The study of history is really an investigation into the past. For this activity students investigate why the senators of Rome murdered Julius Caesar by examining primary sources. Students examine five primary sources and try to determine the Senator' motives. Students will answer some comprehension questions and formulate a thesis and write a historical essay. Click the Image below to download this free resource.

No prep, No hassle. Students will critically analyze the past with this engaging DBQ. 

After my students investigate a Historical Question and annotate and analyze primary and secondary sources, I love to hold a Socratic Seminar (before they write an expository paragraph or essay). After we analyzed SHEG's Pocahontas Lesson Primary and Secondary Sources, I had students pick which role they wanted to be, gave them some time to examine the questions and take notes and then put them in a "fish bowl arena" (see images below) and let them start talking/ listening. Use the Presentation below (Click image for a copy of the presentation: The questions are specifically for the Pocahontas SHEG, but you can modify it to suit your class needs). 

How I organized the desks...you can just do a circle of chairs. Just make sure there is an inner circle and outer circle. This was done with 40 students in a tiny classroom...so anything is possible!

Students need to be explicitly taught why some sources are better to use than others...and it just boils down to which sources are more credible and reliable than others. Use this worksheet for students to ask appropriate questions about the source. Click the image to download the pdf.

The DBQ Project makes wonderful Document Based Questions to answer. I use their DBQs probably every unit. In the beginning and for my EL Students I create a pre-writing activity in which students have to match evidence with claims. I write down evidence from the DBQ and also write down various claims. Their task it to match the claim with the piece of evidence. I also sometimes provide the claims but they have to find the evidence, or vise versa, I will provide the evidence and they will have to make the claims. So many ways to teach the DBQ process. 

Check out this DBQ on Julius Caesar. Students examine Primary and secondary sources and determine how the Senators justified Caesar's murder. My students loved this DBQ. Developed by Ms. Caldwell (HistoriCAL History). 
Click the picture to download pdf
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