{"id":602,"date":"2021-05-24T16:05:48","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T16:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/tpswesternregion\/?p=602"},"modified":"2021-05-24T16:05:48","modified_gmt":"2021-05-24T16:05:48","slug":"teaching-context-with-primary-sources-contextual-clues-and-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.msudenver.edu\/tpswesternregion\/teaching-context-with-primary-sources-contextual-clues-and-literacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Context with Primary Sources – Contextual Clues and Literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

On July 4th, 2017, <\/span>NPR tweeted out<\/span><\/a> each line of the Declaration of Independence, which caused some misinterpretation of their intentions when Twitter users read some of the lines out of context. This got me thinking how important it is to teach about context during literacy exercises. <\/span><\/p>\n

Quotes, especially online, can often be taken out of context and used in order to serve a specific purpose. For first and second language learners alike, it is important to recognize contextual clues to fully understand the primary source. As educators, we can do this by creating a learner-centered environment. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Classroom Activity<\/h4>\n

For this primary source activity, choose an image that has at least two people in it, like this one with <\/span>Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony<\/span><\/a> from the <\/span>Women Pioneers in American Memory Collection<\/span><\/a>. Don\u2019t give them any information about the photograph yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using the Observe, Reflect, Question primary source analysis technique, students will use questions to find contextual clues:<\/span><\/p>\n