My slogan is "primary sources, primary sources, primary sources!"
But I also produce original student-centered learning activities, such as mock trials and mock congresses.
I have been a classroom social studies teacher since 2007 and am a former newspaper editor and magazine researcher.
My slogan is "primary sources, primary sources, primary sources!"
But I also produce original student-centered learning activities, such as mock trials and mock congresses.
I have been a classroom social studies teacher since 2007 and am a former newspaper editor and magazine researcher.
The World Speaks: World History Since 1750 Using Primary Source Documents.
Primary Source Modern World History a workbook in the form of a toolbox of teacher assignments. The main idea behind it is to create a large number of primary source readings – 40 in total – that can be assigned to Modern World History (1750-present) students in high school or as part of a university core survey course on U.S. History. But this workbook contains a variety of teacher resources, including:
• 41 primary source reading assignments,
• Six research and documentation projects (Three papers, two PowerPoint presentation and a simulation),
• 10 unit vocabulary lists
• 10 review worksheets
• 352 pages total
All of the assignments are in print-ready format. Because it is a digital text in MS Word DOC format, they are adaptable to your classroom preferences. Moreover, it’s easy for the teacher purchasing this to post the document on a school password-protected school intranet to use as a textbook supplement. (You may want to withhold the World War One Simulation for the appropriate time.) I typically post the readings one at a time on my GoogleClassroom.
All of the primary source readings have a series of questions at the end, which are generally a mix of reading comprehension, student opinion, Document-Based Questions, and – whenever possible – links to current events. The primary source documents are essential for honors-level students tracked to take the College Board’s AP World History exam. As such, it gives them the document-based questions (DBQs) at the end of the texts (marked with a “►”) as preparation for the kind of questions they’ll likely encounter in the AP exam.
– Thomas R. Eddlem
This is a compilation of key primary source readings for understanding the Great Depression of the 1930s and the New Deal in a U.S. History class.
The packet includes the following primary source readings:
1. David Ricardo and the Theory of Competitive Advantage: From On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817)
2. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff: Sen. Reed Smoot, Sen. John William "Elmer" Thomas
3. Economics of the Great Depression: John Maynard Keynes, Frederic Bastiat
4. A Study in Fascism: John T. Flynn's As We Go Marching (1944)
5. The Evolution of the Supreme Court During the New Deal: Schechter v. US (1935), Wickard v. Filburn (1942)
6. Roosevelt's Fireside Chat on the Economy (1938)
Also contains:
Research paper on the Great Depression with instructions, links and rubric
Unit vocabulary list and two practice worksheets
Note: These readings along with more than 90 others are included in my book Primary Source American History, along with three mock trials, two mock congresses and several dozen projects review worksheets. If you like this (or the free readings on my store), consider getting the complete set.
This is a series of primary source readings on the industrial revolution for a World History course at the high school or university survey course level. The four primary source readings include 4-15 questions at the end of each reading that combine reading comprehension, links to current government issues and Document-Based-Questions (marked with a "►"). Contents include:
1. Adam Smith from The Wealth of Nations on the division of labor (1776)
2. Sadler Report on Child Labor excerpts (1832)
3. Parliamentary debate on the Sadler bill (1832)
4. David Ricardo on the Theory of Competitive Advantage (1817)
5. Short project/paper on source documentation
6. Unit vocabulary and concept list with a practice test worksheet
The readings can be used for in-class lessons, sub-plans or homework assignments. They're ideal for a World History AP course, though I use them for my standard-level students as well.
Purpose: To demonstrate the impact of inflation on prices, and Gresham's law.
Length: 30-40 minutes (or longer, if vigorous conversation)
Materials needed:
2-5 lb. Bag of M&M candies (or Skittles, etc.)
Box of small ziplock baggies, putting five M&Ms in each bag, with five baggies for each student
Printouts of “M&M Bucks,” five coupons for each student (attached below is a sheet with 6 on each page) plus the same number (as the whole class) more for “government.”
3 pages total.
This packet includes the following primary source readings on the following topics:
1. Intelligence and Privacy After 9/11: Pres. Obama, Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Cal.)
2. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare): Pres. Obama, Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Supreme Court majority, concurrence and dissent in NFIB v. Sebelius.
3. Excerpts from 9/11 Commission Report, including sections of the 28 pages declassified in 2016
4. Vocabulary list and Practice Test worksheet
All primary source readings have 10-12 questions on the document, and can be used as homework, sub-plans or (next day) for classroom discussion.
Following are primary source readings on economics issues, with relevant questions at the end of the readings. These excerpts from classic texts are designed to be understandable to high school students, and make handy homework assignments or substitute plans in an economics or history class.
1. Adam Smith on the Industrial Revolution and the division of labor (1 1/2 pages) from "The Wealth of Nations." -- 4 questions
2. Economics of the Great Depression (7 pages) John Maynard Keynes' story of burying jars full of cash from "The General Theory" and Frederick Bastiat's broken window story from "That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Unseen." -- 16 questions
3. David Ricardo and the Theory of Comparative Advantage from "On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation" (3 1/2 pages) -- 10 questions
4. Child Labor in Britain: Sadler Commission Report (4 pages) -- 6 questions
5. Child Labor in Britain: Parliament debate on the Sadler bill (4 pages) -- 9 questions
6. Reaganomics: Economic Success or Failure? (7 pages) Excerpts from the Reagan Library, speech of Senator Joe Biden and column by economist Murray Rothbard. -- 8 questions
Purpose: To demonstrate the impact of inflation on prices, and Gresham's law.
Length: 30-40 minutes (or longer, if vigorous conversation)
Materials needed:
2-5 lb. Bag of M&M candies (or Skittles, etc.)
Box of small ziplock baggies, putting five M&Ms in each bag, with five baggies for each student
Printouts of “M&M Bucks,” five coupons for each student (attached below is a sheet with 6 on each page) plus the same number (as the whole class) more for “government.”