Eighth Grade · Writing · week 11

Planning and Tracking Sources

Distinguish primary from secondary sources, evaluate credibility with a who/when/why check, and set up a running source-tracking log.

A primary source is created at the time, by someone directly involved -- a laborer's letter, a photograph, a newspaper account from that year. A secondary source is created later, analyzing or synthesizing -- a historian's book written decades afterward. A strong paper needs both: primary sources supply firsthand evidence, and secondary sources supply context, analysis, and connections one document alone cannot offer.

Check every source with three questions: Who wrote it (authority)? When (currency)? Why (purpose -- to inform, sell, or persuade)? Track sources as you find them, not after, in a simple log: source name, type, key information, and a credibility note. A log built in real time means nothing gets lost or needs re-finding later.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Visit a library or a reputable database together and physically point out the difference between a primary document and a history book about it.
  • Ask the three credibility questions -- who, when, why -- out loud about every source before it goes in the log.
  • Keep the tracking log updated right after finding each source, not from memory later.
  • Model rejecting a source together, such as an anonymous post with no author or date, and explain exactly why.
Talk about it:
  • Which of your sources are primary, and which are secondary?
  • Which source most clearly passed your credibility check, and why?
  • What happens to your research later if you skip tracking sources as you go?

Mastery looks like: They sort sources into primary and secondary, apply a who/when/why credibility check, and maintain an accurate source-tracking log.

Common stumbles: Relying only on secondary sources, or accepting a source without checking who wrote it and why.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Writing for this learner.
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