Primary and Secondary Sources Worksheet
This worksheet helps grade 9 students understand and identify primary and secondary sources in historical research.
Includes
Standards
Topics
Primary and Secondary Sources
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Read each question carefully and provide your best answer. This worksheet will test your understanding of primary and secondary sources in historical research.
1. Which of the following is the BEST definition of a primary source?
An interpretation of historical events by a modern historian.
A firsthand account or original material from the time period being studied.
A textbook summarizing different historical perspectives.
A documentary film produced five decades after the event.
2. Which of the following is an example of a secondary source?
A diary entry from a soldier during World War II.
A photograph taken at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A biography of Abraham Lincoln written in 2020.
An audio recording of a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr.
3. A historian would typically rely solely on secondary sources when conducting new research.
True
False
4. The credibility of a primary source is always unquestionable.
True
False
5. A document created during the time period being studied is generally considered a source.
6. A historical analysis written by a scholar who was not present at the event is an example of a source.
7. Explain why both primary and secondary sources are important for understanding history.
8. Describe one potential limitation of using only primary sources in historical research.
Match each item below with whether it is a Primary Source (P) or a Secondary Source (S).
9. A letter written by George Washington
(P or S)
10. A documentary about the Civil War
(P or S)
11. A historical novel based on true events
(P or S)
12. The Constitution of the United States
(P or S)