Step into the shoes of a History Detective and tackle some of history's toughest mysteries. These lesson plans guide students to evaluate conflicting evidence by:
- Sourcing: Who made this source? Where did it come from?
- Contextualizing: Imagine the setting surrounding this source: How was the world that made this source different than our own?
- Corroborating: What do other sources say about the information in this document? Do they agree or disagree with what this document says?
- Close Reading: What does the document say? Is it biased? What is the tone?
Equip your students with foundational tools that will help them evaluate conflicting information for the rest of their lives.
Lesson Plans
Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries Support theories with primary and secondary sources
Abraham Lincoln: Man versus Legend Use historic documents to create a well-rounded portrait of Abraham Lincoln
Think Like a Historian: A Viewing Guide Guide students to think like a historian
Evaluating Conflicting Evidence: Sultana Weigh the merits of competing theories and come to a conclusion
Detective Techniques
Going Back In Time
Document This
Testing The Hypothesis
Online Resources
Researching An Historical Site
Before We Travel, We Research
Evaluate: Once students have completed their independent investigations, download and print our rubric, the Teacher Evaluation Checklist, to evaluate their work.
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Go to PBS Learning Media for more than 3000+ lesson plans and activities.