Types of Sources

A source created about an event or time-period by someone who was there

• Primary

• Secondary

Something made about an event or time period by someone who was not there

• Primary

• Secondary

An article about the Civil War written during the Civil War

• Primary

• Secondary

A report about the life of Abraham Lincoln written by a 5th grade student

• Primary

• Secondary

Secondary source documents are all of the following EXCEPT:

• An analysis of primary sources or events
• Interpretations of original documents
• Sources created later by someone who did not participate in the event
• Original materials

Which of these is NOT an example of a primary source?

• Original uniforms worn at a time in history
• Diaries written at the time of an event
• Film footage of a historical event
• A poem about World War II from your classmate

What  type of source is this? A diary titled “Life in the Mines” from a miner named Lucky Noah who lived in Idaho in the 1870’s.

• Primary
• Secondary

What type of source is this? A magazine article from 2011 titled “Mining in the Old West in the 1860’s-1890’s” 

• Primary
• Secondary

What type of source is this? An original World War I uniform worn by your great grandfather

• Primary
• Secondary

What type of source is this? An encyclopedia entry on the Vietnam War

• Primary
• Secondary