Frustrated by the generic statements that her Year 12 students were making about sources, Jacqueline Vyrnwy-Pierce resolved to undertake a research project into how her students were approaching sources about the French Revolution. Fascinated by the research of American educational psychologist Sam Wineburg, Vyrnwy-Pierce decided to use Wineburg's…

Describes the "American Journey" series of CD-ROM archives that contains hundreds of primary sources, such as letters, diary entries, paintings, posters, and audio recordings. Addresses how to navigate and employ the documents from the archive and the CD-ROM's potential for developing historical thinking. Provides ideas for enhancing history…

Describes the use of primary source documents and maps in a seventh-grade geography class. Maintains that 90 separate topics were divided into 6 main categories for student research. Asserts that the use of primary documents encouraged the development of the students' critical thinking skills. (CFR)

Asserts that teachers should educate students to use historical research methods, even in the elementary and intermediate grades. Argues that, although history should be taught as a "story well-told," it should also be discovered, just as historians discover it in the course of their research. (CFR)

Recommends using primary source documents in middle school history instruction and examines several strategies for making them more accessible. Describes a course on 17th-century social reformers that utilized paraphrasing of the historical language used in primary documents followed by focus questions and class discussion. (MJP)

Describes instructional strategies using primary sources in middle school history instruction. Maintains that students need to make critical, personal connections to material before they understand it. The strategies examined use visual aids, living history presentations, realia, music, and primary documents. (MJP)