Primary Sources in K-12

Source: Jackdaw.com

Definition from the publisher:

"A Jackdaw is your personal archive of hands-on primary source materials. They are an array of fascinating, relevant primary source documents delivered directly to you. Most documents are reproduced in their actual sizes for you to touch and explore over and over. Transcripts and translations of difficult to read documents are provided for better understanding. Jackdaw primary sources encourage critical thinking and analysis, and augment retention of information in a variety of interdisciplinary disciplines."

The Jackdaw gets its name from a bird in the Corvidae family (same as ravens and crows). These birds are known thieves and hoarders! They will gather together a collection of any random shiny and interesting objects that catch their eye.

Image source: Britannica.com

The Jackdaw packets aren't so random, of course, but they do contain a wide variety of different documents... just like the bird's collection. Each Jackdaw focuses on a specific event, place or person from history, and contains a variety of primary source materials. Although they're especially used within secondary classrooms, you can use Jackdaws at any level, adapting your social studies lessons to incorporate these documents.

What's generally in a Jackdaw?

• Look at the following "Jackdaw Unpacked" tutorial to see an example of what you might find:

Call Number Arrangement: By Subject (Library of Congress Call Number System)

Find it in the TMC:

Searching and Locating Tips:

Search by Topic in ONESearch:

• Change the collection being searched to "Teaching Materials Collection"
• Type in a search term and run your search
• On the left column that says "Refine Results", look for the Location section
• Click on "Location" to open that section and check off "Teaching Materials Center (Jackdaw)"
  • If the Jackdaw option doesn't appear, there aren't any Jackdaws on that topic. You may want to make your search term more general. Keep in mind that the Jackdaws are a small collection!
• Click "Apply Filters" to run your new search

Search by Title in ONESearch:

• See the Jackdaws Sorted by Topic list for specific titles
• In the Advanced Search, change the field to "Title"
• Type in your Jackdaw title and click "Search"