Fact or Interpretation

This analytical social studies worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 strengthen historical thinking, source evaluation, and close-reading skills by distinguishing between firsthand facts and later interpretations. As students examine statements drawn from a passage about Civil War experiences, they analyze wording and context to decide whether each sentence represents primary evidence (direct experiences) or secondary interpretation (historical explanation or commentary).

Learning Goals

• Evidence vs. Interpretation (Grades 4-6): Differentiate between firsthand facts and later explanations of historical events.
• Primary & Secondary Source Identification: Label statements accurately based on who created the information and when.
• Analyzing Language & Perspective: Use word choice and context clues to determine reliability and viewpoint.
• Critical Historical Reasoning: Understand how interpretations shape our understanding of past events.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource: Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Precision Reading Practice: Encourages students to read closely and evaluate subtle language differences.
• Builds Research Readiness: Strengthens skills needed for analyzing historical texts and evidence.
• Flexible Classroom Use: Ideal for Civil War units, history lessons, homework, or assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students become more discerning readers of historical information by learning to separate direct evidence from interpretation. By labeling statements and justifying their reasoning, learners strengthen critical thinking, comprehension, and understanding of how history is recorded and explained. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this resource provides meaningful practice with evidence analysis, source reliability, and thoughtful historical inquiry.

This worksheet is part of our primary vs. secondary sources worksheets collection.