Primary vs. Secondary Sources

What is a PRIMARY source?

• First hand information, usually created during the period in history: Photographs, autobiographies, artifacts.

• Second hand information, created well after an event in history. Biographies, history books, journal articles about a past event.

What is a SECONDARY source?

• First hand information, usually created during the period in history: Photographs, autobiographies, artifacts.

• Second hand information, created well after an event in history. Biographies, history books, journal articles about a past event.

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

A newspaper article created about 9/11 at the same time of 9/11

• Primary

• Secondary

An audio recording of an immigrant talking about their experience of Ellis Island.

What is the audio recording in this sentence?

• Primary

• Secondary

Which answer below is a Secondary Source?

• Autobiography

• Photograph

• Diary

• Textbook

A Native American's journal that describes what it was like to meet white settlers for the first time

• Primary

• Secondary