Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources

The Wolves have been studying the difference between primary sources and secondary sources. They'll need to use several primary sources for their history fair projects. We've been focusing our conversations on how to determine if a source is primary or secondary (or tertiary - dictionary, fact book, or source that uses only secondary sources). The students have been scouring the internet for sources and have found that it's not as easy as it sounds to find primary and secondary sources. There are so many websites out there today that don't even cite a source! Catherine House, a nonfiction author and Prairie Racerunner Caroline House's mother, came in today to speak to the students about using primary sources. She brought in actual newspaper clippings and photographs that she used to when researching stories for her books. It was quite an amazing opportunity for the students to see how primary sources can be used to create exciting nonfiction stories that bring you into the story (sometimes even more so than a fiction story!).

Next Friday, we'll head to the University of Iowa library for a special session with the librarians on how to use the resources at the library to find primary sources. The students will get a chance to use microfiche readers (blast from the past!) and the University's wide array of books and online resources to find old newspaper clippings, court documents, and much more! We'll leave the school first thing on Friday morning and will return by the end of the day.