Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Primary Source Evaluation
Objectives
The Holocaust Survivors of South Jersey Project has accumulated thousands of primary source documents that assist in the research process. The information available from these sources have enabled researchers to piece the stories together and write biographies that are available to the public. Students who complete this activity will be able to:
- Identify and evaluate the type of primary source documents presented and the historical context that it exists in.
- Articulate the value and significance of the primary sources as it relates to the Holocaust Survivors of South Jersey Project.
- Students will use evidence from the primary sources to develop and support a historical argument or thesis.
- Students will integrate information from primary sources with secondary sources to enhance their understanding and analysis of historical topics.
- George W. Bush Presidential Library guide for teaching sources
- Cinger Family Resource folder
- Distenfeld/Glick Family Resource folder
- Beller Family Resource folder
- Ehrlich Family Resources folder
- History Unfolded by USHMM
- SOAPSTone Worksheet
- Library of Congress Primary Source analysis tool
- Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide to Primary Source analysis tool
Use the History Unfolded database from USHMM to help students connect primary and secondary sources. This activity can be woven into a teacher’s pre-existing lesson on primary and secondary sources. Using the HSSJP sources connects the historical lesson and local history to the students’ personal life and experiences.
- After holding a discussion about the differences between primary and secondary sources or after a general primary source lesson, use Holocaust Survivors of South Jersey Project primary sources to help students make connections.
- Students can either analyze primary sources by using one of the two worksheets linked above or, to assess their understanding of primary sources and their context, use a DBQ designed around the provided HSSJP sources.
- To get students more active in conducting research, have them run a database search in the History Unfolded Database through USHMM. They should look for newspaper articles that were published in the United States that cover similar topics to those of the sources provided in this teaching unit. For example, if a student is looking at a naturalization certificate for a Holocaust survivor, they should look for newspaper articles that are about becoming a citizen during the same time period as the document. This helps the student make a connection between the document they are looking at and the public attitudes about immigration of society at the time.