Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Use of Primary Sources
Documents from Jamestown show that Samuel Collier actually did exist. He did work as a servant for Captain Smith and actually spent a winter with the Powhatan Indians. Documents from the time including journals, published accounts, inventories or ship logs are all referred to as Primary Source documents. From these documents historians are able to discover what actually happened at a certain place and time. They are often considered the best source of historical knowledge. Elisa Carbone uses these documents as the basis of her book (For more information, please refer to the author's notes at the end of the book pp. 226-229). She quotes a primary source at the beginning of each chapter that she then uses to develop her fictional story. What does this bring to the story? Why do you think she does this?
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3 comments:
She did this because I recommended that she do it. Of course, I only got my name in one sentence in the Acknowledments. Oh well.
Jan Jones
So when samual reveals his philosophy: "trust no one." what circumstances led him to have that philosophy?
It's a discussion opener for the chapter before actually reading the chapter. Students are able to analysis the meaning of it, as well as foreshadow what is to come. Also she is able to write around the primary source quote which makes the meaning even more clear to the students when the chapter is being read. They are able to say, "Yeah, we studied the economic reasons as to why the English colonized Jamestown, but now James Collier is saying it in a matter-of-fact format that fits with his thoughts or sentences." Lastly, it teaches student about using primary and secondary sources.
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