This study focuses on discovery of what combination of scaffolds will allow 8th grade social studies students to successfully interact with primary source historical documents. The teacher-researcher examined the impact of scaffolding on two obstacles to learning in the discipline of history: (a) the inability of students to navigate successfully through primary source material (reading comprehension) and (b) the inability of students to apply historical details to the broader context of history when dealing with primary sources. The study used a case-study design to collect qualitative data consisting of field notes, teacher and student interviews, and student artifacts. The study population consisted of middle school students from a rural Title I-designated South Carolina public middle school. The findings included three stages of scaffold application with multiple primary source documents. Further the teacher-researcher concludes best practice scaffolds for middle level students' interaction with primary source documents must include: a preparatory scaffold that requires students to complete a performance task that requires them to engage deeply with background information, adapted documents that have been leveled for the reading abilities of the students, an established close reading and annotation routine for students and guided questions that require answers with text evidence that help students dive into the complex issues of the document. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]