Use who made a source, when and why to judge how useful it is
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
Read this first
List of Olympic winners
Who made it: later Greek writers. When: more than 300 years after 776 BCE. Where: Greece. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to list winners and count years by Olympiads. Source card "Sports website on the first Olympics (an example)". Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: online. For whom: readers today. Why: to tell the story of the first games.
Which source was made closer in time to the first Olympics of 776 BCE, Tala asks?
- Both were made at the same time
- The sports website, because it is newest
- Neither: no one wrote about the games
- The list of winners, made centuries later
Roman milestones
Who made it: Roman road builders. When: Roman times. Where: beside Roman roads such as the Via Appia. For whom: travelers. Why: to mark distances in Roman miles. Source card "Travel guide to the Via Appia (an example)". Who made it: a travel writer today. When: today. Where: a guidebook. For whom: tourists. Why: to help visitors plan a walk.
Which source was made closer in time to the Via Appia, Zee asks?
- The travel guide, because it is newest
- Both were made in Roman times
- The Roman milestones
- Both were made today
Old paper pieces
Who made it: papermakers in China. When: before 105 CE. Where: China. For whom: not known. Why: not known. Source card "Museum label about early paper (an example)". Who made it: a museum writer today. When: today. Where: a museum. For whom: visitors today. Why: to explain early paper in a few lines.
Which source was made closer in time to early Chinese papermaking, Ari asks?
- The museum label, because it is newest
- Both were made at the same time
- The old paper pieces
- A copy of the paper made today
Roman milestones
Who made it: Roman road builders. When: Roman times. Where: beside Roman roads such as the Via Appia. For whom: travelers. Why: to mark distances in Roman miles. Source card "Travel guide to the Via Appia (an example)". Who made it: a travel writer today. When: today. Where: a guidebook. For whom: tourists. Why: to help visitors plan a walk.
Bo wants to know how Romans marked distances along the Via Appia. Which source helps most?
- The travel guide written today
- The Roman milestones
- The 2005 seismoscope replica
- The list of Olympic winners
List of Olympic winners
Who made it: later Greek writers. When: more than 300 years after 776 BCE. Where: Greece. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to list winners and count years by Olympiads. Source card "Sports website on the first Olympics (an example)". Who made it: a writer today. When: today. Where: online. For whom: readers today. Why: to tell the story of the first games.
Esme wants to know how Greeks counted years by Olympiads. Which source helps most?
- The sports website written today
- A list made by people who saw the first games
- Roman milestones
- The list of Olympic winners
Old paper pieces
Who made it: papermakers in China. When: before 105 CE. Where: China. For whom: not known. Why: not known. Source card "Museum label about early paper (an example)". Who made it: a museum writer today. When: today. Where: a museum. For whom: visitors today. Why: to explain early paper in a few lines.
Jun wants to know what early Chinese paper was made of. Which source helps most?
- Roman milestones
- The seismoscope replica
- The old paper pieces
- The museum label written today
Seismoscope replica
Who made it: modern scientists in China. When: 2005. Where: China. For whom: scientists and museum visitors. Why: to test how Zhang Heng's seismoscope of 132 CE may have worked.
Kira reads the card for the 2005 seismoscope replica. Why was it made?
- To test how the old device may have worked
- To list Olympic winners
- To mark distances on a road
- To trick people into thinking it is old
List of Olympic winners
Who made it: later Greek writers. When: more than 300 years after 776 BCE. Where: Greece. For whom: Greek readers. Why: to list winners and count years by Olympiads.
Milo reads the card for the list of Olympic winners. Why was the list made?
- To mark distances on roads
- To report the first games as they happened
- To list winners and count the years
- To sell tickets to the games
Seismoscope replica
Who made it: modern scientists in China. When: 2005. Where: China. For whom: scientists and museum visitors. Why: to test how Zhang Heng's seismoscope of 132 CE may have worked.
What can the 2005 seismoscope replica not tell Noah?
- Exactly how the original was built inside
- Nothing: it is the same as the original
- How scientists today think it worked
- That scientists made it in 2005
Who made it: papermakers in China. When: before 105 CE. Where: China. For whom: not known. Why: not known. What can the old paper pieces not tell Ren?
- That paper was made before 105 CE
- What the paper is made of
- The names of the people who made them
- Nothing: a copy would tell us more