Read the seven eyewitness accounts of the Battle of the Alamo. Use the SOAPSTone method (Unit 1) to analyze the accounts. However, you will present your analysis in a paper rather than a table. Select three eyewitnesses to write about. Introduce your paper with a general descriiption of the battle and the significance of the battle in the Texas Revolution. The majority of your paper should be an analysis of the eyewitness accounts. Consider reasons why the accounts are different. Who is most believable? How do the perspectives of the eyewitnesses influence their accounts? End with a conclusion that pulls the accounts together. Your paper should be a minimum of 750 words. Use APA format.
AP World History
Reading & Interpreting Primary Sources
SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a
series of questions that, when answered, will help you to interpret primary sources effectively.
Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story.
What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing. Writing does not
occur in a vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas,
attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an
event or situation that catches the writer’s attention and triggers a response.
Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. It may be one person or a specific group.
What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. Students need to consider the purpose of the text in order to
develop the thesis or the argument and its logic.
What is the Subject?
Students should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases.
What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author. The spoken word can convey the speaker’s attitude and thus help to
impart meaning through tone of voice.
The seven eyewitness accounts of the Battle of the Alamo Link.