According to ODLIS or The Online Dictionary for Library and Information Sources, a "primary source" is defined as:
"...a document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic, used in preparing a derivative work. Primary sources include original manuscripts, periodical articles reporting original research or thought, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc. Terry Abraham of the University of Idaho provides an online list of Repositories of Primary Sources. The History Section of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) within the American Library Association (ALA) provides a guide to Using Primary Sources on the Web. "
I have found five authoritative online primary source websites that offer a wealth of primary sources at your fingertips. These are "The Big Five":
The National Archives
Smithsonian Institution
Library of Congress
F.R.E.E.
Teaching History
"The Big Five" listed above, include pages written especially for teachers, as well as for parents, students, librarians and other groups. If the institutional homepage seems too large in scope, just find the specialized pages of interest and click away!
Notice how all of these huge, institutional collections offer a variety of ways to keep up to date on newly added primary sources and teacher resources. All include RSS feeds and a regular teacher e-newsletter worth signing up for. Sharing discoveries from these sites is possible via social bookmarking, such as Facebook, Delicious, Diigo, Youtube and more.
Take time to explore "The Big Five" and organize your primary source treasures. Then you can invite your colleagues to begin implementing effective lessons using primary sources!
