Sometimes it takes comparisons of several letters to sort things out. Mr. Welt's students often find more questions than answers after studying these letters. When this happens, students have to go beyond the letters and look for more information elsewhere. One of the important distinctions Mr. Welt teaches his students is the difference between primary and secondary sources. The primary sources, in this case, are the letters themselves.
Historical societies are great places to find both primary and secondary sources.
I have learned quite a bit more about U.S. history from using primary sources than I could ever have from some hot shot history book. This project not only connects students with people who lived many years ago, but with other students. One of the families Mr. Welt's students have studied extensively is the Woodbridge family . Click here for some ideas on how to get started.