Name: Raynaleese Rivas Class: 1E

Belizean Studies Sources and Evidence Handout

What is a primary source? Are all primary sources accurate? What is a secondary
source?

Primary sources: A primary source is any type of information which was written
during the time of the event understudy. These may include:
(a) Written texts. These are letters, diaries, journals, newspapers,
government documents, memoranda, among others.
(b) Oral testimony such as traditions, myths, legends and folkways.
(c) The landscape, both the built and natural. This includes land use and
forms which are sometimes not readily seen from the ground and so are often
revealed in aerial photographs for example, caves, cenotes, etc.
(d) Material artefacts such as tombstones, monuments and the technological remains of past societies.
(e) Expressive culture such as music, dance and language forms.
We need to remember that just because
Secondary sources: Secondary sources are written after the event has
something is a primary source does not
occurred. Usually the author of a secondary source makes conclusions and
interpretations based on information from a primary source. mean it is accurate or truthful. A person
may be an eyewitness to an event and still
STUDYING THE PAST: How do we know what happened in the not see it all or understand what they have
past? We cannot be certain what happened in the past, even for events witnessed.
that happened very recently. We have to reconstruct the past by using
evidence. This evidence could include talking to people who witnessed an event, looking at photograph,
watching videos and reading what people wrote in letters, newspapers or books. We can also examine
buildings and objects that have survived from the past to try to figure out what they were used for or
how they were made. Let’s look now at how we go about collecting evidence and the five steps of
knowing.
Have you ever had the experience of discussing an event with your friends and finding that you do not
agree on exactly what happened? When a crime is committed, a court has to decide what happened.
Usually, the accused person pleads not guilty, meaning they are saying they did not commit the crime. It
is the prosecutor's job to try to prove that the accused person really is guilty. They do this by providing
evidence. This can be testimony from people who saw what happened but it can also be forensic
evidence, It is the job of the lawyer for the accused person to challenge this evidence. The judge or jury
must decide if they believe the evidence or not. To do this they should ask if the evidence is useful,
trustworthy and reliable.

What do you think may distort(change) the truth of an evidence? Some of the reasons are:
History : only
Bias Media Difficulty
remembering
gives us a one-
When you have an evidence maybe Past events can be
sided view of
idea in your mind you manipulated or influenced by the truth: With holding of the truth
tend to look for published for interactions and either from a
evidence that propaganda reasons. situations that occur or to lie or
supports that idea and Perception : May be after the original man’s point of misinformation or not
not pay attention to mood dependent. event view, or of a
evidence that says the knowing
idea isn’t accurate. specific social
group in
society.

Read the paragraph carefully and fill in the blanks with the correct terms. The first letter of the answer has
been provided.
How We Construct Knowledge

Human beings construct knowledge by asking the community and also by conducting research.

In the process of constructing knowledge, we look for evidence to support our answers. We start the

process by observing our surroundings. We use our senses in this process as we see, hear, smell and feel

things around us. The process does not end there as this

collected information has to be analyzed and compared in

order to notice patterns.

Unfortunately, the truth many times can be distorted

through our perception of things and even when we are biased.

The media can sometimes influence us to believe their side of

the story.