Lesson Plan

• Identify and analyse the key components of primary and secondary sources.
• Evaluate the reliability, bias and relevance of historical evidence.
• Communicate a coherent historical argument using appropriate terminology and citations.
• Compare multiple sources to construct balanced interpretations.
• Reflect on the historiographical process to improve future analysis.

• Projector and screen
• Printed source packets (soldier diary entry, propaganda poster, newspaper article)
• Source Analysis Worksheet
• Debate rubric
• Essay planning template
• Whiteboard and markers

Begin with the question “How do historians know what happened in the past?” to spark curiosity. Review students’ prior knowledge of primary vs. secondary sources. Explain that today they will master three skills—analysis, evaluation and communication—and that success will be measured by their ability to break down a source, judge its credibility and outline a clear argument.

1. Do‑now (5’) – Quick quiz on source types and basic terminology.
2. Mini‑lecture (10’) – Overview of the analysis‑evaluation‑communication cycle with examples.
3. Paired source analysis (15’) – Students use the worksheet to annotate a First World War diary entry.
4. Group debate (15’) – Teams evaluate a propaganda poster versus a newspaper report and debate a thesis statement.
5. Individual essay planning (10’) – Each learner creates a detailed plan for a 500‑word essay, applying the three skills.
6. Whole‑class debrief (5’) – Groups share key findings; teacher highlights common strengths and misconceptions.

Summarise how analysis, evaluation and communication work together to build a strong historical argument. For the exit ticket, ask students to write one sentence describing how they would evaluate a source’s reliability. Assign homework: complete a 500‑word essay on a chosen historical question, explicitly using the skills practiced today.