Tell a primary source from a secondary source, and what each can show
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Herodotus on Egyptian farming
Who made it: Herodotus, a Greek writer who traveled in Egypt. When: about 430 BCE. Where: Egypt, which he visited; written in Greek. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to record what he saw and heard on his travels. Excerpt (Herodotus, Histories, Book II, chapter 14; English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, 1920, p. 291): "…there are no men, neither in the rest of Egypt, nor in the whole world, who gain from the soil with so little labour; they have not the toil [hard work] of breaking up the land with the plough [plow], nor of hoeing, nor of any other work which other men do to get them a crop; the river rises of itself, waters the fields, and then sinks back again; thereupon each man sows his field … and waits for the harvest…"
Zee reads Herodotus's words in a 1920 English translation. For how Egyptians farmed in Herodotus's time, which is right?
- Primary: his own account, translated
- Not a source: it is in a book
- Secondary: it is very old
- Secondary: the translation is from 1920
Frontinus on Rome's water
Who made it: Frontinus, Rome's water commissioner. When: the end of the 1st century CE. Where: Rome. For whom: the emperor and the officials who ran the water system. Why: an official report on Rome's aqueducts. Excerpt (Frontinus, The Aqueducts of Rome, Book I, chapter 15; English translation by Charles E. Bennett (revising Clemens Herschel, 1899), Loeb Classical Library, 1925, p. 357): "The water is taken from the river, which, even without the effect of rainstorms, is muddy and discoloured [stained], because it has rich and cultivated fields adjoining [next to] it, and in consequence loose banks. For this reason, a settling reservoir was put in beyond the inlet of the aqueduct, in order that the water might settle there and clarify [become clear] itself… But even despite this precaution, the water reaches the City in a discoloured condition whenever there are rains."
Ari reads Frontinus's report in a 1925 English translation. For how Rome's water was cleaned, which is right?
- Not a source: it is a report
- Primary: the water commissioner wrote it
- Secondary: it was printed in 1925
- Secondary: it is about the past
Herodotus on Egypt's land
Who made it: Herodotus, a Greek writer who traveled in Egypt. When: about 430 BCE. Where: Egypt, which he visited; written in Greek. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to record what he saw and heard on his travels. Excerpt (Herodotus, Histories, Book II, chapter 5; English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, 1920, p. 279): "…that Egypt to which the Greeks sail is land acquired by the Egyptians, given them by the river…"
For the question of what a Greek visitor thought about Egypt's land, what is this excerpt, Bo asks?
- Secondary: it is a translation
- Secondary, whatever the question
- Not a source: it is an opinion
- Primary: his own view, written then
Herodotus on Egyptian farming
Who made it: Herodotus, a Greek writer who traveled in Egypt. When: about 430 BCE. Where: Egypt, which he visited; written in Greek. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to record what he saw and heard on his travels. Excerpt (Herodotus, Histories, Book II, chapter 14; English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, 1920, p. 291): "…there are no men, neither in the rest of Egypt, nor in the whole world, who gain from the soil with so little labour; they have not the toil [hard work] of breaking up the land with the plough [plow], nor of hoeing, nor of any other work which other men do to get them a crop; the river rises of itself, waters the fields, and then sinks back again; thereupon each man sows his field … and waits for the harvest…"
What does this excerpt show about farming in Egypt, Esme asks?
- The river watered fields, then farmers sowed
- Farmers ploughed and hoed hard each day
- Rain watered the fields
- Farmers sowed before the flood came
Frontinus on Rome's water
Who made it: Frontinus, Rome's water commissioner. When: the end of the 1st century CE. Where: Rome. For whom: the emperor and the officials who ran the water system. Why: an official report on Rome's aqueducts. Excerpt (Frontinus, The Aqueducts of Rome, Book I, chapter 15; English translation by Charles E. Bennett (revising Clemens Herschel, 1899), Loeb Classical Library, 1925, p. 357): "The water is taken from the river, which, even without the effect of rainstorms, is muddy and discoloured [stained], because it has rich and cultivated fields adjoining [next to] it, and in consequence loose banks. For this reason, a settling reservoir was put in beyond the inlet of the aqueduct, in order that the water might settle there and clarify [become clear] itself… But even despite this precaution, the water reaches the City in a discoloured condition whenever there are rains."
What does this excerpt show about Rome's water, Jun asks?
- Muddy water was left to settle and clear
- The water came from the sea
- The water came out of the river clean
- Rain alone made it muddy
A modern book (an example we made up) repeats Frontinus's words about the settling reservoir. Does it confirm Frontinus, Milo asks?
- No: it only repeats Frontinus
- Yes: the book is newer, so better
- No: Frontinus is a secondary source
- Yes: two sources say it
Herodotus on Egyptian farming
Who made it: Herodotus, a Greek writer who traveled in Egypt. When: about 430 BCE. Where: Egypt, which he visited; written in Greek. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to record what he saw and heard on his travels. Excerpt (Herodotus, Histories, Book II, chapter 14; English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, 1920, p. 291): "…there are no men, neither in the rest of Egypt, nor in the whole world, who gain from the soil with so little labour; they have not the toil [hard work] of breaking up the land with the plough [plow], nor of hoeing, nor of any other work which other men do to get them a crop; the river rises of itself, waters the fields, and then sinks back again; thereupon each man sows his field … and waits for the harvest…"
Noah wants to check Herodotus's account of Egyptian farming. Which second source would help most?
- Another excerpt written by Herodotus himself
- The 1920 translation again
- A record made by Egyptians at the time
- A replica of a farm built today
Frontinus on Rome's water
Who made it: Frontinus, Rome's water commissioner. When: the end of the 1st century CE. Where: Rome. For whom: the emperor and the officials who ran the water system. Why: an official report on Rome's aqueducts. Excerpt (Frontinus, The Aqueducts of Rome, Book I, chapter 15; English translation by Charles E. Bennett (revising Clemens Herschel, 1899), Loeb Classical Library, 1925, p. 357): "The water is taken from the river, which, even without the effect of rainstorms, is muddy and discoloured [stained], because it has rich and cultivated fields adjoining [next to] it, and in consequence loose banks. For this reason, a settling reservoir was put in beyond the inlet of the aqueduct, in order that the water might settle there and clarify [become clear] itself… But even despite this precaution, the water reaches the City in a discoloured condition whenever there are rains."
Pia's note says, "Frontinus's report is a secondary source because the translation was printed in 1925." Which fix is right?
- Change "Frontinus" to "Herodotus"
- Leave it: a 1925 printing is secondary
- Change "secondary" to "primary"
- Change "1925" to "1825"
Herodotus on Egyptian farming
Who made it: Herodotus, a Greek writer who traveled in Egypt. When: about 430 BCE. Where: Egypt, which he visited; written in Greek. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to record what he saw and heard on his travels. Excerpt (Herodotus, Histories, Book II, chapter 14; English translation by A. D. Godley, Loeb Classical Library, 1920, p. 291): "…there are no men, neither in the rest of Egypt, nor in the whole world, who gain from the soil with so little labour; they have not the toil [hard work] of breaking up the land with the plough [plow], nor of hoeing, nor of any other work which other men do to get them a crop; the river rises of itself, waters the fields, and then sinks back again; thereupon each man sows his field … and waits for the harvest…"
Ren's note says, "Herodotus's account must be true, because it is a primary source." Which fix is right?
- Change "primary" to "secondary" in the note
- Leave it: primary sources are true, so it is fine
- Change "Herodotus" to "Frontinus"
- Change "must be true" to "should be checked"
Frontinus on Rome's water
Who made it: Frontinus, Rome's water commissioner. When: the end of the 1st century CE. Where: Rome. For whom: the emperor and the officials who ran the water system. Why: an official report on Rome's aqueducts. Excerpt (Frontinus, The Aqueducts of Rome, Book I, chapter 15; English translation by Charles E. Bennett (revising Clemens Herschel, 1899), Loeb Classical Library, 1925, p. 357): "The water is taken from the river, which, even without the effect of rainstorms, is muddy and discoloured [stained], because it has rich and cultivated fields adjoining [next to] it, and in consequence loose banks. For this reason, a settling reservoir was put in beyond the inlet of the aqueduct, in order that the water might settle there and clarify [become clear] itself… But even despite this precaution, the water reaches the City in a discoloured condition whenever there are rains."
Tala's note says, "A model of the settling reservoir built today is a primary source about Rome's water." Which fix is right?
- Change "primary" to "secondary"
- Leave it: a model is as good as the original
- Change "today" to "in Rome"
- Change "water" to "roads"