The research process can be full of surprises. To maximize students’ chances to collect a wide variety of personal background information, local newspapers from the service member’s hometown can provide a wealth of information from the war period.

1. Provide students with a copy of the article from the Pottstown Mercury on October 7, 1948.

2. Read the article aloud as a class and ask students to identify one additional piece of information they now know about Charles B. Leinbach.

• Use the Library of Congress’ Primary Source Analysis Tool worksheet. As a class complete the observation column with information students can glean from the newspaper article.

• Ask students to analyze the newspaper article independently, looking at the remaining two columns—reflect and question.

3. Lead a discussion on the students’ findings and have them develop questions for further investigation into Charles B. Leinbach’s life.