HST 1220
In this introductory history course, students read sources and regularly complete “SOCC Analyses” (Source, Observe, Contextualize, Corroborate). Students evaluate the origins of sources, assess what a primary source can reliably tell them about the past, identify the historical context in which the primary source is produced and how the context changes their interpretation. Students also think critically about when the primary source is used and give a specific example of other data they would need to better understand the assigned source. To help students understand that historians must go out and find primary sources—they aren’t provided in pre-printed anthologies, students complete an “Archive Dig”, visit the Elon University Archives, and are introduced to the ethical considerations of organizing and collecting archival sources.