Sources of History primary sources of History ( for JSS 1

Class: JSS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 5
Age: 12 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Nigerian History
Curriculum Theme: Concept of History
Focal competence: Demonstrate knowledge of the meaning of history, its sources and importance to informed decision-making; Identifying sources of history for appropriate decision making
Key competencies/values: Collaboration; Information literacy; Responsibility
Skills:

• Distinguishing primary, secondary, and tertiary sources of history
• Identification of the sources of history

Previous Lesson: Importance of the differences in the decision- making process
Topic: Sources Of History
Subject Matter: Sources of History

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• state the sources of History: primary sources of History;
• state the sources of History: secondary sources of History;
• state the sources of History: tertiary sources of History;
• distinguish amongst primary, secondary and tertiary sources of history.

Affective Domain

• appreciate the importance of different historical sources in understanding the past.
• collaborate effectively in group activities to identify and classify historical sources.

Psychomotor Domain

• classify examples of historical information into primary, secondary, or tertiary sources.
• use charts to present examples of historical sources.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable Nigerian History textbook for JSS 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Computers
• Internet access
• Archival materials (e.g., old photographs, copies of historical documents)
• Sample artifacts (e.g., old coins, traditional tools, pottery shards)
• Biographies
• Charts showing classifications of historical sources
• Whiteboard/Blackboard
• Markers/Chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

Understanding the sources of history is fundamental to studying the past accurately. This lesson equips students with the ability to identify and differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, which is crucial for critical thinking and informed decision-making. It helps students appreciate how historians reconstruct past events and interpret historical evidence.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what history is and why it is studied.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Sources Of History

Meaning of Sources of History

Sources of history are the materials or evidence from which we learn about the past. They are the raw materials that historians use to reconstruct and interpret historical events. These sources help us understand how people lived, what they believed, and the events that shaped their societies.

Primary Sources of History

Primary sources are original materials from the time period being studied. They are direct evidence or firsthand accounts of an event, person, or object. They have not been interpreted or analyzed by anyone else.

Examples of Primary Sources:

1. Oral Traditions: Stories, myths, legends, praise songs, and proverbs passed down by word of mouth from one generation to another.
2. Archaeological Remains: Physical remains of past human activities such as tools, pottery, buildings, weapons, human bones, and ancient settlements excavated from the ground.
3. Written Documents: Original manuscripts, letters, diaries, government records, treaties, official reports, laws, ancient inscriptions, and chronicles.
4. Art and Artifacts: Paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, music, clothing, and other objects created during the historical period.
5. Eyewitness Accounts: Testimonies or interviews with people who directly experienced an event.

Secondary Sources of History

Secondary sources are accounts or interpretations of historical events that are created after the events have occurred. They are based on primary sources and often provide analysis, commentary, or summaries of the past.

Examples of Secondary Sources:

1. Textbooks: Books written for educational purposes that summarize historical events.
2. Biographies: Accounts of a person’s life written by someone else.
3. Journal Articles: Scholarly articles that analyze historical events using primary and other secondary sources.
4. Historical Books: Books written by historians that interpret and explain past events.
5. Documentaries: Films or television programs that present historical information based on research.

Tertiary Sources of History

Tertiary sources are compilations or indexes of primary and secondary sources. They are used to locate other sources rather than to provide original historical information themselves.

Examples of Tertiary Sources:

1. Encyclopedias: Reference works that provide summaries of information across many subjects.
2. Dictionaries: Books that list words and their definitions.
3. Bibliographies: Lists of books and articles on a particular subject.
4. Indexes: Alphabetical lists of names, subjects, etc., with references to the places where they occur.
5. Abstracts: Short summaries of academic papers or books.

Distinction Among Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

The main difference lies in their proximity to the actual event or original information:

1. Primary sources are direct, firsthand evidence from the time of the event. They offer an original perspective.
2. Secondary sources are interpretations or analyses of primary sources, created after the event. They offer a secondhand perspective.
3. Tertiary sources are guides or indexes to primary and secondary sources. They do not offer original historical information but help in finding it.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Think-Pair-Share, Group Work, Question and Answer, Observation, Practical Activity

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them what they understand by “history” and how we know about things that happened long ago. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Sources of History”.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to the questions and listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.

Learning Point: Activating prior knowledge

Step 2: Explanation of Sources of History and Primary Sources

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what sources of history are and then defines primary sources, providing examples using the instructional materials (e.g., showing a copy of an old letter or a picture of an artifact).

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, ask questions, and observe the examples shown by the teacher.

Learning Point: Understanding primary sources

Step 3: Explanation of Secondary Sources

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what secondary sources are, contrasting them with primary sources. The teacher provides examples like a history textbook or a biography, explaining how they interpret primary information.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and identify the difference between primary and secondary sources as explained.

Learning Point: Understanding secondary sources

Step 4: Explanation of Tertiary Sources

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Categorisation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what tertiary sources are, highlighting their role as guides or indexes to other sources. Examples like encyclopedias or bibliographies are given.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and understand the function of tertiary sources.

Learning Point: Understanding tertiary sources

Step 5: Think-Pair-Share Activity

Time: 6 minutes

Teaching Skill: Collaborative Learning/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher instructs students to “Think-Pair-Share” the distinctions among primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Students first think individually, then discuss with a partner, and finally share their thoughts with the class.

Pupils’ Activity: Students think, discuss with a partner, and share their understanding of the distinctions.

Learning Point: Distinguishing source types

Step 6: Group Activity – Internet Search and Classification

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice/Group Work

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher divides students into groups and instructs them to use available computers and internet access to search for examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources of history. They are to classify their findings on charts provided or drawn on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work in groups, search the internet, classify sources, and prepare to discuss their findings.

Learning Point: Classifying historical sources

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What are the three main sources of history?
2. Give two examples of a primary source of history.
3. Give two examples of a secondary source of history.
4. How is a primary source different from a secondary source?

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessing source identification

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on sources of history into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of understanding different sources for historical study. The teacher encourages students to always consider the source of information they encounter.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and reflect on the lesson’s main points.

Learning Point: Consolidating lesson understanding

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Further Reading

Instruction: Individually, find one example of each type of historical source (primary, secondary, and tertiary) related to Nigerian history. Write down the source and explain why it belongs to that category.

1. Identify a primary source related to Nigerian history (e.g., an old photograph of a historical event, a traditional oral story, a colonial document). Explain why it is a primary source.
2. Identify a secondary source related to Nigerian history (e.g., a history textbook chapter, a biography of a Nigerian leader). Explain why it is a secondary source.
3. Identify a tertiary source that could help you find information about Nigerian history (e.g., an encyclopedia entry on Nigeria, a bibliography of Nigerian historical texts). Explain why it is a tertiary source.

Lesson Keywords

• History – The study of past events.
• Sources – Materials or evidence from which information is obtained.
• Primary Sources – Original, firsthand evidence from the time being studied.
• Secondary Sources – Accounts or interpretations of primary sources, created after the event.
• Tertiary Sources – Compilations or indexes of primary and secondary sources.
• Oral Tradition – Historical information passed down by word of mouth.
• Artifacts – Objects made by humans, especially in the past.

Differentiation

For weaker learners: Provide pre-selected examples of sources and guide them in classifying them into primary, secondary, or tertiary categories. Offer simpler definitions and more direct questions during discussions.

For faster learners: Challenge them to evaluate the reliability of different sources or to find more complex examples of tertiary sources beyond encyclopedias. Encourage them to think about how a single event might be represented differently by various primary and secondary sources.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for:
primary secondary tertiary sources jss1 history

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have gathered diverse examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, either physical items, printouts, or images, to make the lesson engaging. If internet access for students is limited, prepare printouts of historical examples for the group activity. Begin by clearly defining sources of history and then systematically introduce each type with clear examples. Encourage students to participate actively in the Think-Pair-Share and group activities. Circulate among groups during the internet search and classification to provide guidance and ensure they are on task. The Board Summary should be copied by students after the evaluation to reinforce learning. Pay close attention to students’ understanding of the distinctions between the source types during the evaluation and provide immediate feedback. For weaker learners, simplify examples and provide more scaffolding during group work. For faster learners, encourage deeper analysis and critical thinking about source reliability.