This article describes one of many inquiry investigations the author designed for her fifth grade students in order to provide real and meaningful reading experiences through primary documents. There are two main goals for such a lesson: students will comprehend historical events accurately and in a way meaningful to them, and they will develop their critical thinking skills. Groups of students examined historical eyewitness accounts (in newspaper articles, diaries, and letters) of the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolution. Through their investigations and reconstructions of the past, the students not only became excited about history, but also discovered that multiple perspectives on events exist, and that personal accounts can provide insights into the struggles and challenges faced by our predecessors. The National Council for History Education advocates the use of primary documents such as letters, diaries, and journals in order to allow students to perceive past events and issues as they were experienced by people of the time and recapture the essence of their real lives. In doing so, learning about the past becomes real and meaningful as students develop empathy for people faced with issues and obstacles that might otherwise be unfamiliar to them. This article also includes examples of four classroom handouts and a list of Internet resources. (Contains 3 sidebars and 5 endnotes.)