Informative Writing - Sources of information

There are two main sources of information: primary and _____ sources.

What is a primary source of information?

• Information you read in a book

• What you heard from a person who was there in the event

• Information from a history website

• A report written by an expert

Which of these is a primary source of information?

• A movie about dinosaurs

• A diary by someone who lived during the Second World War

• A cartoon about a king and his knights

• A book about castles written by a famous person

Which of these is a secondary source of information?

• A photograph of a family reunion

• An interview of a person who discovered something

• A science book explaining how plants grow

• A video of a volcano erupting

If you want to write about a tsunami and read about a book about an event that happened in Thailand, what kind of source is that?

• Primary

• Secondary

• Both primary and secondary

• Neither primary nor secondary

You want to learn about what birds eat. Which of these would probably be the most reliable place to find information?

• A cartoon about a talking bird.

• A science book about birds written by a scientist.

• A funny story your friend made up about a bird.

• A video game with birds in it.

Your friend tells you that unicorns are real because they saw one fly over their house. Is this information reliable?

• Yes, because your friend saw it.

• No, because unicorns are make-believe and can't fly.

• Maybe, if your friend really believes it.

• Only if someone else saw it too.

You are looking for information about sharks. Which of these sources would be the least reliable?

• A documentary about sharks made by ocean experts.

• A website where anyone can write anything they want without checking facts.

• A book from the library about sea animals.

• A museum exhibit about sharks with real shark teeth.

Why is it important to use reliable sources when you want to learn something new?

• Because reliable sources always have pretty pictures.

• Because reliable sources tell you the truth and facts.

• Because reliable sources are usually very long.

• Because reliable sources are easier to find.

When you write another person's exact words using quotation marks (" "), you are...

• quoting

• paraphrasing

• summarizing

• plagiarizing