Historical Source Analysis

This worksheet helps students in Grades 7, 8, and 9 develop historical thinking and analytical writing skills by examining two contrasting historical sources. Students read one excerpt describing rural life in early 1900s Ukraine and another depicting modern urban life. They then respond to ten open-ended questions using complete, well-supported sentences that compare daily life, work, education, traditions, and broader social changes over time.

Learning Goals

• Historical Comparison and Change Over Time (Grades 7-9) – Analyze how life in Ukraine has evolved across different historical periods.
• Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources – Interpret and compare information from two contrasting historical texts.
• Evidence-Based Written Responses – Support explanations with specific details from each source.
• Understanding Rural vs. Urban Communities – Identify differences in lifestyle, economy, and access to education and resources.
• Critical Thinking – Evaluate similarities and differences to draw meaningful conclusions about social change.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to support secondary-level social studies and ELA standards.
• Strong Source-Based Analysis – Encourages careful reading and comparison of historical texts.
• Emphasis on Written Explanation – Reinforces clarity, organization, and use of evidence in responses.
• Builds Historical Empathy – Helps students understand how context shapes daily life and opportunities.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for history units, interdisciplinary lessons, independent practice, or assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students understand history as a comparison of lived experiences across time. By analyzing and writing about rural life in early 1900s Ukraine versus modern urban life, learners strengthen historical reasoning, source analysis, and evidence-based writing skills. It is a no-prep resource for classroom and homeschool settings that supports deep comprehension of change over time and thoughtful historical comparison.

This worksheet is part of our Ukraine Worksheets collection.