discovering the site directions
Watch this short movie. Then read the directions below the movie.
Documents uncovered! But what do they mean?
Your final goal as the historian will be to present your findings. You will prepare a written report that explains what you have uncovered (your conclusions) and gives your recommendations to the Hunts Point community based on your findings
For hundreds of years, people have lived in the area of land alongside the Bronx River and Long Island Sound that today we call the neighborhood of Hunts Point. Some of these people shared the land and others claimed they owned the land themselves. Along the way, many of these people recorded the day to day events of the area in different types of documents. These documents included maps, photographs, census records, books, and newspaper articles.
You will be the historian who looks at some of these documents. You will analyze the documents to learn about the past. Some of the documents are primary source documents. Primary source documents are documents that were created during the time in history you are investigating. These can include photographs, diaries, or letters. Some of the documents are secondary source documents. Secondary source documents are documents that were created later on, after the time period. These can include newspaper articles and history textbooks.
What does it mean to analyze the documents?
Your final goal as the historian will be to present your findings. You will prepare a written report that explains what you have uncovered (your conclusions) and gives your recommendations to the Hunts Point community based on your findings
For hundreds of years, people have lived in the area of land alongside the Bronx River and Long Island Sound that today we call the neighborhood of Hunts Point. Some of these people shared the land and others claimed they owned the land themselves. Along the way, many of these people recorded the day to day events of the area in different types of documents. These documents included maps, photographs, census records, books, and newspaper articles.
You will be the historian who looks at some of these documents. You will analyze the documents to learn about the past. Some of the documents are primary source documents. Primary source documents are documents that were created during the time in history you are investigating. These can include photographs, diaries, or letters. Some of the documents are secondary source documents. Secondary source documents are documents that were created later on, after the time period. These can include newspaper articles and history textbooks.
What does it mean to analyze the documents?
- Read the summary that explains what local historians already know about the document.
- Figure out when the document was made.
- Look closely at the documents.
- This means you should look all around the document. Look at the edges, the middle, the background, the foreground.
- Record your research findings in your research journal.
- Ask questions of the document.
- Who created this...?
- What does this show me?
- What was the purpose of this document?
- Follow the directions that will guide your investigation. Remember, historians collaborate with each other. So will you!