Primary and Secondary Sources
Clues left from the past make up the historical record. These clues include both primary and secondary sources in the form of books, personal papers, government documents, letters, oral accounts, diaries, maps, photographs, reports, artifacts, coins, stories, stamps, etc.
Primary sources provide firsthand evidence of historical events. They are actual records that have survived from the past, such as letters, photographs, articles of clothing, journals, speeches, interviews, diaries, videos, autobiographies, artifacts, etc.
Secondary sources summarize, explain,comment on, or draw conclusions from primary sources. They are accounts of the past created by people writing about events sometime after the event. Examples of secondary sources are textbooks, encylopedias, etc.
To practice identifying secondary sources.
To play a game and practice identifying primary and secondary sources.
To practice indentifying primary and secondary sources.
Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources
Guidelines to Determine Whether a Source is Primary or Secondary