Primary and Secondary Sources

RBMS 7th Grade

What is a primary source?

A document or an object created during the time period being studied.

A biography about Abraham Lincoln written by a modern-day historian

Secondary source

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

Primary source

An army veteran talking about his personal experience during the war in Vietnam

Primary source

Abraham Lincoln's diary describing what he thought about the Civil War

Primary source

A classmate giving a report about World War II (1939-1945)

Secondary source

A TV show on History Channel explaining the American Revolutionary War

Secondary source

The website, Wikipedia, describing what life in ancient China was like

Secondary source

A modern-day historian describing the expedition of Lewis and Clark (1804)

Secondary source

A newspaper article from 1941 describing the attack on Pearl Harbor (which happened on Dec. 7 1941)

Primary source

An autobiography about Barack Obama

Primary source

A student book- report describing the pilgrims journey to North America

Secondary source

A friend telling you about a teacher he had last year

Primary source

A newspaper article from 2001 describing the Great Depression in the 1930s

Secondary source

An interview recording of Walt Disney talking about his ideas that went into creating Disney World

Primary source

The United States Constitution (1787)

Primary source

The webpage, www.Ducksters.com, talking about how life may have been in ancient Greece

Secondary source

Rosa Parks describing her role in the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott

Primary source

A textbook chapter describing World War I (1914-1918)

Secondary source

The Hollywood movie, Titanic, made in 1997

Secondary source

An original painting by Leonardo DaVinci

Primary source

What is a secondary source?

Documents written AFTER an event has occurred. Secondary sources discuss or examine the past.