Primary Source Analysis

Apart from your Reflective Essay, each week you will engage in collective analysis of primary documents, the center piece of historical interpretation. This is important not only for those wanting to become professional historians, but for anyone wanting to better understand not only our historical background, but, perhaps more importantly, the use of words to influence how we think as individuals and as a society. If you become a good interpreter of the meaning of text, you will be better prepared to be a globally aware citizen. 

How it works:

Each week I will select one of the primary documents assigned for reading for us to interpret historically and comment on. These are the steps you will follow:

1) Identify and Highlight Relevant Sentences:

Read ALL of the document. Using Digication's new "Discussion" comment feature, you will select at least TWO sections (a sentence or two) of the text that YOU consider important to the argument being made by the author. To do so, you will highlight a sentence or two with your mouse. Once you highlight the text, a pop-up box will appear that will ask you to "Discuss" that text.

2) Analyze the Text:

In the "Discuss" pop-up window, you will comment on why YOU think that sentence or two is relevant. How do you know it is relevant? Use the suggestions for analyzing primary sources described in the "Reading Historical Sources" (link is on page menu to the left of this text) to analyze the text selections you've chosen and explain how you think the selections reveal the author's intentions and how they contribute to a better understanding of the historical moment(s) we are looking at that week.

Be warned: Simply saying that a sentence is "important" or that "it talks to you" is NOT enough! Yes, it is important, but WHY? If you think through the author's motivations and the historical context, you will surely come up with some relevant things to say.

3) Read Other Comments and Respond to them:

After posting your comment, look through the other postings from your classmates and pick at least two to respond to. Engage your classmates in a discussion about her/his thoughts on their selection. To do so, you click on their comment and then post your response in the "Discussion" window that opens up to the right of the screen. 

4) Question: What if someone has already chosen the text I think is relevant?

It can and will happen. If the text is already selected, you simply re-highlight the same section and contribute your thoughts in a new "Discussion."

5) Summary (What do I do again?):

Everyone must contribute to the Primary Source Analysis a minimum of three times each week. Two contributions will be your selection of relevant text, and the other will be a response to another student's post. You are expected to read all students' work for that week before posting comments. The greater the number and quality of these online contributions, the higher the grade you will receive for that assignment.

Remember: Your responsibility each week is to make a minimum of FOUR contributions: two analyses of sentences you consider relevant, and another two in response to another student’s ideas. A "contribution" must be a minimum of one paragraph in length.