Alabama Social Studies SS24.HS.5

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Subject Research

The Standard

Differentiate between primary and secondary sources on the subject and evaluate the quality of evidence each type yields.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students tell firsthand records from later accounts that interpret or summarize them. They judge what each source can support by checking its author, date, purpose, and evidence.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can identify a 1963 protest photograph as a primary source and a modern history article as secondary. They explain that the photo shows visible actions, not motives, and check the article’s sources before accepting its claims.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat old sources as automatically accurate and newer ones as less useful. They may call every newspaper article a secondary source or assume a photograph reveals what people were thinking.
How to Assess It: Pair a 1963 Birmingham march photograph with a modern textbook paragraph. Ask students to label each source, name one claim each supports, and identify one claim that needs another source.

Lesson moves

Give pairs printed copies of a 1963 march photograph and a textbook paragraph; have them mark direct evidence and claims that need checking.
Ask: Can a march photograph prove why someone joined the protest? Write two sentences explaining your answer.
Play source-sort with cards showing a 1963 speech, a 1963 photograph, and a modern textbook; students defend each label and name one limitation.
Compare a city council vote tally with a later article explaining the vote; check which supports the vote count and which supplies context.

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