Assignment: Primary Source Kits

Nevada & the West/Online Digital Libraries

Click here for the full expectations and grading rubric for the primary source kit assignment.

Click here for exemplary examples from previous submitted entries (under the "View" menu, choose "List."
Overview: This assignment requires you develop three primary source kits, each addressing a different theme, region, person, event, or era from Nevada history. You may not use the same topics used in the book reviews prepared for this module. Each kit must explicitly align with intermediate-level Nevada Curricular Standards and must include cross-curricular learner objectives. Each of the three kits will include at least five primary source links, a detailed, research-based historical overview, and a related lesson plan. Each lesson should: a.) last approximately 1-3 instructional hours; b.) include at least three teaching objectives; c.) use varied instructional strategies with the intent of reaching all learners; d.) be engaging and collaborative; and, e.) provide students with opportunities to engage in historical inquiry while interacting directly with primary source artifacts. Feel free to communicate with your colleagues as you brainstorm ideas, share resources, and edit each others’ works, but resulting kits must be entirely your own.
For each of the three primary source kits, you must include the following:

• At least five linked primary source artifacts collected from a reputable digital collection;
• A detailed description of the topic for the kit that is thorough and relevant while being of substantive quality to provide teachers with adequate background information needed to teach and supplement the lesson; and,
• A standards-based detailed lesson plan using a pre-designed format, vocabulary words, and recommendations for differentiating instruction.

Use the following examples to guide your kit preparation:

• Historical Content Descriptions (see “Overview”)
• Primary Source Sets
• Inquiry Questions
• Standards-Basis: Nevada Standards and Example
• Lesson Format
• Lesson Activity Ideas

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The information you will need to include in each kit appears below:
Page 1: Demographic Information, Primary Source Kit Overview; Primary Sources

• Last name
• First name
• Preferred email address
• Decision to share name and email address
• A title for the primary source kit
• Primary category for this kit
• Titles and URLs for at least 5 primary sources

Page 2: Historical Context Description

• Historical context

Page 3: Lesson Plan

• Lesson title
• Lesson overview
• Applicable grade levels
• Lesson objectives
• Needed materials
• Relevant vocabulary words

Page 4: Lesson Plan, continued

• Sponge activity
• Anticipatory set
• Content delivery
• Activity
• Student assessment
• Closure
• Additional comments

Page 5: Applicable Intermediate-Level Standards

• Nevada State Social Studies Standards, Grade 4
• Nevada State English/Language Arts Standards, Grade 5
  
• Nevada State Mathematics Standards, Grade 5
  
• Nevada State Science Standards, Grades 3-5
  
• Nevada State Physical Education Standards, Grade 5
  
• Nevada State Health Standards, Grade 3-5
• Nevada State Art Standards, Grade 5
• Nevada State Music Standards, Grade 5
• Nevada State Theater Standards, Grade 5
• Nevada State Computer and Technology Standards, Grade 5
• Nevada State Foreign Language Standards, Grade 5

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After compiling each kit, click here to upload your kit to the module database. [To see a sample of each of the five input screens, click on these pages individually: page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5. These pages are NOT live and will NOT save your data! You must use the official link (here) submit your data!]
You will need to upload each kit separately. Be sure to keep a copy of your work in a word processed document as a back-up of your submitted kits.