Your Own Biography

Worksheet Description

This educational worksheet is designed to deepen students’ understanding of primary sources. The worksheet defines a primary source as original material created during the time period being studied, providing firsthand information about a topic. It then lists examples of primary sources, including texts of laws, original documents, firsthand newspaper articles, speeches, diaries, letters, interviews, original research, economic statistics, and photographs or videos that capture events. This variety of examples illustrates the broad spectrum of materials that can serve as direct evidence of historical and contemporary events.

In the final section, the worksheet prompts students to apply their understanding in a personal and imaginative way: they are asked to think of five primary sources that could be used by someone writing their biography a hundred years from now. This creative task requires students to consider what aspects of their lives might be documented and how these documents would serve as primary sources for future researchers. It is a thought-provoking exercise that not only cements the concept of primary sources but also personalizes it, making the abstract notion more concrete and relatable for students. Overall, this worksheet is an effective tool for educators to use in teaching the importance and diversity of primary sources in research.