By now, you may feel confident in assigning lessons with a Primary Source Analysis skillset. However, you may feel less certain about the grading process. When you grade Primary Source Analysis activities, you should focus on skills practice, not right or wrong answers.
You may be inclined to grade Primary Source Analysis exercises with a fine tooth comb, noting inaccuracies or incorrect information. However, the skillset of Primary Source Analysis is a harder animal to tame. Allowing students to focus on this formative process takes the pressure off. This will help students to better understand the process of Primary Source Analysis. By using redirection and guiding questions, you can easily walk students through the process without demanding too much.
How to Grade Primary Source Analysis
As a Social Studies teacher, it’s often instinctual to grade based on content correctness. However, doing so may inhibit students from fully understanding and embracing the Primary Source Analysis process. Instead, you should focus on teaching Primary Source Analysis as a skillset. Doing so will allow students to build on foundational skills and techniques to strengthen their technique.
Use guiding questions to redirect students to the factual data that you want them to gather from the Primary Source Analysis while also allowing them to practice the skill of searching for that data themselves. Appreciate incorrect answers because it helps students to learn how to dig deeper and break down information which is the process of analysis. if we don’t allow them to go through those stages of analysis, they’ll never learn to look deeper.
By focusing on the process, students feel less pressure to “get it right” and can focus instead on digging deeper. By searching for the info and developing that skillset, students will be better prepared for deeper analysis activities in the future.
What You Should Grade Instead
Instead of focusing on the correctness of the primary analysis itself, you should instead grade the summations of that analysis. Focus on final products like:
- Open Response Questions (ORQ)
- Document-Based Questions (DBQ)
- Short Answers
- Essays
- Oral Presentations
- Creative Projects
If you need tips for teaching Primary Source Analysis in the classroom, dive deeper into this How To for Secondary Teachers.
For easy implementation, use ready-made Primary Source Analysis activities to bolster deeper understanding. Try this complete United States Primary Source Analysis bundle for your US History classes.
Happy Teaching!
