50-minute lesson
Year 7 History: How historians and archaeologists investigate the past
Lesson objective
- Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
- Explain how archaeologists and historians use evidence.
- Ask questions about the origin, purpose and reliability of a source.
Success criteria:
- I can classify a source as primary or secondary and justify my choice.
- I can explain the difference between a source and evidence.
- I can ask who made a source, when, and why.
Materials
- A few household objects of different ages (for example a coin, an old photo, a letter)
- A textbook or encyclopedia page
- Notebook and pen
Introduction
5 minIntroduce today's words:
- primary source: Something created at the time being studied, such as a letter, tool, photograph or inscription.
- secondary source: An account or interpretation created later, such as a textbook or documentary.
- artefact: An object made or used by people in the past.
- archaeology: The study of the human past through physical remains such as artefacts, buildings and sites.
- evidence: Information from a source that is used to support an argument or answer a question.
- reliability: How trustworthy a source is for answering a particular question.
Ask your child what they already know about how historians and archaeologists investigate the past.
Explanation
10 minHistorians cannot travel back in time, so they rely on sources: anything that gives information about the past.
A primary source was created during the time being studied: a diary, a coin, a painting, a tool, a building or a photograph. A secondary source was created later by someone interpreting the past, such as a textbook, a documentary or a museum display panel.
Whether a source is primary or secondary depends on the question. A 1950s textbook about ancient Rome is a secondary source about Rome, but a primary source about how history was taught in the 1950s.
Archaeologists study physical remains. They excavate sites carefully in layers, record exactly where each artefact is found and use scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating to estimate ages. Generally, deeper layers are older (the principle of superposition), unless the ground has been disturbed.
A source becomes evidence when we use it to answer a question. To judge reliability, historians ask: Who created it? When? Why? For whom? What might they have left out?
Knowledge is also passed down orally. First Nations Australians have maintained histories, laws and knowledge through oral traditions, song, dance and art for many thousands of years. Some of this knowledge is restricted and belongs to particular communities, so it must be accessed with permission and respect.
Worked examples
8 minClassifying sources
Classify each source for a study of ancient Egypt: (a) a papyrus letter from 1200 BCE, (b) a modern documentary, (c) a pottery jar from a tomb.
Step 1: (a) Written at the time: primary.
Step 2: (b) Made in modern times to explain Egypt: secondary.
Step 3: (c) Made and used in ancient Egypt: primary (an artefact).
Answer: (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) primary.
Questioning a source
An inscription praises a pharaoh's great victory. Why should a historian be cautious?
Step 1: Who made it? Royal officials, on behalf of the pharaoh.
Step 2: Why? To glorify the ruler.
Step 3: So it might exaggerate success or leave out defeats.
Step 4: Cross-check with other sources, such as records from the other side.
Answer: It may be propaganda, so it should be checked against other sources.
Reading layers
At a dig, a coin is found in layer 2 and a stone tool in layer 5 (deeper). Which is likely older?
Step 1: Deeper layers are usually laid down earlier.
Step 2: Layer 5 is deeper than layer 2.
Answer: The stone tool is likely older, if the layers are undisturbed.
Guided practice (do together)
10 min1. Which is a primary source for studying ancient Rome?
(a) A modern film about gladiators (b) A Roman coin (c) A history textbook written in 2015 (d) A museum website summary
2. What does an archaeologist mainly study?
(a) Physical remains of the past (b) Future weather patterns (c) Only written books (d) Living animals
3. In undisturbed layers of soil, which layer is usually oldest?
(a) The top layer (b) The middle layer (c) The deepest layer (d) All are the same age
4. Which question helps judge a source's reliability?
(a) What colour is it? (b) How heavy is it? (c) Is it expensive? (d) Why was it created?
Independent practice
12 min5. A source becomes evidence when…
(a) it is very old (b) it is used to answer a historical question (c) it is in a museum (d) it is written down
6. An object made or used by people in the past is an ____.
7. A textbook written today about ancient China is a primary or secondary source?
8. What type of scientific dating measures the decay of carbon in once-living material? (one word before 'dating')
Questions to check understanding
- Can you classify a source as primary or secondary and justify my choice?
- Can you explain the difference between a source and evidence?
- Can you ask who made a source, when, and why?
- What was the trickiest part today?
Answer guide
1. A Roman coin — A Roman coin was made at the time.
2. Physical remains of the past — Archaeology studies physical remains such as artefacts and sites.
3. The deepest layer — Layers build up over time, so the deepest is usually oldest.
4. Why was it created? — Purpose affects how trustworthy a source is.
5. it is used to answer a historical question — Evidence is information used to support an answer or argument.
6. artefact — Artefacts are objects made or used by people.
7. secondary — It was created long after the period it describes.
8. radiocarbon — Radiocarbon dating can estimate the age of organic material up to about 50,000 years old.
Review
5 minRecap the success criteria together. Watch for these common misconceptions:
- Learners often think primary sources are always reliable. A primary source can be biased or mistaken.
- Some think secondary sources are less useful. Good secondary sources combine many primary sources and expert analysis.
- Oral histories are sometimes dismissed as 'just stories'. Oral traditions are an important and valid way knowledge is kept, and historians increasingly work with them.
Extension activities
- Bury a few household objects in layers in a tub of sand and soil, then 'excavate' and record them.
- Create a museum label for a family object, including what it tells us about the past.
- Visit a state museum's archaeology or ancient world gallery.
Suggested follow-up
- Revisit how historians and archaeologists investigate the past tomorrow with two or three quick questions from memory.
- Try the online practice check for this topic and look at any questions that need another go.
Tips for parents
- Practise with family items: is a grandparent's photo a primary or secondary source about their childhood?
- When studying First Nations histories, use resources created or endorsed by First Nations communities and organisations, and respect any restrictions on cultural knowledge.
- Encourage the habit of asking 'How do we know?' about any claim.