History Professor how-to

How to Teach Students to Read a Primary Source

Sources are the evidence of history.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
Quick answer

Sources are the evidence of history. In short: identify; find; ask, then complete the remaining steps below.

Step by step

  1. Identify the author.

  2. Find the date and place.

  3. Ask who the audience was.

  4. Summarize the content.

  5. Look for bias.

  6. Connect to context.

Safety reminders for history professors

  • Handle archival materials carefully
  • Protect student privacy
  • Follow oral history ethics
  • Follow campus safety

Primary source · Secondary source · Historiography · Archive · Periodization · Context: see the full history professor glossary.

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