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title: Primary Source Analysis — HAPP Framework description: Step-through scaffold for analyzing primary sources using the HAPP framework: Historical Situation, Audience, Purpose, and Point of View, culminating in a sourcing claim. image: /sims/primary-source-analyzer/primary-source-analyzer.png og:image: /sims/primary-source-analyzer/primary-source-analyzer.png status: built library: p5.js bloom_level: Apply (L3) — Use quality_score: 68

Primary Source Analysis — HAPP Framework

Learning Objective

Step-through scaffold for analyzing primary sources using the HAPP framework: Historical Situation, Audience, Purpose, and Point of View, culminating in a sourcing claim.

  • Bloom Level: Apply (L3) — Use
  • Library: p5.js | Chapter: 1 — Historical Methods

Interactive Sim

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About This MicroSim

This step-through sim presents three primary source excerpts (Douglass, Abigail Adams, Monroe Doctrine) and guides students through the HAPP sourcing framework one element at a time. Students see a model analysis for each element before advancing. The "Show Analysis" button maintains productive struggle — students think first, then compare.

Embed This MicroSim

<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/us-history/sims/primary-source-analyzer/main.html" height="542px" width="100%" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Lesson Plan

Duration: 15–20 minutes | Grade: High School | Subject: U.S. History / Historical Methods

Before: Introduce the HAPP acronym with a class example. Ask: "Why does it matter who wrote a source, and when?"

During: Students work through all four HAPP elements for one source, writing their own analysis before clicking "Show Analysis."

After: Students compare their sourcing claim to the model and revise. Discuss: which element is hardest to identify and why?

Extension: Students apply HAPP to a primary source from the current chapter with no model answer provided.

References

  • Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts (2001) — Chapter on sourcing as a core historical literacy
  • College Board AP U.S. History Exam — Document-Based Question (DBQ) sourcing rubric
  • Stanford History Education Group, "Reading Like a Historian" curriculum (sheg.stanford.edu)