The Legacy of Joseph Kuhn

Peggy Christensen

Summer Fellowship 2008

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Lesson 1: Students need to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources as well as some of the limitations of each.

Duration: This lesson will take two class periods.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources: The memoir of Isaac Kuhn is a local primary source as are the obituary of Joseph Kuhn and his estate’s final report. Detailed information about these sources is listed below.

Ties to a National Primary Source: The 1880 United States Federal Census is a national primary source.

List of Materials and Attachments:

• Worksheet 1: Investigating Sources
• Obituary of Joseph Kuhn printed in the December 28, 1915 issue of the Champaign Daily Gazette and found in the Kuhn Family Vertical File at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
• Final Report of Executor from the Joseph Kuhn Estate File #4722, dated 2/8/1917, and found at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
• 1880 United States Federal Census searched online at the link to www.ancestry.com provided by the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois. (Kuhn excerpt)
• Page 1 of the memoir of Isaac Kuhn is in the possession of Ruth Kuhn Youngerman, his daughter. She generously made it available to others by granting permission for it to be scanned.
• Pages 1 and 2 from Jos. Kuhn & Co., a record of the establishment of Joseph Kuhn’s clothing store, found at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois. The date of publication and the author are unknown.
• http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written document analysis worksheet.pdf

Procedures:

• Divide the class into groups of two or three so that students can help each other gather information and determine source types. Give each student the Written Document Analysis Worksheet. As a class discuss how it might be completed for the two pages from Jos. Kuhn & Co. Within each group, one person should analyze the obituary and another individual should complete the form for the census document. If there are three students in a group, the third individual should analyze the executor’s final report.

• Distribute: worksheet 1, the obituary of Joseph Kuhn, the page of the 1880 United States Federal Census that deals with Joseph Kuhn and his family, the executor’s final report, and pages 1 and 2 of Jos. Kuhn & Co.

• Read orally and briefly discuss all information on worksheet 1 preceding the list of questions.

• Complete, discuss, collect, and assess worksheet 1 and the Written Document Analysis Worksheets.