Using Primary Sources in STEM Education: An Example

Abstract

Primary sources are original artifacts from the past that can used to understand an event or time period. They are customarily only thought of in the realm of historical thinking. That is unfortunate because they can also be considered in terms of scientific, economic, cultural, and mathematical thinking. While primary sources are increasingly taking more prominent roles in the social studies and history classrooms, they are still very rare in other disciplines. This paper describes how primary sources gathered from the Library of Congress were situated in a larger STEM lesson focusing on the challenges faced by WWI veteran amputees. Lesson reflection found that with sufficient scaffolding and other support, primary sources make an excellent resource for STEM teachers. Further, STEM and primary sources make natural partners in teaching and learning because they both have an interdisciplinary nature and tend be applied to real world situations.