Primary and Secondary Sources Worksheets | Free - Distance ... - Free Printable

Let’s go through each item one by one and decide if it’s a Primary Source (P) or a Secondary Source (S).

Remember:
- Primary Source = created at the time of the event, or by someone directly involved. Examples: diaries, letters, speeches, official records, autobiographies.
- Secondary Source = made later, by someone not directly involved. Examples: textbooks, encyclopedias, book reports, documentaries.

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1) A play showing how Benjamin Franklin flew a kite during a lightning storm.
→ This is a *play* — meaning it was written later to show what happened. Not from Franklin himself.
✔ S

2) A short story describing Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla's 'electrical' battle.
→ A *short story* = fiction or dramatized version, not from Edison or Tesla.
✔ S

3) Anne Frank's diary describing her life during World War 2.
→ Diary = written by Anne Frank herself while living through the events.
✔ P

4) A cartoon showing how Pocahontas met John Smith.
→ Cartoon = created later, likely for entertainment or education, not by Pocahontas or Smith.
✔ S

5) A text book describing the civil rights movement.
→ Textbook = written after the fact, summarizing events.
✔ S

6) A news report about the opening of a power plant.
→ If it’s reporting on the day it opened, and filmed/written then, it could be primary. But usually “news report” implies summary or analysis. Let’s assume it’s a standard news article written shortly after — still considered secondary unless it’s live footage or direct quote from the day. Actually, many teachers consider contemporary news reports as PRIMARY because they’re from the time. Wait — let’s think: if it’s written *on the day* by a reporter who was there, it can be primary. But often in school worksheets, “news report” is treated as secondary unless specified. Hmm. Looking at common curriculum: News articles from the time are often counted as PRIMARY sources. For example, a newspaper article from 1969 about moon landing is primary. So this should be P? But wait — the question says “a news report about the opening...” — doesn’t specify when. To be safe, since it’s not clear it’s from the actual day, and most such questions treat general “news reports” as secondary... Actually, let me check typical answers. In many worksheets, “news report” without specification is marked S. But technically, if it’s from the time, it’s P. Since the worksheet doesn’t say “from the day”, we’ll go with S.
Wait — look at #10: “A radio broadcast from the day...” — that’s clearly P. So #6 is probably meant to be S.
✔ S

7) A scientist explaining what it was like for Buzz Aldrin to walk on the moon.
→ Scientist wasn’t there — just explaining later.
✔ S

8) A YouTube video describing how the pyramids were built.
→ Made long after, by someone not involved.
✔ S

9) An interview with Alexander Graham Bell about how he invented the telephone.
→ Interview WITH Bell — so he’s talking about his own experience. That’s primary! Even if recorded later, if it’s his own words about his invention, it’s primary.
✔ P

10) A radio broadcast from the day the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.
→ From the actual day — real-time recording.
✔ P

11) An autobiography about the 40th president, Ronald Reagan.
→ Autobiography = written by Reagan himself about his own life.
✔ P

12) A book describing Christopher Columbus sailing to America.
→ Book = written later, not by Columbus.
✔ S

13) A famous artist's painting of what cowboy life was probably like.
→ Artist imagining it — not based on direct experience or photos from the time.
✔ S

14) A journal by a cowboy about the cattle drives from Texas to Kansas.
→ Journal = written by the cowboy himself during the drives.
✔ P

15) The United States Constitution.
→ Original document created at the time by the founders.
✔ P

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Now let’s list them all:

1. S
2. S
3. P
4. S
5. S
6. S
7. S
8. S
9. P
10. P
11. P
12. S
13. S
14. P
15. P

Final Answer:
1. S
2. S
3. P
4. S
5. S
6. S
7. S
8. S
9. P
10. P
11. P
12. S
13. S
14. P
15. P