Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources related to the same topic.
| Name |
Description |
| The Great Seal of the United States: Comparing the U.S. Seal to the Florida State Seal | This is lesson #7 in the text unit series for The Great Seal of the United States by Norman Pearl. In this lesson, students will recognize the Great Seal as a national symbol and then compare and contrast the Great Seal of the United States to the Great Seal of Florida. Students will complete a graphic organizer and then write to tell how the two seals are alike and different.
This ELA/Civics Integrated Text Unit is designed to support students with the integration of civics into the ELA classroom through the reading and studying of both The Great Seal of the United States by Terri DeGezelle and Norman Pearl’s book The Great Seal of the United States. Students will identify new vocabulary, describe both the Florida and the United States seals, as well as the importance of national symbols and their meanings. Using timelines, graphic organizers, worksheets, and other activities they will connect these symbols to other documents like the Declaration of Independence and the understanding of unalienable rights. Each lesson in this series leads to a culminating activity in which students will use their knowledge and understanding of symbols and relevant details to create their own Great Seal.
This resource uses a book that you will need to obtain before implementing the resource. |
| Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution: Historical Figures Character Traits | This is lesson #7 in the text unit series for Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz. In this lesson, students will research five historical figures who led the United States to a representative government by comparing and contrasting primary and secondary sources. The students will write and reflect on what makes a good leader.
This unit will help students understand why and how the Constitution was created, including: the thirteen states and important historical figures present during the creation, the challenges and conflicts that state representatives faced during writing the Constitution, motifs and themes during the “Grand Convention,” and the relationship between state and national constitutions. Lessons will allow students to identify citizens’ civic duties outlined by the Constitution, the relationship between the federal and state Constitutions, and important historical symbols. Each part of the unit will include an in-depth dive into vocabulary and how it applies to the meaning of the text.
This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource. |
| Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution: Text Structure and the U.S. Constitution | In this lesson 6, students will read Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz and review key vocabulary from the text to become proficient with the meaning of the vocabulary words. Students will also have the opportunity to recall the words throughout the text. The teacher will review chronological order as a form of text structure and have students arrange historical events from the story in the order they took place. The teacher will also discuss the compare and contrast text structure, as it applies to the text. While reviewing chronological order, students will explain the goals of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. The idea is that while reviewing the chronological order, students will use a graphic organizer to explain historical events as mentioned in the text. The teacher will do a mini lesson to review primary and secondary sources if necessary.
This unit will help students understand why and how the Constitution was created, including: the original thirteen colonies and important historical figures present during the creation, the challenges and conflicts that state representatives faced during writing the Constitution, motifs and themes during the “Grand Convention,” and the relationship between state and national constitutions. Lessons will allow students to identify citizens’ civic duties outlined by the Constitution, the relationship between the federal and state Constitutions, and important historical symbols. Each part of the unit will include an in-depth dive into vocabulary and how it applies to the meaning of the text.
This resource uses a book that is on the Florida Department of Education's reading list. This book is not provided with this resource. |
| The Articles of Confederation | The purpose of this lesson is for students to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation while using primary and secondary sources that they will compare and contrast. The students will use the sources to explain through writing the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The students will also identify and locate the original thirteen colonies. |
| Compare and Contrast: The Great Chicago Fire | This lesson will engage students in discussions involving how two texts on the same event can be compared. Students will read one text on the Great Chicago Fire that is a primary source, and another text that is a secondary source. For the summative assessment, students will write a summary about the Great Chicago Fire that includes the central idea and relevant details from the texts, and the similarities in how each author describes the Chicago fire. |
| Snapshot Sleuths: Native American Culture | Students will learn how to analyze primary documents and discover facets of Native American life by analyzing images of a variety of Native American villages. Students will compare and contrast Native American culture from different regions of the United States. |
