Primary Sources

When we are interested in finding out new information we turn to a variety of sources. Newspapers, photographs, television, even the internet are all great sources. Sometimes it's best just to ask someone what happened or how they feel about something. Hands on activities and human interaction are far more amusing and educational than sitting quietly with a textbook. It makes sense to provide these opportunities in the classroom because we use these methods in our own daily lives. There is more than one way to find the answers to our questions and kids deserve the chance to make these discoveries. Exposing them to primary sources also allows them to observe, make inferences and form their own opinions about what is going on in the world. Textbooks can sometimes be one-sided. This is not to say that textbooks are bad, but that they are often over used. Too much of anything can often be inundating. We certainly would not send our children to school to watch television all day. Such is the same with a textbook. Mix it up and explore a variety of learning materials. Expose kids to your favorite resources for information and allow them to share some of theirs. Not only will the kids enjoy it, but so will the teacher.