Last week, you read about the difference between history and the past, and how historians bring their own perspectives (lenses) to their interpretations of the past. In your introduction to the class, you reflected on how your experiences influence the way you see the world.

This week you will learn about the kinds of sources historians use: primary sources and secondary sources. The tl;dr version? Primary sources are the “stuff” of the past, and secondary sources interpret that stuff. 

That said, please do the reading and viewing carefully, as you’ll need it for the activity that makes up the bulk of your course participation this week.

 

Module 2.1 asks you to read a short article that explains the difference between primary and secondary sources. You’ll follow this reading with a viewing of a series of very brief videos that explain how historians might synthesize several primary sources to better understand the past. Easy peasy.

Module 2.2, on the other hand, is a bit of a beast. You should plan for it to take at least 4 hours of the 7.5 to 9 hours you are expected to dedicate to this course each week. If you try to tackle it all in one sitting, you’re going to feel as if I’ve shoved you into a sea filled with shrieking eels. If, however, you follow the instructions step by step, and you give yourself plenty of time to think and write, you should be fine.

As always, I’m here to help. Email, call, or stop by my office hours.