PRIMARY SOURCE PREPARATION
In addition to the textbook reading (World), your regular preparation for class will also include the examination of two or three primary sources (original historical documents). About ten times during the semester, however, we will discuss these primary sources
directly in-class. On these days in particular, you will need to prepare yourself by reading the materials closely.
To start off, be sure to read each text carefully, even those with
which you may be already familiar. Look up unfamiliar words --
especially those that seem important -- and try to decide what the
"main point" of each source is. If you have particular problems
understanding a text, don't give up but rather try again. Often
it will be necessary to read a text 2-3 times to be ready to discuss it
in class.
While you are reading, it will also be helpful for you to note aspects
about a text that you find particularly interesting or
significant. Does a passage refer to another source that we have
read? Does it conflict with an impression that you have about a
particular culture, event, or topic?
In addition to this general level of preparation, each document features a set of "Questions for Discussion" (depending on the source, these appear either at the beginning or at the end of the document). On the days we will be discussing the primary sources in class (**PS days), you will need to type up and hand in brief responses to these questions. (In most cases, you should interpret "brief" to mean 2-4 sentences -- although these may not always need to be complete ones.)