Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: History
Lesson Topic: Demonstrate an ability to analyse and evaluate historical sources to show knowledge and understanding of history.
Learning Objective/s:
  • Identify whether a source is primary or secondary and explain its origin.
  • Analyse the purpose, content, reliability and bias of a historical source.
  • Compare a source with other evidence to construct a balanced interpretation.
  • Evaluate the usefulness of a source for answering a specific historical question.
  • Communicate findings in a concise written paragraph.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • Printed copies of primary source examples (newspaper article, treaty excerpt, diary entry, propaganda poster)
  • Worksheet with the six‑step analysis framework
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Laptops/tablets for research (optional)
 Introduction:
Begin with a quick discussion: “How do we know what happened in the past?” Ask students to recall any historical source they have encountered and classify it as primary or secondary. Review that sources can be primary or secondary and why this matters. Explain that today they will master a systematic six‑step method to analyse and evaluate sources, and they will be assessed on producing a brief source‑evaluation paragraph.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – Students list three examples of historical sources they have seen and label each as primary or secondary.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10’) – Introduce the six‑step analysis framework using a projected 1914 newspaper article; highlight key questions for each step.
  3. Guided practice (15’) – Whole‑class work through steps 1‑3 of the analysis together, completing a worksheet.
  4. Pair work (15’) – Students choose one of three provided sources and complete all six steps, noting reliability and bias.
  5. Whole‑class share (10’) – Pairs present findings; teacher prompts comparison with other evidence.
  6. Written assessment (10’) – Students write a 150‑200‑word paragraph evaluating the source’s usefulness for understanding the causes of World War I (exit ticket).
Conclusion:
Summarise the six‑step process and emphasise the importance of questioning purpose and bias. Collect the written paragraphs as an exit ticket to gauge understanding. For homework, ask students to locate a historical source from any era, apply the analysis steps, and bring their notes for the next lesson.