4th Grade: What's the difference between Primary and Secondary Sources in History?

What are the two types of tools historians use to write history? 

• Opinions from people on TV

• Primary and Secondary Sources

• Gossip from your friends and parents.

A primary source is anything created _________ the time period we are studying. 

• during

• today

Which of the following would not be a primary source from Shakespeare's time? 

• A high school essay about one of his plays

• A building in England where he had plays

Which of the following would be a primary source from Ancient Egypt?

• A drawing of the pyramids your friend made yesterday

• A ancient statue found inside a pyramid in Egypt

• An opinion in the news about how the pyramids were built. 

A Secondary source is anything that _______ about the past but was made ______.

• Talks,  before it happened

• Talks,  after it happened

How are Secondary Sources different from Primary Sources?

• Secondary sources are the same as Primary.

• Secondary sources are only from the movies, and primary sources are from ground.

• Secondary sources are information gathered AFTER the event, while primary sources are original records or artifacts from the past.

Secondary sources could be ___________ so we need to be carefule.

• wrong or misleading

• perfectly fine

What is an example of a secondary source about something that happened in the United States?

• A tool found by archeologists during a dig

• An original copy of the constitution

• A documentary film featuring interviews with historians about a historical event

 

How can a secondary source help you understand a topic better?

• By helping you see a tool from that time at the museum

• By helping you understand the perspectives and opinions of others