Week Three: Reading Reflection

How might you use the letters in a humanities class? What has your experience with primary sources been? Can students be historians?


By using the letters in humanities class you can teach your students the evolution of culture and people's minds and the way they thought an developed over time. They’re interacting with people from foreign nations. They’re bound to learn something. You can learn all about their society, their government, their way of life, culture, religion, perspectives, language, and the way they socialize. These differences can broaden their views on social and economic issues. Not only that but this generation can bridge peace between nations in the future.
My experience with primary sources is definitely better than most. I took AP European and American History, which deals with Document Based Questions (DBQs). These timed essays must incorporate not only background information but primary source documents that are included in a packet. My history teachers also pulled out background information from excerpts of books, the Internet, or their family history and personal experiences as well. Primary sources got my head out of all the boring factual textbooks and helped me learn a lot more about that time period. I also retained more information using primary source documents during tests because it was like reading a diary or a letter and not just a paragraph of historical knowledge.
Students can indeed be historians. By using these primary source documents, students can get excited. They’re rediscovering history. It’s like reading someone else’s thoughts and getting in the minds of important historical figurines that were living in that time period. They can learn what was acceptable, their customs, and the way they lived, worked, and socialized.