Primary and Secondary Sources

Grade 3 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the answer.

1. 1.

   What can Sam's letter tell us that the library book cannot?

   • what the flood was like for one family
   • why rivers flood in spring
   • what happened years after the flood
   • how many towns the flood covered
2. 2.

   Which source would best tell how many towns flooded in 1936?

   • the library book about floods
   • Sam's letter
   • a photo of Sam's porch
   • a diary from one farm
3. 3.

   What do the telegram and the film both say?

   • People cheered when the first train came.
   • The first train arrived at noon.
   • The town grew for 100 years.
   • Exactly 500 people came.
4. 4.

   The cleanup report used many interviews like this one. What does that show?

   • Primary sources are written after secondary ones.
   • Reports are made on the day of an event.
   • Interviews are always secondary sources.
   • Secondary sources can be built from primary sources.
5. 5.

   The website says three feet of snow fell. How could a historian check this?

   • ask a student today
   • read another website from 2020
   • look for records made during the storm
   • count the words in Rosa's diary
6. 6.

   Which question could the fair photograph answer best?

   • Who runs the fair today?
   • How many years has the fair been held?
   • Why did the town start a fair?
   • What rides did children use in 1952?
7. 7.

   The museum article says the school closed in 1950. Why can't Ella's 1925 diary tell us that?

   • Diaries are never true.
   • Ella did not like the school.
   • It was written before the school closed.
   • It was written after 1950.
8. 8.

   Which source would best show how the bridge was built?

   • a 2020 travel guide
   • the newspaper article
   • the construction photograph
   • a bridge map from today
9. 9.

   Why might a historian use both the ballot and the encyclopedia article?

   • One shows the real vote; one explains councils.
   • Both were written much later.
   • Both were used on election day.
   • The ballot explains what councils do.
10. 10.

    The program says 'Planting starts at 10.' What does this tell a historian?

    • why neighbors built the garden
    • how the garden looks today
    • what was planned for opening day
    • who wrote the history book