MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Reading tools & my notebook
My passport
Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

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Sports & opening doors

Bill Russell

1934–2022

Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics, around 1960.
Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics, around 1960. Image source & credit ↗
Massachusetts connection

Boston Celtics

Russell helped Boston win eleven basketball championships. He also worked for civil rights and challenged racism.

You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.

Your turn, historian

Find a detail. Build an idea.

  1. What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
  2. How can sport reveal questions about teamwork and equal opportunity?
  3. What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?

“Bill Russell mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”

Follow the evidence.

This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.

Read the source: nba.com ↗

Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?

Keep exploring

James Naismith →William G. Morgan →Bobbi Gibb →Compare two lives →
Explore the six lessons →Image credits & sources →
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