Activity
In this lesson, you learned how to use the tools of a historian. You analyzed different types of sources to look for the author and the purpose. You also learned how to distinguish between a primary source and a secondary source.

Putting It All Together
Historians, like detectives, use primary sources and secondary sources to learn more about the past. To collect your reward, you need to write a letter to the sheriff to convince him that you have solved the crime of the stolen gardening tools.

Letter requirements:

Box of evidence from cold case interactive.
Review and consider each piece of evidence from your 411 file as you attempt to solve the crime. Your conclusions must be presented to the sheriff in a written statement.

Paragraph 1
Explain who you believe took the gardening tools.

Identify the most reliable piece of information you used to solve the mystery and justify your answer. You should include the following:
what the source told you about the crime
why you think this evidence is the most reliable
the type of source (Hint: Was it a newspaper, diary, photograph, etc.?)
the purpose of the source (Hint: Why was it created?)
whether this source is primary or secondary (Hint: Was it created at the time of the event or after the fact?)

Paragraph 2
Identify the least reliable piece of information you used to solve the mystery and justify your answer. You should include the following:
what the source told you about the crime
why you think this evidence is the least reliable
the type of source (Hint: Was it a newspaper, diary, photograph, etc.?)
the purpose of the source (Hint: Why was it created?)
whether this source is primary or secondary (Hint: Was it created at the time of the event or after the fact?)

Assignment
Please view the Grading Rubric before beginning the Assignment.

Complete the reading and any interactives for this lesson.
Review your 411 File for this lesson.
Complete and submit "01.06 The Historian’s Clues."
For complete directions on how to complete assignment, submit work, and attach files, please go to the Course Information Area.

This lesson also has a collaboration opportunity on page 4. Remember that you must complete one collaboration for each segment of the course. Please ask your instructor if you have any questions about this requirement.