RAS- 7th Grade Social Studies Skills and Big Ideas

Which example describes a primary source?

• A biography of Barak Obama written during his presidency by his childhood friend.

• An article written about Mandela by a college professor

• A play written about Cleopatra directed by a high school theatre teacher

• A documentary about the life of Beethoven.

Which example describes a primary source?

• An essay about the life of Alexander the Great written by a high school sophomore.

• An article written about the Beetles by a New York Times journalist.

• A book written about Mandela by a Harvard Professor

• A diary about the life of Malcolm X written by him.

What is an example of a secondary source?

• A transcribed speech from JFK inauguration speech

• A photography of Nelson Mandela taken by his daughter

• A painting of Van Gogh painted by a French artist.

• An autobiography of Donald Trump written by Donald Trump.

This is an excerpt from an eighth-grade history textbook:

Over 27 million people visited the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, at a time when the total U.S. population was only 65 million. People didn't just come from all over the United States; they came from all over the world to see what this young nation was about.

Which statement best represents the main idea of this source?

• The 1893 Columbian Exposition was in Chicago.

• The U.S. population in 1893 was 65 million.

• Over 27 million people visited the Columbian Exposition.

• The 1893 Columbian Exposition was very popular.

This is an excerpt from an eighth-grade history textbook:

Over 27 million people visited the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, at a time when the total U.S. population was only 65 million. People didn't just come from all over the United States; they came from all over the world to see what this young nation was about.

Who is the intended audience of this source?

• Americans living in the late 1800s

• Students in an eighth-grade history class

• People interested in Chicago history

• Elementary school students

This is an excerpt from a letter written by a soldier fighting in World War I and sent to his mother:

The trenches stretch for miles, but even though they are almost 12 feet deep, we can't walk around much. The bullets and grenades rain down upon us at even the slightest hint of movement, so all we can do is lean in stillness, waiting, trying not to make a sound.

Who is the intended audience of this source?

• The soldier's mother

• People interested in World War I

• Other World War I soldiers

• A World War I soldier

This is an excerpt from a letter written by a soldier fighting in World War I and sent to his mother:

The trenches stretch for miles, but even though they are almost 12 feet deep, we can't walk around much. The bullets and grenades rain down upon us at even the slightest hint of movement, so all we can do is lean in stillness, waiting, trying not to make a sound.

Which statement best represents the main idea of this source?

• Trenches were used extensively in World War I.

• Trenches are often dug almost 12 feet deep.

• Fighting in a World War I trench was boring and dangerous.

• The soldier's mother is worried about her son.

Which statement is an example of a fact?

• The United States gained large amounts of land because of the Mexican-American War.

• The United States was wrong to start the Mexican-American War to achieve Manifest Destiny.

• The Mexican-American War should be considered one of the greatest victories of the United States.

• Mexico's economic problems stem from its losses during the Mexican-American War.

Which statement is an example of an opinion?

• The United States gained large amounts of land because of the Mexican-American War.

• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, officially ended the Mexican-American War.

• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande as the border between the United States and Mexico.

• The Mexican-American War should be considered one of the greatest victories of the United States.

This is an excerpt from a book by historian Allie Dubecky:

European colonization was devastating to the indigenous population of the Americas. In North America, disease, war, and displacement caused the American Indian population to decline by almost 60 percent by the end of the 1800s.

Which statement about the credibility of this source is most accurate?

• This source is not credible because it was not written by an expert in the field.

• This source is not credible because it contains more opinions than facts.

• This source is credible because it contains facts and information that are accurate.

• This source is credible because it contains opinions that are shared by other authors.