March 8, 2002

STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE
Learning About Figures in History Through the Primary Sources They Created

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  Geography, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Malcolm X Family Fights Auction of Papers, By EMILY EAKIN", March 6, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students research famous figures from history through the primary sources they created to explore how these types of documents can enrich our study of the past.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   45 minutes

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Reflect upon what their writings might reveal about them to people in the future.
  2. Learn about the controversy surrounding an upcoming auction of a collection of writings by Malcolm X by reading and discussing the article "Malcolm X Family Fights Auction of Papers."
  3. Research historical figures through primary source documents they created.
  4. Create "picture books" recreating primary source documents in the style that they may have originally appeared, along with supplementary explanations, to create primary source biographies for their researched figures.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

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ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Imagine that a collection of your journals, letters, e-mails, and other personal writings were found twenty years from now. What would these documents reveal about you? How would you feel if such a collection was placed on public display or sold in an auction?" After a few minutes, have a few students share their answers with the class.
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Malcolm X Family Fights Auction of Papers," focusing on the following questions:
    1. What important collection is up for auction in San Francisco and on eBay? What does the collection contain?
    2. What concerns do the writer's family have?
    3. What is included in the collection?
    4. What did Rodnell P. Collins say of the authenticity of the documents?
    5. What have other experts said about this collection?
    6. What is the most significant item in the collection, and why?
    7. Why do Joseph Fleming's actions suggest that the collection is genuine?
    8. What is Catherine Williamson's response to Malcolm X's family members' and scholars' objections to the sale of the collection?
    9. How did the owner of this collection acquire it?
    10. What past experiences have Malcolm X's family members had in trying to acquire other items that he owned?
    11. How is the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture involved in this issue?
  3. As a class, briefly discuss primary sources, using the following questions as a guide: What is a primary source? What are some examples of types of primary sources? (Create a list of types of primary sources on the board for later reference.) What are some famous examples of such documents that you can name? Then, divide students into groups of three or four, and assign or have each group select an important figure from world history for whom primary sources are extensive, such as Marie Curie, Leonardo DaVinci, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Each group researches their figure through the primary source documents that he or she created. (The Web site "Repositories of Primary Sources" at http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html will help students find many of their sources on the Web.) Primary sources might include autobiographical writing, articles, letters, poems and speeches. For each document they find, students should attempt to answer the following questions (written on the board for easier student access):
    • What were this person's main achievements?
    • How did his or her personal life impact this person's goals and ability to achieve them?
    • What were this person's political and/or social views?
    • What did other people think of this person? (Different sources may yield different answers.)
    • Based on documents written by this person, what kind of personality did this person seem to have?
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Using the information from the primary documents they found, each group create a "picture book" recreating the primary source documents in the style that they may have originally appeared (e.g., a letter on parchment written with a quill and ink or a smudged telegram). Different sources should be arranged to create a primary source biography of the figure. Supplementary material written by students should be included to clarify the background and meaning of each document.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal response, participation in class discussion and group research, and thoughtful completion of biographical primary source "picture books."

VOCABULARY:
cache, attributed, incalculable, domain, corpus, mother lode, pilgrimages, appalled, gulf, default, spring, archive

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Choose a historic event that has occurred in your lifetime, and create your own "primary source" document. You may choose to write in any format (e.g., poem, letter, article for school paper) but should keep in mind that the document should convey not only the facts about the actual event but also your personal feelings about it.
  2. Research the life of Malcolm X and write an illustrated biography, including information on his childhood, the events that shaped his political and social views and his major achievements.
  3. Read a book of primary source letters, such as "War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars" or "Final Letters: From Victims of the Holocaust." Then, create your own book that tells the story of an important historic event through letters from people who lived through it.
  4. Read "The Autobiography of Malcolm X." After reading the book, write a letter to Malcolm X with comments about what you read, as well as question about facts or concepts you learned about that you would want him to clarify.
  5. Learn about the importance of the city of Mecca for Muslims. Create an encyclopedia entry describing its historical and religious significance. Also include an explanation of the role that the pilgrimage to Mecca plays in the lives of Muslims and how this pilgrimage affected the life of Malcolm X and other famous Muslims.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
American History- Create an obituary page for the 1960's in the United States. Include famous assassinations (like Malcolm X's) and deaths, as well as the "death" of concepts (such as segregation) and objects (such as corsets). Provide a short description of each person, concept, and object, as well as an explanation of its significance in this time period, and what effect his, her or it's "passing" had on the United States and the world.

Economics- Learn about the proceedings of a traditional auction house, including how items are procured, how houses decide where to start the bidding, and the average prices for which different types of objects usually sell. Using this information, conduct a class "auction" to sell replicas of various different types of historical articles (such as the pen with which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence or an original copy of "Don Quixote"). Hand out play money to the class and see how much students are willing to pay for each item. After the auction, discuss why some items sold for more than others, and how the class auction was similar to or different from real auctions.

Media Studies- Browse eBay and other Internet auction sites searching for rare, antique or historic items up for bid. Keep track of the bidding for and sale of several such items in a journal. Also include a reflection on how Internet auctions have changed how we look at such items and the value we place on them.

Technology
-Learn about the guidelines governing Internet auction sites, both in terms of external, legal controls and internal regulations. Write your own "Internet Auction Handbook" outlining appropriate and inappropriate sales practices, include what should and should not be sold, how items should be sold, how auctions should be conducted and how buyers and sellers can be protected.
-Learn about how important historical documents are preserved. Create a poster illustrating the preservation process, from the acquisition of the document to its general upkeep.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

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