Using SOURCES to Allow Digital Natives to Explore the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Abstract

The authors discuss use of the SOURCES framework to promote authentic learning experiences in a social studies classroom.Far too frequently, many students find history to be boring, rate it as their least favorite subject, or perceive it as irrelevant (Allen, 1994; Black & Blake, 2001; Jensen, 2001; Zhao 8c Hoge, 2005). One way to help young adolescents find relevance and meaning in the study of history is to focus on historical people. Often, when American history classes highlight people who created history, the content is centered on the accomplishments and lives of political leaders, like the founding fathers and various myths surrounding them (George Washington's apple tree), or events that changed the nation (the drafting of the Declaration of Independence). To make history more germane for our middle grades students, the inclusion of primary sources in the teaching of historical content allows them to begin to understand that real people, not mythological characters, create history.In a People's History of the United States, Zinn (1980) illustrated the importance of the history of the common people, not just the rich, white, elite politicians. After all, most of our students identify personally with common people from the historical periods we study rather than the landed gentry or political leaders. Examining how these events affected the lives of people similar to themselves has the potential to help students understand that the history lessons we implement are pertinent to their lives. School textbooks are good examples of how the study of history has lost the personal aspect that is essential in students' comprehension of historical people and events. Often, the published story in a textbook is overly indulgent to the heroic nature of the agents involved. Fortunately, many of the people we should study and want to study have left records of their existence that, in some ways, bring them back to life. As Mintz (2003) noted:Letters, diaries, and other original documents allow us to hear the living voices of the past. By encouraging students to see history through opposing viewpoints, ... primary sources can encourage a more sophisticated understanding of the forces that have shaped our society, (p. 41)This article focuses on two individuals, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to show how, through the investigation of primary sources, middle grades students might develop a better understanding of the past and how ordinary people impact the course of history.Historical content and primary sources in the middle gradesThe National Middle School Association (NMSA) (2010) developed major goals of middle grades learners including: becoming actively aware of the larger world; asking significant and relevant questions; being able to think rationally and critically; being able to independently gather, assess, and interpret information from a variety of sources; and to use digital tools to explore, communicate, and collaborate. Similarly, The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS, 1991) stated that middle grades students need opportunities to learn using concrete objects or situations from which students derive data for further thought or action. It is perhaps the single most effective vehicle for helping young adolescents make meaning out of their world. All of us learn by doing (para. 45). Furthermore, Levstik and Barton (2005) identified several themes educators should attempt to explore in their teaching of historical topics: to think about who we are, to picture possible futures, to consider significant questions or themes, to examine social, political, and economic factors, and to study controversy. When teachers incorporate the use of primary sources in the learning of historical content, especially the digitized variety, students are given the opportunity to meet these goals in productive and interactive ways.Students who analyze primary sources have more frequent opportunities to use higher-order thinking skills than their counterparts who do not (Drake & Brown, 2003; Gerwin & Zevin, 2003; Wineburg, 2003). …