Power of Primary Sources

An extensive exploration of how to leverage primary sources to teach Pre-K – 5 students about histories of oppressionWhile controversies over what social issues and histories children in US public schools should learn have occurred nearly as long as public schools have been in existence, rhetoric around which histories are helpful—and which are harmful—has become increasingly polarized. In The Power of Primary Sources, Anna Falkner and Noreen Naseem Rodríguez shine a light on young learners' curiosity about the past and offer a range of practical strategies teachers can utilize to engage even the youngest students in lessons about "difficult histories."Written in a conversational tone, this book argues that not only are primary sources engaging and exciting to young learners, but they also serve as uniquely helpful entry points into complex historical narratives. Organized around a nine-principle framework for teaching difficult histories to young children, chapters reveal how educators use photos, newspaper articles, maps, videos, and first-hand accounts to introduce complex and contradictory visions of the past, from lessons on desegregation to colonization, Japanese internment, civil rights protests, LGBTQ history, and more. The authors model how primary sources can be used in tandem with popular picture books, strategically going "beyond the book" to deepen students' understanding of history. To tackle the obstacles that stem from educating children about challenging topics, Falkner and Rodríguez offer recommendations for crafting lesson plans, responding to student inquiry in real time, and collaborating with fellow teachers.Throughout the text, the authors share resources for building content knowledge of diverse histories, examples, and vignettes of classroom practice and pedagogy, as well as organizers and prompts for planning and reflection. Pre-service and in-service teachers will find The Power of Primary Sources to be a vital resource as they navigate how to teach nuanced historical narratives.