
Learn
Meet Maine here.
Learn
Meet Maine here.
Primary Source Sets
View all primary source materials on our new website, Maine Shared History!
These packets include everything your school or homeschool needs to lead students through the process of learning with Maine-based primary sources. Students closely analyze documents, artifacts, images and sound recordings to discover different themes in Maine history. They are scaled for grades 3-12, depending on the topic.
Would it help to have a museum educator work directly with your class? Feel free to book a free virtual primary source workshop.
Primary source sets were developed in collaboration with the Maine State Archives, and Maine State Library with support from the Maine Department of Education.

Why Teach with Primary Sources?
Our materials are designed to let students explore on their own – learning to do the work of historians. We don’t give them all the answers, but instead encourage inquiry and investigation. By interacting directly with materials from Maine’s past, they are able to make up their own minds about what they see, and what it means. It builds their visual literacy and understanding of different perspectives. It’s also just plain more fun to solve mysteries!
Our packets include:
- A teaching guide
- An introductory document with historical context
- Primary source materials
- Labels explaining what the sources are
- Optional investigative worksheets