Tell a primary source from a secondary source, and what each can show
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Rosetta Stone
Who made it: carved by order of Egypt's government. When: 196 BCE. Where: Egypt. For whom: people who read hieroglyphs, Demotic or Greek. Why: to share one decree in three scripts.
Jun reads the Rosetta Stone's card. Is the stone a primary or a secondary source?
- Secondary: it is about Egypt
- Neither: a stone is not a source
- Secondary: it sits in a museum now
- Primary: made at the time
Website article on Roman roads (an example)
Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: online. For whom: readers today. Why: to explain how Roman roads were built.
Kira reads a website article written today about Roman roads. Is it a primary or a secondary source?
- Secondary: made long after
- Neither: websites are not sources
- Primary: it is about Roman times
- Primary: it has true facts
Via Appia paving stones
Who made it: Roman road builders. When: first section 312 BCE. Where: Italy. For whom: travelers on the road. Why: to give the road a hard surface.
Luz sees paving stones still lying on the Via Appia, laid by Roman builders. Are they a primary or a secondary source?
- Secondary: they are just stones
- Primary: Roman builders laid them
- Secondary: people walk on them today
- Neither: a source has to be writing
Nilometer
Who made it: ancient Egyptians. When: ancient times. Where: beside the Nile, Egypt. For whom: people who needed to know the flood's height. Why: to measure how high the Nile flood rose.
Egyptians measured the Nile flood with nilometers, steps marked beside the river. Can a nilometer be a source, Milo asks?
- Yes: a primary source, made and used then
- Yes, but as a secondary source
- No: steps cannot tell us anything
- No: sources must be written words
Drawing of the Via Appia (an example)
Who made it: an artist today. When: today. Where: a museum. For whom: museum visitors. Why: to show how the road may have looked.
A drawing made today shows how the Via Appia may have looked. What kind of source is the drawing, Pia asks?
- A secondary source: made today
- A primary source: it shows Roman times
- Not a source: it is a picture
- A primary source: it is in a museum
Rosetta Stone
Who made it: carved by order of Egypt's government. When: 196 BCE. Where: Egypt. For whom: people who read hieroglyphs, Demotic or Greek. Why: to share one decree in three scripts. Source card "Website article on Roman roads (an example)". Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: online. For whom: readers today. Why: to explain how Roman roads were built.
Ren reads the word primary source. What does it mean?
- Something made at the time, by people there
- Any old source, whoever made it
- A written document, not an object
- Something written later about the past
Tala reads the word secondary source. What does it mean?
- Something made at the time
- A source that is wrong
- Any source that is not very old
- Something made later, studying the past
Via Appia paving stones
Who made it: Roman road builders. When: first section 312 BCE. Where: Italy. For whom: travelers on the road. Why: to give the road a hard surface.
Zee reads that the Via Appia's stones are artifacts. What is an artifact?
- A drawing made today
- A famous person who lived a long time ago
- A book about the past
- An object people made and used
Via Appia paving stones
Who made it: Roman road builders. When: first section 312 BCE. Where: Italy. For whom: travelers on the road. Why: to give the road a hard surface. Source card "Website article on Roman roads (an example)". Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: online. For whom: readers today. Why: to explain how Roman roads were built. Source card "Drawing of the Via Appia (an example)". Who made it: an artist today. When: today. Where: a museum. For whom: museum visitors. Why: to show how the road may have looked.
Ari needs a primary source about Roman roads. Which one is it?
- A website article written today
- A drawing made today
- The Via Appia's paving stones
- A school book written today
Nilometer
Who made it: ancient Egyptians. When: ancient times. Where: beside the Nile, Egypt. For whom: people who needed to know the flood's height. Why: to measure how high the Nile flood rose. Source card "School book chapter on the Nile (an example)". Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: a school book. For whom: students. Why: to explain the Nile flood.
Esme needs a secondary source about the Nile flood. Which one is it?
- The Rosetta Stone
- A school book chapter written today
- A nilometer from ancient Egypt
- Paving stones on the Via Appia