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Source Task

Source
High Tech High School

Subject
History/Social Studies, Humanities, Interdisciplinary

Grade Level
8

Staff Class to the Past: Time Travel Through US History

In this task, students will participate in a Socratic seminar to determine 16 of the most influential and important U.S. historical events. Once chosen, students will create a "wormhole" to experience these events and create a visual representation about what they went through. 

This task includes:
1. Task Description
2. Student Work: 10 examples
3. Additional Resources: Student handouts, rubric, teacher project, teacher reflections, student reflections, assessment activity, real world connections, timeline, required matierals, content topic, CA state standards, learning goals

Source
Stanford Beyond the Bubble

Subject
History/Social Studies

Grade Level
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

The First Thanksgiving

This task measures students’ ability to source a document.  When historians interpret a document, they look at who wrote it and when.  Source information presents clues about whether the document provides reliable evidence about the past. This task gauges whether students understand an important aspect of sourcing: the time elapsed between when a document (in this case, a painting) was produced, and the event it depicts. To accomplish this, students must agree or disagree with a claim about the usefulness of the source, and explain their thinking.

The task includes a range of supplementary materials, many available for download with the creation of a free account:

Source
High Tech High School

Subject
History/Social Studies, Humanities, Interdisciplinary

Grade Level
8

The New Americans Project

In this task, students will be partnered with a new American, or someone who has immigrated, and learn about their lives through interviews and research. 

This task includes:
1. Task Description
2. Student Work: 12 examples
3. Additional Resources: Teacher reflections, content topics, learning goals, literature circle suggestions, timeline, real world connections, sample parent letter, lesson plan, rubric

Source
The Historical Thinking Project (Canada)

Subject
History/Social Studies

Grade Level
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

The Underground Railroad

In this task, students will participate in an online simulation of the Underground Railroad in order to better understand the historical context of the time. 

This task includes:
1. Task Description
2. Additional Resources: Detailed lesson plan, web resources, PowerPoint, activities, student examples

Source
The Historical Thinking Project (Canada)

Subject
History/Social Studies

Grade Level
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Two Accounts of the Fall of New France

In this task, students will interpret two accounts of how the fall of New France in order to learn about competing narratives.

This task includes:
1. Task Description
2. Additional Resources: Detailed lesson plan, handout, student responses

Source
Stanford Beyond the Bubble

Subject
History/Social Studies

Grade Level
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Unions in Paterson, New Jersey

This task gauges students' ability to source and contextualize a document. Students first listen to an excerpt from an interview with Marianna Costa, a union leader from Paterson, New Jersey. Students then analyze four historical facts and determine which ones can help discern whether Costa’s account of union accomplishments is historically reliable.

The task includes a range of supplementary materials, all accessible and available for download with the creation of a free account through the site:

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