Educational experts believe that utilizing primary sources opens new doors for students by allowing them to think like historians, which ultimately hones in on the purpose of developing critical thinking skills (Rodeheaver, 2009). Historians constantly question documents, events, and credentials in order to form their own opinions while using primary source documents (Drake, 2002). When students have the opportunity and freedom to question documents and events and form their own opinions, learning may be enhanced. This study examines the possible power of allowing students to explore primary documents and learn by doing during social studies instruction (Dewey, 1916). This thesis examines middle school students' perceptions of the effectiveness of using primary source documents in social studies. Through a survey given to general education students and to ESE students, this thesis explored eighth graders' perceptions of using primary sources. The survey included questions pertaining to the depth of knowledge on using primary sources as well as questions about how to determine a primary source from a secondary source and which of the two is more interesting and/or of more benefit to the learning process. By analyzing the responses to the survey given, the results found that a number of eighth graders thought that primary sources were more interesting, but preferred to lean from secondary sources. These findings do not necessarily agree with what educational experts and historians are suggesting, yet, they may offer insights into the educational implications for middle school teachers and provide opportunities for future research.

Mississippi has a surprising amount and variety of town squares. The square provides a central, pedestrian civic space in the towns in which they are located. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the evolution of town squares in Mississippi. The method employed was historical research of primary sources that included historic photographs and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. The photographs were examined using the The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties investigating such elements as vegetation, site furnishings, and circulation patterns. Canton, Holly Springs, and Lexington were chosen to be studied in more detail to give a clearer picture of how squares have changed over time. It was determined that there are approximately 69 towns with squares in Mississippi. The most numerous types of squares used are Shelbyville squares. The vitality of the square varies greatly from town to town.

The work which follows arose from the examination of three fifth grade social studies textbooks widely adopted and accepted in the State of Texas. Within these history textbooks, seven historical events which occurred during the American Revolution were investigated to determine how primary sources are represented in each selected textbook to support a version of the historical event they accompany. The research question guiding this qualitative study was: How do fifth grade social studies textbooks present primary sources in an American Revolution unit of study. To answer this question, I analyzed the three fifth grade social studies textbooks’ American Revolution unit of study. Historical events common to the textbooks and included in the unit of study were Tax Laws, The Boston Massacre, The Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Ride, Lexington and Concord, The Battle of Bunker Hill, and The Declaration of Independence. Within the textbooks’ American Revolution units of study, the following primary sources were found: quotes, written documents, photographs, cartoons, posters, maps, artifacts, paintings, and sculpture or statuary. The researcher discovered three findings related to the representation of primary sources in the fifth grade social studies textbooks. These include the conundrum of fact, monolithic representation, and verisimilitude. Suggestions for improving school history textbooks and opportunities for future research are included. / text

Maps, while often regarded as accurate representations of places and spaces unseen in lived experience, are created with specific purposes that reflect and perpetuate particular epistemological and ontological conceptions about space and place. Using Foucault's conception of power-knowledge relations, Deweyian notions of meaning-making, and complexity theory's idea of interobjectivity; these theoretical works inform the map as a constructed reality. While maps have been well-articulated as socio-political constructions imbued with power-knowledge relations within the critical spaces of cartography and geography, this scholarship has made very few inroads into history education. In order to develop curriculum using maps to develop critical geo-literacy, I draw on a twin lens of critical carto-geography. In advocating for a more critical literacies approach, I assert that maps ought to be incorporated in the history curriculum as primary source documents where students have the opportunity to analyze and interpret maps as political acts. Through analyzing descriptions of practice, I explore possibilities to fully engage students in thinking critically about the construction and interpretation of historical maps. I also discuss the role of geographic information systems (GIS) as a potentially transformative curriculum that advocates inquiry-based learning through GIS maps and mapping. Engaging students in meaningful curriculum that promotes critical geo-literacy not only enriches their learning experience, it broadens the potential for greater democratic practices in educational settings.

In this episode, we discuss the use of primary and secondary sources in the elementary social studies classroom. We explore the definitions for both primary and secondary sources, examine how they are connected to K-5 standards and curriculum frameworks, and visit various digital resources where teachers can find engaging primary sources for their students. / https://dc.etsu.edu/social-studies-education-oer/1003/thumbnail.jpg

This research study describes the educational experiences and factors intervening in the assessment practices of four outstanding Social Studies/history educators. Three of these educators work at the high school level, and the other at the middle school level. Additionally, the study explores how their assessment practices adapt to inform instruction, promote student learning, and meet current educational standards in their school districts. This study was developed on McMillan's (2013) framework for classroom assessments. In this framework, classroom assessment practices are impacted by advancements in the theory of measurement, the theory of student learning and motivation, and theories on instruction. The area of Social Studies, specifically the discipline of history, was chosen to be explored because of the place that Social Studies occupies in the current educational curricular panorama. Social Studies' history has been a class mainly characterized as traditional. Instruction and assessment have elicited rote learning and recalling of facts (Smith, 2017). However, with the introduction of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), some educators have become aware that Social Studies' history can take the central stage in promoting student learning. The research methodology of this study subscribed to the qualitative paradigm and a social-constructivist worldview. I also used the Case Study tradition to encompass the exploration of this research topic. To collect the data for this study, I used three individual semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and document analysis. The data analysis of this research followed the procedures of in-vivo coding. These are the main research questions that directed this study and guided the data processing: (1) What personal and educational experiences, as well as other factors, influence teachers' perceptions and uses of classroom assessments for Social Studies? (2) What type of assessments are Social Studies teachers using, and to what extent are these assessments informing their instruction? And (3) How are Social Studies teachers' assessment practices meeting the contemporary demands of local and state educational policies in Social Studies? Three coding rounds were employed to move from code words to clusters themes, and into the narrative, I offer to explore the answers to this research's primary questions. Findings revealed that Social Studies educators were meaningfully impacted by the kind of education they received as students in Social Studies history when they were at the high school and college and master levels of education. Additionally, educators in this study draw inspiration from the faculty of their master's program. Other factors that meaningfully impacted their contemporary educational classroom assessments include their particular vision of what history learning should be, the skill-based movement, and the advancements in formative assessments and assessment systems. Educators employ a variety of educational assessments in alignment with instruction – such as technology-enhanced, skill-based, and primary source-based assessments in their classrooms– to meet students' learning needs and the demands of educational standards. Finally, this study reveals that Social Studies educators fostered collaboration with other colleagues from their school districts, higher education institutions, researchers, and curriculum developers to continue revamping their assessments, instruction, and curriculum to promote learning. Therefore, this study offers suggestions to embrace collaboration, connections, and opportunities for educators to become invested in their assessment and learning practices.

This study examines the perceptions of history and social studies teachers in the Lakeway Area of East Tennessee concerning the use of primary source materials in classroom instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine what value the educators in the intact group held for the use of primary source documents, how much time was devoted to the analysis of primary source documents by students in those classes, and potential barriers to the implementation of the use of primary source materials. The research design was descriptive and used data gathered from a survey instrument constructed by the researcher. A pilot test of the instrument was conducted, reliability coefficients were calculated, and the survey instrument was modified. The final survey consisted of 44 statements, a demographic section, and four open-response questions. A total of two hundred eighteen surveys were sent to eligible educators in Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Hawkins,and Jefferson counties. One hundred fourteen of the surveys were returned and were used for this study. Other variables studied were gender, job classification, years of experience, the amount of time reported using primary sources in class, past or current membership in the National Council for Social Studies, participation in professional development emphasizing primary source analysis, and the type of teaching certification held by the respondents. The findings include: The two greatest obstacles to the implementation of the use of primary source materials were lack of training or relevant experience and the perceived access to materials; comfort in using technology and ability level of students did not appear to be significant obstacle barriers; all categories of respondents held a positive opinion of the use of primary sources. A review of the responses to the open-response questions revealed that time could also have been an obstacle barrier to the implementation of the use of primary sources. It appears that the lack of training or relevant experience, the perceived access to materials, and perhaps time may be limiting factors in determining the amount of time educators in this area devote the primary source analysis.

This thesis explores best practices in teaching religious history in public schools using primary sources. Lesson plans on specific sites and themes within the history of religious freedom in Philadelphia contextualize and celebrate the religious diversity that the city has known since its inception. By understanding how this diversity developed over time and through obstacles, students will be more willing and motivated to do their individual part to maintain and protect religious liberty. This goal is emphasized through the use of primary sources, which bring gravity, accessibility, and engagement to a topic that might otherwise be considered controversial, distant, or unnecessary. / History

Trata da formação e desenvolvimento de Ribeirão Preto sob a perspectiva da organização fundiária pós-Lei de Terras e sua conexão com o desenvolvimento do mercado de terras urbanas. A pesquisa realizada em documentos primários do Arquivo do Fórum de Ribeirão Preto tem sua base em litígios que circunscrevem a propriedade de datas urbanas: nunciação de obra nova, força nova e outros embargos. No contexto inicial, a Fábrica da Matriz foi o eixo comum entre estruturação fundiária e processo de urbanização. Naquele momento os fabriqueiros tiveram participação relevante nas estratégias jurídicas de legalização das posses territoriais, contudo, foram excluídos do gerenciamento da concessão de datas no patrimônio religioso, conduzidas pela Câmara Municipal. Confusão de instâncias e competências amplamente discutidas em juízo que em meio à falta de clareza sobre procedimentos de aforamento, ausência de regras, concessões dúbias ou em duplicidade, no limite expressaram a má fé de fabriqueiros, foreiros e vereadores, atestando claramente uma única coisa, tais terrenos possuíam valor de mercado, caso contrário sua posse, propriedade, forma de concessão e titulação não estariam em litígio. O amadurecimento paulatino do mercado de terras urbanas segue paralelo à ampliação do aparelho judiciário e aos desdobramentos jurídicos das formas de titulação de domínio. A expansão imobiliária que acompanha a sentença judicial de 1856, que ratificou a doação de uma gleba ao santo padroeiro, excede no final do século XIX sua delimitação física e passa a integrar um conjunto de ações coordenadas que atravessam as cadeias de circulação de capital ligado à economia agroexportadora, entre esses a concessão de privilégios para exploração de serviços de melhorias e infraestrutura urbana. Trata-se de uma faceta de grande dinâmica de organização capitalista da economia que demandou o apoio em investigações complementares. O estudo dessas pesquisas associado aos dados que os litígios judiciais forneceram sobre o objeto nos levou a exceder a hipótese de que os terrenos do patrimônio da matriz eram dotados de valor comercial. A conclusão é que se trata de um quadro maior que a existência de um mercado imobiliário precoce configurado pela negociação paralela de terrenos encoberta pelas praxes de aforamento. Nesse grande quadro de processos que se articulam destacamos as inúmeras engrenagens componentes, desde a produção e transporte de gêneros de subsistência e abastecimento que gravitou em torno da Corte e de áreas mineradoras, do ciclo açucareiro e cafeeiro, das tecnologias ligadas ao vapor, das infraestruturas, da organização da circulação de moeda e títulos, da política de imigração, dos fazendeiros formadores de fazendas, do movimento pró-imigração, dos loteadores urbanos, dos empresários de serviços de infraestrutura e ainda as astúcias de sujeitos anônimos que agindo isoladamente tentam de várias formas tirar proveito dessa conjuntura. É em meio a essa dinâmica que se inscreve a forma e as direções do crescimento da cidade. Nessa lógica, a tese contribui para o debate sobre o processo de urbanização da cidade de Ribeirão Preto analisado sob a ótica das relações de posse, propriedade do solo e a pré-existência de condições para a constituição de um mercado de terras urbanas. / The thesis addresses Ribeirão Pretos formation and development under the perspective of the Land Act of 1850 (Lei de Terras) that bonds ownership juridical organization process and the increase of an urban land market. The investigation, sustained in primary sources from The City of Ribeirão Preto Judicial Archives (Arquivo do Fórum de Ribeirão Preto), is based in disputes that comprehend urban property embargoes known as: Nunciação de Obra Nova and Força Nova. At first, the parochial church fabric (trusteeism) was the common axis amidst land regulation and urbanization process. At that moment churchwardens had relevant stake in strategies to legalize territorial possessions, however, were excluded from the religious grounds management taken hold by the City Council. Confusion of instances and jurisdiction widely discussed in court those amongst the lack of clarity on the aforamento procedures, the absence of rules, dubious and duplicate concessions, at the end clearly expressed the bad-faith of lay administrators, lessees and councilors, stating clearly a sole thing such land had market value, otherwise its possession, estate, modes of concession and title deed would not be in query. The gradual maturation of the urban land market runs parallel to the expansion of the judiciary branch and the legal deployment of property entitlement. The real estate expansion that begun after 1856s court judgment, which granted a glebe to the patron saint, by the end of the nineteenth century exceeded its physical boundaries and became part of a set of coordinated actions that traversed the chains of capital circulation linked to agro-export economy, among these the granting of urban services of infrastructure operating privileges. This facet shows a broader capitalist dynamic of the economy that demanded investigation support. The study of these support surveys associated with data provided by the judicial proceedings led us to surpass our initial hypothesis, that the parochial fabric grounds had commercial value traded in a parallel market disguised by the aforamento formalities. The conclusion is that there is more than the premature existence of a real estate market. In the wider picture of articulated progressions we feature the numerous gear components; from the production and transportation of genres of subsistence and supplies that gravitated around the Royal Court and mining areas to the sugar and coffee cycles, around technologies related to steam machinery, transportation infrastructure, economic organization for the circulation of money and bonds, across \"farmers\" specialized in growing farms, through the pro-immigration plans and policies, to the urban land, infrastructure and services entrepreneurs alongside anonymous individuals that acted in various forms to take advantage of this situation. The growth directions and shape of the city is tailored within this dynamic. In this sense, the thesis contributes to the debate on the early urbanization of the city of Ribeirão Preto analyzed analyzed from the perspective of the relations of ownership, land property and pre-existing conditions for the establishment of an urban land real estate market.

In time, more historical documents have become accessible through various technological modes including the Internet, CD-ROMs, and local databases. Teachers are now able to infuse a rich variety of resources into lessons with relative ease. This study measured expert historian heuristics in secondary students engaged in analysis of technologically-enhanced historical documents relating to women in the early United States republic. Nine 10th grade Advanced Placement world history students from an urban high school in the southeastern United States were assigned randomly to one of three conditions: paper historical documents, HTML historical documents, and HTML historical documents with simulated, limited Internet access. Using a think-aloud protocol developed by Jonassen et al. (1999), the qualities and frequencies of expert historian heuristics were measured. The findings support and enhance previous research related to how secondary students learn history while performing a task using primary and secondary source documents and the effects of hypermedia technology. Most of the time, students engaged in a simplistic read-and-react pattern, except for two participants who recognized greater levels of subtext. The two students account for slightly more than 50% of all heuristics. Moreover, the students in general failed to perceive nuances between the documents, engaged in presentism, and viewed history as a uniform expansion of civil rights and increased opportunities. However, all the participants achieved some level of understanding indicating that women enjoyed fewer rights than their white, male counterparts. In the HTML groups, the participants moved within and between the documents with greater frequency and nonlinearly. While in the Internet group, forays to the simulated Internet invoked a high proportion of expert heuristics and resulted in statements of clear understanding. The results imply that computer technologies promote authenticity and learner control. Furthermore, expert heuristics can help students manage information from the Internet. In addition, the paucity of heuristics exhibited by most subjects suggests a lack of prior knowledge and inexperience with historical documents. This may be a result of the way history is taught in the schools. The results are discussed within the framework of previous research and the cultural wars.