๐ Primary Source Analysis
Unit 2: Decolonized History - Centering Multiple Perspectives
Student Name: _________________________________
Date: _________________________________
Document Title: _________________________________
๐ How to Use This Template
Primary sources are original documents from the time period being studied. When analyzing history - especially Aotearoa's colonial history - we must ask: Whose voice is this? What perspectives are missing? How might the story change if told by someone else?
๐ STEP 1: Basic Information
What TYPE of document is this?
When was it created?
Where was it created?
๐ค STEP 2: Author & Context
Who created this document?
What was the author's position/role in society?
What was the author's cultural/ethnic background?
Why do you think they created this document? (Purpose/Audience)
๐ STEP 3: Content Analysis
Summarize the main points or argument in 2-3 sentences:
List 3 key quotes or details that stand out to you:
1.
2.
3.
What language or tone does the author use?
โ ๏ธ STEP 4: Identifying Bias & Perspective (CRITICAL!)
Remember: ALL sources have bias - they reflect the author's background, beliefs, and purpose. The question is not "Is there bias?" but "What biases exist and how do they shape the story?"
What assumptions or biases can you detect in this document?
How might the author's position (colonial official, chief, settler, etc.) have shaped their view?
What does this document REVEAL about the time period?
What does this document CONCEAL or leave out?
๐๏ธ STEP 5: Considering Multiple Perspectives
Decolonizing History: We must ask whose voices are centered and whose are silenced. How would this story change if told by someone else?
Whose perspective is represented in this document?
Whose voices are MISSING from this document?
If Mฤori voices are missing: What might rangatira, warriors, whฤnau, or kaumฤtua from this time have said about these events?
How might this document be different if created by someone from a different background?
โญ STEP 6: Historical Significance & Connections
Why is this document historically important?
How does this document connect to what you've learned about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Land Wars, or Mฤori resistance?
What questions does this document raise for you?
๐ฏ STEP 7: Assessing Reliability
How reliable is this document as historical evidence?
โ Very Reliable - First-hand account, supported by other sources
โ Somewhat Reliable - Useful but biased or incomplete
โ Limited Reliability - Heavily biased, missing key perspectives
โ Unreliable - Propaganda, misinformation, or extreme bias
Explain your reliability rating:
๐ก Final Synthesis
In 3-4 sentences, what did you learn from analyzing this document? What new insights do you have about Aotearoa's colonial history?
๐จโ๐ซ Teacher Notes
Purpose: This template teaches critical historical thinking with a decolonizing lens - centering multiple perspectives and identifying whose voices are privileged vs silenced in historical records.
Suggested Documents to Analyze:
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Mฤori version vs English version comparison)
- Governor Grey's proclamations during Land Wars
- Rangatira letters/petitions to the Crown
- Missionary journals about Mฤori communities
- Newspaper coverage of battles/konfiskations
- Waitangi Tribunal findings (modern perspective on historical injustices)
- Personal accounts from both sides of the wars
Teaching Strategy:
- Start with a clear, less controversial document to teach the process
- Use "think-pair-share" for bias identification sections
- Compare TWO documents about same event from different perspectives
- Discuss: Why do certain perspectives dominate historical archives?
- Emphasize: Centering Mฤori voices = justice, not "reverse bias"
Assessment Focus:
- Can student identify author's bias and perspective?
- Does student recognize missing voices/silenced perspectives?
- Can student explain HOW perspective shapes historical narrative?
- Does student use evidence from text to support analysis?
- Does student demonstrate critical thinking about "official" histories?
NZ Curriculum Links:
- Social Sciences: Historical inquiry, Continuity and change, Perspectives
- English: Critical analysis, Viewpoint and perspective, Text interpretation
- Key Competencies: Thinking (critical evaluation), Relating to others (empathy and multiple perspectives)
- NZ Histories Curriculum: Contestability, Multiple perspectives, Te Tiriti-based historical understanding