Primary sources provide an ideal starting point for student questioning. The Ontario Elementary Social Studies Teachers’ Association has developed a series of videos about the use of primary sources in inquiry-based classrooms. These videos provide teachers and teacher librarians with a wealth of information on how to use primary sources to make inquiry come to life. The videos cover a variety of different types of sources, how to access these sources and prepare students for using them, as well as demonstrating strategies for encouraging students to develop rich inquiry questions, and tips on how to track student progress and assess student learning. The session will include previews of the videos and sample hands-on activities to demonstrate the power of using primary sources in the classroom and in the learning commons.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will have the opportunity to meet the following learning goals:
To develop an understanding of the advantages of using primary sources in the classroom and the learning commons;
To become familiar with different types of primary sources and how to access them;
To learn a variety of strategies, through hands-on activities, to empower students to generate rich inquiry questions.
