Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey

[Let me start by saying that no animals were injured during this exercise.]

When I want to review the differences/similarities between primary and secondary sources, but have little time to do so, I rely on the students's knowledge. Many students already have a basic understanding of primary and secondary sources. I use a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey exercise so that the students can show off their knowledge and learn from each other.  How?

Ingredients:

• two flip charts (or black/white boards, a wall will do too)
• tape
• large slips of paper

Method:
Prep time: 15 mins

1. Label one board "Primary" and the other board "Secondary"
2. In large letters, print a type of source on each slip of paper. The number of slips/sources is completely up to you. I like to include one or two tricky sources that can be discussed later

Exercise: 5-7 mins

1. Distribute the slips of paper randomly. I often divide the students into groups
2. Ask each group to discuss and collectively decide which source(s) they have, primary or secondary
3. Ask each group to tape their slip of paper on the appropriate board
4. Open the discussion to the larger group, talking about any tricky sources or other decisions of note

You will be amazed how often the students get their choices correct--even the tricky ones. This exercise puts the students in the right frame of mind while engaging them in active learning.

No expiration date

What are the challenges and opportunities facing archives today? This public history course asks hard questions and explores the hard answers. The students have both the questions and the answers, they just need to look a little deeper to find them. Here are some questions that will never expire!

Audience: Undergraduate, advanced seminar in History

Objective: For students, as public historians, to ask the hard questions about accessing archival resources.

Ingredients:

• Finding aids (online and on paper)
• Archival records that correlate to the finding aids
• White board
• Flip charts
• Pre-set questions

Method:

Preparation time: 5 mins

Exercise time: 30 mins

1. Give each student a sheet with the words “opportunities/challenges”
2. Ask each student to write a few key words on this sheet that highlights your ideas of opportunities and challenges for Archives
3. Write the key words on the white boards (randomly placed, form a circle if possible)
4. Discuss how challenges can be opportunities and vice versa. Draw in current examples that suit the discussion

Preparation time: 30 mins, plus students choose a finding aid in advance of class

Exercise time: 1hr, 15 mins

1. Hand out the paper version of the finding aid. Ask students to look at it with the online version of the finding aid
2. After a few minutes, distribute the records that correlate to the finding aid
3. Give the students time to look at all of this information together
4. Hand out a set of questions, giving ample time for answers

Questions for the finding aid exercise:

What drew you to this finding aid? Why?

Compare the experience of reading it online with reading it on paper. What are the differences or similarities? What are the pros and the cons of each?

Describe your impressions before and after using the finding aid.

Does the finding aid mis/represent the original records? How?

How can a finding aid better represent the actual records? Is the finding aid adequate? What is missing? What would you include more/less of?

5.      Pull the group together for a discussion, asking:

What did you select? Why?

Is reading a finding aid online different than on paper? Explain.

Does the finding aid mis/represent the actual records? Explain.

What impression do you have of the finding aid before/after seeing the originals?

What did you do to prepare for this mysterious exercise?

Preparation time: 15 mins

Exercise time: 30 mins

1. Have the questions written on flip charts that surround the class.

Discuss in whatever order it seems appropriate.

·         What was the question that brought you to this course?

·         Whose responsibility is it to ask questions?

·         Who is a public historian?

·         How do you aspire to practice public history?

·         What are you going to do about it all?

·         Where does community/citizenship happen?

Wrap up the session (5 mins)

Request that each student complete a departure pass with the questions: What happened in the past? Why does it matter?

100% TB-free

What is the role of nutrition when treating disease? The assignment asked students to look historically at this question with respect to cancer, heart disease, and other ailments. Students also needed to understand the research process when looking at historical documents. The archives does not have a large representation of disease-related records except for one hospital—the Nova Scotia Sanatorium.

Audience: Undergraduate students in Nutrition (advanced)

Objectives: To allow students to personally experience the element of “discovery” as they do research.

Ingredients:

• Selected books from the Sanatorium’s medical library
• Archival records, textual and graphic
• B.A. thesis about the Sanatorium
• Slips of paper with the word “research”

Method:

Prep time: 2 hours to assemble resources; 10 mins to prep the room
Divide the students into groups and seat each group at a separate table.

Exercise time: 10 mins

1. Each student has a small slip of paper with the word “research” and lots of writing space.
2. Ask the students to do a word association with “research”, writing down their own word.
3. Ask students to yell out their word. This is an opportunity to explain more about the process of research, primary vs. secondary sources, and understand what level of experience the students have had with doing research.

Exercise time: 50 mins

1. Allow 15-20 mins for the students to explore the sources put on their table. They are not given any direction as to how to what to look for within the sources.
2. Use the time to circulate to each group and talk about handling procedures and interesting items.
3. Pass around the sheet of questions, now giving each group a purpose for looking at the material. Allow 5 mins. Here are their instructions: - Select one interesting document, and - Answer a few specific questions about the item
4. After the students have completed the questions, encourage each group to discuss their findings to their group members. Allow 5 mins.
5. Allow 10 mins for the groups to discuss a set of pre-determined questions relating to documents in the box (e.g., the purpose/meaning, bias, etc.)
6. Bring the group back together for a larger discussion about doing research, how to use the Archives, and the materials. Allow 10-15 mins.

Wrap up the session (5 mins)

1. Request that each student complete a departure pass with the questions: What happened in the past? Why does it matter?

Nutritional archival sources now being served

How has nutrition been taught over the last century? This assignment required students to piece together how nutrition programs have developed in universities, colleges, and schools.  Exposing the students to the archives and how to do historical research was the immediate task at hand.

Audience: Undergraduate students in Nutrition

Objective:  To challenge the students to broaden their understanding of research as they critically read both past and present resources.

     To demonstrate cooperation between the Archives and the Library.

Ingredients:

• Table set up in room, white tablecloth, napkins
• Photographs of former dining hall
• Published descriptions of former dining hall
• Academic calendars, all decades represented
• Archival records concerning the activity of dining and nutrition
• Home economics textbooks, hygiene textbooks, from special collections
• Nutrition-related secondary sources from the Library, in print and online

Method:

Prep time: 4 hours to assemble resources; 10 mins to prepare room

Exercise time: 5 mins

1. Address the dining room table. Describe the history of former dining hall, challenging the students to identify the building that still exists on campus but has been re-purposed.
2. Contrast this dining experience to the current dining hall.

Exercise time: 15 mins

1. Distribute Acadia University calendars, explaining that the students should look for courses that relate to nutrition.
2. Investigate and discuss the findings, decade by decade. Students are called upon to report on their findings as part of the discussion, “How has the education of Nutrition changed on this campus?”

 Exercise time: 35 mins

1. Distribute records and books while explaining the process of speed dating.
2. During the speed dating, students take a few minutes to review the item and answer a few questions.
3. As part of the speed dating, students take a minute to discuss their findings with the student next to them.
4. Do this six times, three times with round one questions and three times with round two questions.

Speed dating questions:

Round One – title; publishing date; intended audience; ne spark-point/one thing that you have learned

Round Two – title; publishing date; what do I expect of this title?; what is the purpose of this item?

Wrap Up the session: (10 mins)

1. Ask the students to explain their assignment.
2. Ask the students how the Archives can help with their assignment.
3. Request that each student complete a Departure Paper.

Departure paper questions:

What did you expect of this session?

How will you use the Archives to help you with your assignment?

Just Add Water

Generating electricity using the extreme tides of the Bay of Fundy is a recent topic—or is it?  This example demonstrates why critical skills and analysis are important when doing any kind of research.  Students are forced to confront their own assumptions about the technological capabilities of the past and make a new connection with the campus’ ties to electrical power in the local area.

Audience: Undergraduate students, usually studying the local environment or sustainability issues.

Objectives:

·         To be guided through the research process with access to original sources.

·         To provide an opportunity to examine a source critically.

·         To introduce primary and secondary sources.

·         To participate in the “brainstorming” process of research.

·         To allow for discovery time with original sources.

·         To recognize researcher bias when thinking about historical sources.

Ingredients:

Originals only whenever possible—no digital sources.

• Reprint of article in Industrial Canada, 1918
• Corporate fonds
• Personal fonds

Method:

Prep time about 10 mins

1. Copy or scan the title of the article, depending on if you want to distribute it in paper or on an overhead.
2. Pull archival records for later distribution.

Exercise time between 30 and 40 mins

1. Set up the scenario.  The scenario given here is that of an undergraduate student doing research on tidal power in the Bay of Fundy. This is a very current topic with a great deal of secondary source material available. While working on this topic, the student finds a title that reads, “Harnessing the Tides of the Bay of Fundy.” Ask if this article seems on topic.
2. The subtitle reads, “Power Potentialities Derivable from the Installation of Current Motors at Cape Split to be Sufficient to Supply all Needs of the Maritime Provinces, While the Scheme Has Been Declared Feasible by Eminent Consulting Engineers.”  Ask if this article would be useful to their research?  Keen students will find something out-of-place with the subtitle.
3. Discuss what parts of the subtitle seem out-of-place.  To do so, circle the specific words, which in this case are: Current Motors, Cape Split, Sufficient to Supply all Needs of the Maritime Provinces.  If the students are using their critical research skills, they should ask why tidal power is being generated at Cape Split (which is not being currently discussed); how could that power supply all the needs of the Maritime Provinces; and, who is Current Motors?
4. Turn your attention to the author, Principal W.L. Archibald at Acadia University. Who is Principal Archibald? With investigation, the students find that the source is actually not a current one; the article is a reprint from Industrial Canada, August 1918.
5. Ask where would the students get more context for this article? Of course, a visit to the Archives and an examination of primary sources is an excellent place to start.  The Archives holds documents that put the article reprint into context with similar documents for the Company.
6. Distribute the records of the Company that proposed to build a power generating plant along the Bay of Fundy.  The records of the Company show that tidal power was explored and proposed for a site at Cape Split, NS, as early as 1915, and show how the scientists expected this plant to work with maps and project reports.
7. Distribute the records of key individuals who were involved with the plant’s proposal—all of whom were employed by Acadia University.  Documents show how several members of Acadia University’s faculty and administration were involved in the tidal power project – including William Archibald.
8. Distribute the patents for the turbines and motors to be used at the plant, invented by an Acadia faculty member
9. Allow time for the students to review all of these primary sources.

Results:

·         Examining original and digital primary and secondary sources for research purposes.

·         Learn that research requires asking the right questions and examining sources.

·         Understand the limitations of using sources in isolation of each other.

·         Learn about a part of the University’s history.

·         Gain skills in doing research with primary and secondary sources.

Assignment:

No assignment has been given with this example.

Notes:  

This example has been used with educators and peers to demonstrate research skills and primary sources.


A link to this example as portrayed on page 49 of the conference proceedings of the AAU Teaching Showcase for 2009 is provided here: http://www.atlanticuniversities.ca/system/files/documents/AAUTeachingShowcaseProceedings/2009Proceedings_Final.pdf, entitled "Going to the Primaries".