Week 3

As I mentioned in my first blog post, my goal is to change the way that my students perceive history content. To many students, history is merely perceived as a collection of dates, facts, and events bundled into a textbook. I learned in last night’s class, that using primary sources can help to change this view. Using a wide variety of collected “artifacts” and sources, students are able to have a more hands-on experience with history. They allow students to make direct connections with the subject (people, places, events) by observing multiple sources about one topic. As we explored the Montgomery Bus Boycott through a variety of primary sources, I was able to come arrive at a better understanding of what that event was and what it meant for that time and the future. It allowed me to gain insight from personal accounts, articles, film, and legislative work. I know that the goal of our class was to learn how students can make inferences about history using primary sources. I believe that this can be accomplished through discovery and interpretation of new facts and information using these sources. I liked that this class demonstrated how students can make observations, use those observations to make inferences, and to compare student generated inferences with facts. Prior to this class discussion and reading, I did not understand the significant benefits of using primary sources in the classroom.