American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming

Discover History Through Primary Sources

Significance of the Project

Students generally begin their study of history by reading books and memorizing facts and dates. This approach to history not only discourages enthusiasm in most students, but it also fails to help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. This project is designed to try a new approach to the practice of history, to get the students to better understand history by giving them the opportunity to research and write it themselves.

During the project students will look at original documents and form hypotheses. Students will verify facts by using reference materials and appropriate published histories. Students will then return to the documents to see if they can draw original conclusions and write history.

Plan of Work

1. American Heritage Center staff will select documents and collections in several subjects suitable for student study, reproduce packets of documents to be used in the classroom, and locate appropriate collections that can be used in the American Heritage Center Reading Room. Subjects will be chosen by teachers and AHC staff.
2. AHC staff will visit classroom to instruct students how to study historical documents and draw hypotheses from those documents.
3. Students will choose topics from the preselected list and form groups of three or four students each to do the research.
4. AHC staff will visit classroom to instruct students in the different types of secondary sources available and how they can best be used. Staff also will distribute packets of documents in the preselected topics to students.
5. Students will visit the AHC to work with selected collections relevant to their topics.
6. Students will prepare a paper, produce an exhibit, perform a play, or present an oral discussion about their topic.

Comments by Participants:  Find out more what students and teachers have learned from the project.

American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3924, Laramie, WY 82071.  Phone:  307.766.4114,  Fax:  307.766.5511, Email: shelstad@uwyo.edu.  Copyright © University of Wyoming, 1999-2000.  Created on May 27, 1999.  Last modified on August 07, 2000.