Activity: Create a Primary Source

Primary sources are objects that help us understand the time when they were made. If we look at a painting made in 1780, we can learn new information about what it was like to live in 1780. If we watch a YouTube video made in 2006, we can learn new information about what it was like to live in 2006. Primary sources can be thousands of years old, and primary sources can be from our recent past. Your kindergarten homework is a primary source from when you were in kindergarten!

Many different things can be primary sources. Here are a few: newspapers, books, paintings, sculptures, journals, diaries, videos, social media posts, games (including video games), and photographs! Can you think of other objects that can help us understand the past? Those are primary sources too!

In the future, historians will study our time to learn more about us. Create a primary source to help future historians learn new information about life today! You can explore the primary sources linked at the bottom of this activity for inspiration!

Here are some things to think about:

1. What medium do you choose? Do you want to write a journal entry? Paint a picture? Post on social media? Something else?
2. What images/pictures represent important parts of your life?
3. What words are important to you?  
4. What is the best part of life today?
5. What is the hardest part of life today?

Extension: once you are done, create a museum label for your primary source!