Primary vs. Secondary Sources

This worksheet supports students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 as they learn to distinguish between primary and secondary sources using real historical-style excerpts. Through careful reading, source evaluation, perspective analysis, and evidence-based reasoning, students examine how factors such as firsthand experience, time of creation, author viewpoint, and purpose determine a source’s classification and reliability.

Skills Reinforced

• Identifying Primary & Secondary Sources (Grades 5-7) – Determine whether a text is an original account or a later interpretation of events.
• Source Origin & Purpose Analysis – Analyze who created the source, when it was created, and why it was written.
• Historical Inquiry & Evidence Use – Understand how different types of sources contribute to building historical knowledge.
• Fact vs. Interpretation – Distinguish firsthand evidence from commentary, summaries, or explanations.

Instructional Support

• Teacher-Created Resource – Developed by educators to align with upper elementary and middle school ELA and Social Studies standards.
• Multiple Excerpt Practice – Includes four varied passages to give students repeated, meaningful classification practice.
• Critical Thinking Focus – Encourages students to justify answers using specific source details.
• Clear, Structured Format – Guided questions support confident analysis and written explanations.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ideal for classroom lessons, assessments, small groups, or homeschool use.

This primary and secondary sources worksheet helps students strengthen historical thinking, source evaluation, and informational reading skills. By practicing how to identify original accounts versus later interpretations, learners gain a clearer understanding of how history is recorded, analyzed, and explained. It’s a practical, skill-building resource that supports thoughtful inquiry and evidence-based reasoning in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This worksheet is part of our contextualization worksheets collection.