Social Studies: Primary vs Secondary Sources Worksheet

Question 1

A soldier writes a letter home during a war in 1863 describing what he saw that day. Is this a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

This is a primary source because it was created by a person who directly experienced the event at the time it happened.

Question 2

A textbook published in 2020 summarizes the causes of the American Civil War. Is this a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

This is a secondary source because it explains and summarizes information about an event after it happened.

Question 3

A photograph taken at a civil rights march in 1965 is used in a history project. Is the photograph a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

The photograph is a primary source because it was created during the event and provides direct evidence from that time.

Question 4

A historian writes a biography in 2015 about Harriet Tubman using letters, records, and interviews. Is the biography a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

The biography is a secondary source because the historian is interpreting and explaining information about a person from the past.

Question 5

Read this situation: A student finds the diary of a child who lived through the Great Depression. What kind of source is the diary, and why?

Accepted Answer

The diary is a primary source because it contains firsthand thoughts and experiences written by someone who lived during the Great Depression.

Question 6

A documentary made today uses old photos, interviews, and narration to explain the attack on Pearl Harbor. Is the documentary mainly a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

The documentary is mainly a secondary source because it brings together and explains information from earlier sources to teach about the event.

Question 7

A government census record from 1900 lists the people living in a town. Is this a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

This is a primary source because it is an original record created at the time to document information about people living then.

Question 8

A website article explains what daily life was like in ancient Egypt using information from artifacts and written records. Is the article a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

The article is a secondary source because it is interpreting evidence from the past instead of being created during ancient Egyptian times.

Question 9

Explain one difference between a primary source and a secondary source in your own words.

Accepted Answer

A primary source gives direct evidence from a person or time period involved in the event, while a secondary source explains, studies, or summarizes that evidence later.

Question 10

Name one advantage of using a primary source when studying history.

Accepted Answer

One advantage of using a primary source is that it can show firsthand details, feelings, or observations from the time being studied.

Question 11

Name one reason a historian might also use secondary sources when researching a topic.

Accepted Answer

A historian might use secondary sources because they help organize information, provide background, and show how other historians have interpreted the evidence.

Question 12

A museum label next to an artifact explains where the object was found and why it is important. Is the label a primary source or a secondary source?

Accepted Answer

The museum label is a secondary source because it explains and interprets the artifact rather than being the original object from the time period.

Social Studies: Primary vs Secondary Sources

Social Studies: Primary vs Secondary Sources

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