What is history? An introduction to working with original documents (Key stage 3, years 7 and 9)
Aims of the workshop
This workshop aims to help students understand about the different types of sources that can be used to find out about the past, and learn how to use them as evidence for investigating the past. It is designed to build on work students have done at key stage 2, and prepare them for working with sources at key stage 3.
Documents
This workshop does not have specific documents for students to use in their preparation activity. The aim of the activity is for students to search the National Archives Learning Curve website to find examples of different types of documents listed on the worksheet.
You can limit students to 'Snapshots' if you wish to make the activity simpler, or they can include 'Exhibitions' in their search to give them a much broader range of material.
Activity
Students can either work individually or in groups to complete the activity. This can be done in the class or set as homework. Students will need to have access to a computer and the Internet.
Give each student or group a copy of the worksheet and explain that their task is to search through Learning Curve, using 'Exhibitions' and 'Snapshots' to try and find an example of each document listed on the worksheet. The documents in 'Exhibitions' and 'Snapshots' are all scanned images of original documents from our collection.
The first one, an example of a plan has already been filled in to show you what is required. Once students have found an image of the document, they need to write down:
- Where on Learning Curve they found it (copying and pasting the link to the document where possible)
- What its date is
- What questions they would like to ask about it to help them investigate the information in it more closely, and work out how useful it might be to them as a source
Before the workshop, ask the students to report back on what they have found, and choose the best example of each type of source to talk about in the videoconference workshop.
Download exercise materials
The materials are provided in Adobe PDF format so that they are easy to print out. Anyone with a visual impairment who is unable to use PDF documents should visit access.adobe.com for information about converting documents and versions of Adobe Reader with added accessibility features.
If you are unable to print out the preparation materials and need us to send you a paper print out, please email education@nationalarchives.gov.uk or call 020 8392 5365 and leave a message stating the title of the workshop you want the materials for, your name, your school's name, and the date of your workshop.
The workshop
There are two versions of the workshop, one for year 7 and one for year 9. Both workshops will begin with a brief introduction to The National Archives and what is kept here.
- Year 7 version: this focuses on using sources to ask and answer questions for historical investigations
- Year 9 version: this focuses on assessing the reliability and usefulness of sources for historical investigations
Year 7 workshop
The workshop will begin with a discussion on the types of documents found in an archive, with an opportunity for students to talk about examples they found on Learning Curve for the preparation exercise. We will then go on to discuss how historians use original documents to carry out an historical investigation. Students will be asked how they questioned the documents they found for the preparation activity, and how they think they might follow this up with more research.
The next part of the workshop aims to help the students understand how an historical investigation is carried out by putting the ideas discussed into practice, with an online investigation. The topic chosen for this is based on the Victorians, a subject most year 7 students will be familiar with from their KS 2 studies. The students will take the lead in carrying out an historical investigation from formulating an initial question, to using different sources to ask and answer questions, guided by the education officer delivering the workshop. They will be asked to discuss the usefulness of each document they study, as well as where they might look for further answers to the questions posed by individual documents. The range of documents used will include a map, photograph and census return. After the workshop, students will be encouraged to continue the investigation online using Learning Curve’s Focus On the Census.
The session will conclude with students being shown images of some of the most famous documents stored here at the National Archives. These will include the Domesday Book, Guy Fawkes confession, William Shakespeare‘s will and the SOS from the doomed Titanic. The students will be given the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session.
Year 9 workshop
The workshop will begin with a discussion on the types of documents found in an archive, with an opportunity for students to talk about examples they found on Learning Curve for the preparation exercise. The education officer will then go on to show and explain to students some of the more unusual types of documents that we have, and explain more about the role of The National Archives.
The next part of the workshop will focus on discussing the usefulness and reliability of documents to introduce the idea of how they can give us very different interpretations of the same event, and how they can be adapted or shaped to give a particular point of view. The education officer will show images of documents to illustrate this, which will pick up on topics that students are familiar with from KS 2 such as images of Henry VIII, and those they will be going on to study, including the Domesday Book.
The concluding discussion will aim to clarify students‘ ideas about usefulness and reliability, and how as historians they need to work carefully with a wide range of documents to understand and interpret the past.
Knowledge, skills and understanding
- Getting hands on experience at studying history through a range of original documents, such as official reports, correspondence, newspaper articles and photographs
- Undertaking research activities to gain experience of using historical sources critically in their context by comprehending, analysing, evaluating and interpreting them
- Debating with the education officer leading the workshop, and amongst themselves to organise and communicate their knowledge and ideas
Objectives and outcomes
Students taking part in this workshop will learn:
- That different types of sources can supply different types of information
- That several different types of source are useful for finding out about the past
- How to describe and interrogate a source
- That even though the information in a source may not be reliable (i.e. telling us the truth about an event or person) it can still be a very useful source to a historian
QCA schemes of work link
Useful links
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