ABSTRACT
As students begin learning to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, they must be made to start reading texts more closely. In many cases, they simply skim over a passage with their eyes, looking to identify its main idea as well as any key words or phrases they might use to help them answer a multiple-choice question. That being the case, teaching students to work with documents is to get them used to asking themselves questions about the texts they read. In addition to not having all of the facts or otherwise lacking a clear understanding of the topic, authors' backgrounds—their socio-economic status, gender, past experiences, and personal agendas—may influence what they do or do not say. Over time, students will get used to posing them almost without thinking, regardless of the number or types of sources with which they are working. Any text that captures students' interest and can generate meaningful discussion is a good one to start with.
