The Color Purple
Alcaraz - Spring 2023


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​Your Assignment:

Directions: Use the PATHFINDER to learn more about the history around Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Choose one area to study and in a 450–500-word research report describe what you have learned. Incorporate findings from 2 primary sources.  Include a Works Cited Page. 
 
Areas of study:  
  • The impacts of Racial Discrimination in the US during the early 1900s. 
  • The western presence in Africa Late 1800s- Early 1900s 
  • Jim Crow laws 
  • Human Rights Early Laws of the 1900’s. 

​Types of Sources
Primary sources provide raw information and first-hand evidence. Examples include interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art. Primary research gives you direct access to the subject of your research.
Secondary sources provide second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. Examples include journal articles, reviews, and academic books. Thus, secondary research describes, interprets, or synthesizes primary sources.

Primary source                                                    Secondary source
Novel                                                                                                Article analyzing the novel
Painting                                                                                           Exhibition catalog explaining the painting
Letters and diaries written by a historical figure                  Biography of the historical figure
Essay by a philosopher                                                                 Textbook summarizing the philosopher’s ideas
Photographs of a historical event                                             Documentary about the historical event
Government documents about a new policy                          Newspaper article about the new policy
Music recordings                                                                           Academic book about the musical style
Results of an opinion poll                                                            Blog post interpreting the results of the poll
Empirical study                                                                              Literature review that cites the study

Tertiary source, also called a reference work, is a source that gives an overview of information gathered from primary and secondary sources but does not provide original interpretations or analysis.
Examples include:
                 Dictionaries
                 Encyclopedias
                 Databases
                 Bibliographies
(source: https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources)