McLean High School Library Website: Primary Sources

How to Approach Primary Sources

• Star by observing and understanding the primary source (before analyzing)

  • if it is an image, spend 2 minutes looking in all 4 corners of the image

• Note your observations on a primary document analysis tool, like the ones below

• Once you have noted your observations, then begin to analyze the primary source and make connection

Things to Consider When Looking at Primary Source Materials:

• Who made it?

• When?

• What was happening during this time period?

• What was the creator’s purpose in making this primary source?

• What does the creator do to get his or her point across?

• What was this primary source’s audience?

• What biases or stereotypes do you see?