Grade 5 · Social Studies · History

5th Grade Analyze a Primary Source worksheets

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Analyze a Primary Source

Grade 5 Social Studies Worksheet

NameDate

Read each source. Circle whether it is a primary source or a secondary source.

1.
A biography of Abraham Lincoln written last year.
- primary source
- secondary source
2.
A newspaper printed in 1776.
- primary source
- secondary source
3.
A cartoon made last year about Benjamin Franklin.
- primary source
- secondary source
4.
The Declaration of Independence.
- primary source
- secondary source
5.
A museum sign that explains a battle.
- primary source
- secondary source
6.
A diary entry written on the day of an event.
- primary source
- secondary source
7.
A diary kept by a girl on the Oregon Trail.
- primary source
- secondary source
8.
A textbook chapter about the Revolution.
- primary source
- secondary source
9.
A poster in your classroom about the Constitution.
- primary source
- secondary source
10.
A summary of a speech written by a reporter years later.
- primary source
- secondary source

5th Grade Analyze a Primary Source worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Historians learn about the past from sources. A primary source was made at the time of the event by someone who saw it or lived it, such as a letter, a diary, a photograph or a treaty. A secondary source was made later by someone who studied the past, such as a textbook, an encyclopedia or a documentary.

On this fifth grade sheet a child reads ten sources and circles whether each is a primary source or a secondary source. Each version has different sources, and the answer key gives every answer.

What your child will learn

Know what a primary source is
Know what a secondary source is
Ask who made it and when
Tell an eyewitness record from a later account

C3 Framework standard: D2.His.9.3-5

Worked example

A letter written by a soldier during the Revolution is a primary source. A textbook chapter about the Revolution is a secondary source.

Common mistake

Thinking an old source is always primary: it is primary only if it was made at the time of the event or by someone who was there.

Helpful hint

Ask who made it and when. At the time or by someone who was there: primary. Later by someone who studied it: secondary.

Earlier: Scarcity and Economic Choices

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with analyze a primary source?

Thinking an old source is always primary: it is primary only if it was made at the time of the event or by someone who was there.

How can I help my child with analyze a primary source?

Ask who made it and when. At the time or by someone who was there: primary. Later by someone who studied it: secondary.

Are these 5th grade social studies worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 5th grade history

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