EXPLORATION, ENCOUNTER, EXCHANGE IN HISTORY
Complete your investigation of encounters and exchange as illustrated
by San Francisco’s Chinatown with two news items documenting two
different possible fates for the neighborhood after the earthquake. Historical
newspapers offer insight into the past that is different from any of the
previous primary sources, concisely presenting both fact and opinion using
text, graphs, charts, and images.
First, have students note the headlines from each article. Continue by
offering both full stories.
As students react to the text, ask:
• What can you learn about San Francisco’s Chinatown that is different from
what you learned from the 1885 map and the photographs?
• Speculate: What might have happened between the dates these two
articles were published to explain the different approaches described?
• In what way do the articles add to the story of encounter and exchange in
San Francisco’s Chinatown? What new questions do they raise?
Throughout this process students have looked at items individually as
well as in reference to each other. Lead a discussion of the items as a set,
in order to help students synthesize an answer to the guiding question:
How can primary sources help us to examine one cultural or ethnic group’s
The San Francisco Call, May 17, 1906
Library of Congress
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1906-0517/ed-1/seq-1
exploration of the United States as a new home and the ensuing encounters
and exchanges with those already living here?
Ask:
• When viewed together, what story do the items tell about how
exploration, encounter, and exchange related to the experiences of
immigrants during the late 1800s and early 1900s?
• What aspects of the story will you need to research further in order to
form a more complete picture? What do you still want to know?
• Why is it important to consult a variety of formats, as well as varied points
of view, when creating a National History Day project?
Visit the Library of Congress collections at www.loc.gov/ to find primary
sources related to the experiences of immigrants to America throughout
history. You can also find items related to exploration, encounter, and
exchange from a variety of points of view to aid with your National History
Day project. In addition, resources for teachers working with National
History Day students can be found on the Library’s website for teachers:
www.loc.gov/teachers.
For a complete bibliography and links to download
these resources, go to www.nhd.org/themebook.
The San Francisco Call, May 24, 1906
Library of Congress
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1906-0524/ed-1/seq-14/
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