Whitley Central Intermediate 4th graders have been learning about how historians understand the past by using firsthand and secondhand accounts. We discussed what these types of sources are and why they are important when studying history. Our class talked about how firsthand accounts come from people who were actually there, while secondhand accounts are created by someone who learned about the event from others. We have done multiple activities to help students better understand these point of views such as sorting activities, independent practice with online task cards, and even reading “The Galveston Hurricane of 1900”. This story captures firsthand accounts from a boy who survived the hurricane and secondhand accounts from the author who researched and published the book.
Savannah Partin
Whitley Central Intermediate School
Whitley County School District
4th Grade
