Comparing data sources

We are learning to:

• compare and evaluate multiple sources of information

•synthesise and draw conclusions from different sources

•value and display respect for historical sites and buildings

•work collaboratively.

Compare and evaluate multiple sources of information

It is important for researchers and students to be able to compare, contrast and evaluate information from different sources. Quite often, the full story of a particular topic does not begin to come together until you have seen or read different accounts, and you begin to draw conclusions about that topic.

We have seen that there are many different sources of primary and secondary information that we can draw from.

We can also learn from the oral tradition of a culture. This is where knowledge and experiences of the past are passed down the generations using spoken word, by performance poetry, storytelling or poetry recital.

Respect for historical sites

It is important to be a good citizen and show respect and look after our historical sites and heritage for future generations to use. We do this by:

•protecting and preserving the historical sites

•keeping their environments clean

•having laws to protect the sites from being destroyed

•educating the public about the heritage of the sites

•having field trips to historical sites.

Activity

Write a reflective piece in your journal in which you imagine living in one of the places you have visited or read about. Imagine what life was like there and what your daily routine would be like. How different would it be to your routine today?

Research

Choose a historical site that you want to know more about. Interview some elders in your community, and find out from them what the area looked like when they were young and how people used it. Write a report about the way the area has changed.

Case study

The Roxborough Riots, 1876

The internet is often the first place you would go to if you wanted to research a topic. However, when you search on the web for a topic, you often come up with many different results. For example, if you were to search ‘Roxborough Riots, 1876’, an internet search can show over 600 results. Often, you have to be selective with the results at the top of the list. For example:

•Encyclopedia.com gives a summary of the events.

•The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago has a blog titled ‘1876 Labour Riot in Tobago’, which gives a bit more detail. It also quotes from ‘Post-Emancipation Protest in the Caribbean: The “Roxborough Riots” in Tobago, 1876’, an article that gives a first-hand account of the standoff in the Roxborough courthouse.

Other suggestions for sources you could use to research the Roxborough Riots include:

•Visiting the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain, which has most of the newspapers published in Trinidad and Tobago from 1825 to 2007. Some of the titles they hold include the Port of Spain Gazette (1825–1956) and the Trinidad Chronicle (1864–1959). You could research how the newspapers reported the events.

•Going to the Parliament Library in Port of Spain. Here they hold copies of the Trinidad Royal Gazette from 1874, along with official documents.

•Visiting the site of the riots in Roxborough and see what information there is at the actual location.

•History books in your local library and in school.

•Interviewing people in the community who may know about the Roxborough Riots.

Project

In groups, you are going to research the Roxborough Riots of 1876. Use primary and secondary sources to put together a brochure about the events of the riots. Use some of the ideas above for your research. When you have gathered all the information together, write a fictional newspaper report of the events of 3 May 1876, using any photos and drawings that you have found. Write 150–200 words. Then present your project to the class.