America's History Through Young Voices

Book excerpt: America's History through Young Voices contains primary sources written by young people from twelve periods of American history. The history presented here is of ordinary people, not that of empire-builders, kings, and presidents. The diaries, letters, and essays are narratives, thus engaging students in the story of history. Specific instructional strategies were developed for each of the primary sources based upon the five categories of historical thinking skills. Teachers thus have both the primary source (content) and instructional activities (skills) for use in the classroom. Chapter One presents a general introduction to historical sources. This book is intended for teachers and students in elementary, middle, or secondary social studies who wish to emphasize the teaching and learning of American history using primary sources.