Pandemic Primary Source Sets
Investigate pandemics through local historic images, documents, and artifactsCreated by a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education, Maine Historical Society, Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, and Maine State Museum.
What's in the packets?
The topics are designed for different grade levels, ranging from K-12. Each packet includes:
- A Teacher guide with recommendations on setting up the activity
- An introduction with thorough background information for teachers and students, as well as recommended reflection questions/learning goals
- Themed sets of Maine-based primary sources (documents, artifacts, and images)
- Analysis Worksheets to guide students through working with primary sources
What are the themes?
Choose one or more big questions to investigate with your students:
- How do people carry on with life during a pandemic?
- How do information and misinformation spread during a pandemic?
- How do pandemics impact different people in different ways?
- Is it right to control people’s actions during a pandemic?
How to get started
Quick Lesson Summary
(Learn more in our Teacher Guide) Use the introductions for each theme to pick the topic and age level that you think will be a good fit for your students. Then:
- Present whatever historical context from the introduction you think is necessary.
- Give students a primary source (or allow them to choose one) to work with.
- Students fill out an analysis worksheet without any information but what they can gather from the source itself.
- Talk in groups or as a class about what they think the sources are, and how they relate to the topic.
- Give students the source labels so they can learn more about each item.
- Use the class reflection questions and optional activities in the introduction.
Additional Resources:
Having trouble understanding the documents? Copy/paste them into Rewordify.
The Four Packets
Click the links to download materials
How do people carry on with life during a pandemic?
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
How do information and misinformation spread during a pandemic?
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Is it right to control people’s actions during a pandemic?
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 9-12
-
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
How do pandemics impact different people in different ways?
NOTE- this topic is document-heavy and may not be a good fit for students who struggle with reading comprehension.
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, or Image
Trouble getting started?
Let us help in your classroom
Our educators are ready to provide you with any help you need as you work with your students. If you’d like some tips, check out the online workshop below.
Recorded Teacher Webinar – Pandemic Primary Source Sets
Contact:
For help or to learn more, contact Lead Educator Kate Webber at kate.webber@maine.gov
Credits
Emma Soler, Project Intern
Partner Organizations: Maine Department of Education, Maine Historical Society, Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, Maine State Museum
