unit 1 and from the textbook. Your answer
in Part 2 should clearly reflect what you learned about analyzing
sources in Part 1. Full points will not be awarded for answers that
merely identify or summarize the primary source. Rather, they should
(as the article notes), "identify it, contextualize it, explore it,
analyze it, and evaluate it."
Students whose last names begin with R-Z will analyze "Leo Africanus - Description of Timbuktu " https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/11/04/leo-africanus-description-of-timbuktu-from-the-description-of-africa-1526/ (my last name is Raymond)
First, describe the document you have been assigned and explain why
it should be considered a primary source. Then, using what you learned
from the article, analyze the significance of the document for
historians. What can this document teach us about the past?
Please include both Part 1 and Part 2 in the same posting (do not
create separate postings for each). You can post both parts directly
onto the discussion board by clicking on "Start a New Thread" and typing
in the box. Please make sure that you carefully proof your answer for
any typos and other writing issues. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR DISCUSSION POST IS BASED ON THE PRIMARY SOURCES REFERENECED HERE.
Responses to classmates:
Once you have posted your assignment, I want you to look at the
postings of other students to see how they have interpreted their
sources. Respond to AT LEAST two of your classmates. You should
respond to people who analyzed different images than you. In other
words, if you analyzed the Aztecs, then you will respond to one person
who analyzed Christopher Columbus and one who analyzed Timbuktu.
Your responses should focus on how different primary source images can
teach us about the past. Remember, if you want to both learn more and
do well, grade-wise, on the assignment, you will want to respond to many
more than just two classmates. In online discussions, as in life,
really, one should always shoot for vastly exceeding the minimum
required.
Note about your quotations:
Remember that you need to cite your source when you quote from a
reading. Reminder: Quotations should not be more than 10-15% of your
posts. They are not to take the place of your own ideas or thoughts;
they help support your ideas and thoughts. For these readings, use these
in-text citations and these full citations at the end of your postings.
Please see the Citation Help.pdf for guidelines for citing sources.
This activity may use a different grading rubric than what was used
in past activities. Be sure to check the grading rubric in the syllabus
before starting and note especially that frequency of participation in
the discussions will comprise the most of your discussion grade.