Cause and Effect Sources

This analytical social studies worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 strengthen historical reasoning, source analysis, and critical thinking skills by comparing how different types of sources influence understanding of an event. After reading about two classmates researching the Boston Tea Party using primary and secondary sources, students examine how firsthand accounts and later interpretations shape conclusions, perspectives, and cause-and-effect reasoning.

Learning Goals

• Source Type Analysis (Grades 4-6): Compare primary and secondary sources and identify how each presents information differently.
• Perspective & Interpretation: Explain how source choice can influence conclusions about historical events.
• Cause-and-Effect Reasoning: Analyze how evidence leads to specific interpretations or understandings.
• Analytical Writing Skills: Write clear responses that compare ideas and explain reasoning using text evidence.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource: Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Deepens Historical Thinking: Encourages students to consider perspective, bias, and interpretation.
• Integrates Reading & Writing: Combines comprehension with structured analytical responses.
• Flexible Classroom Use: Ideal for history units, discussion-based lessons, homework, or assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students understand that history is shaped by evidence and perspective. By comparing how different source types affect conclusions about the Boston Tea Party, learners strengthen critical thinking, analytical writing, and source-evaluation skills. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this resource provides meaningful practice with historical inquiry, cause-and-effect reasoning, and thoughtful interpretation of evidence.

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