Courseversity

Lesson

Reliable sources

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U10-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • List source types.
  • Choose reliable sources.
  • Tell primary from secondary.
  • Search effectively.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Choose search words.
  2. Find several sources.
  3. Check reliability.
  4. Record details.

Words to know

primary source
original evidence from the time or person involved
secondary source
a report or account written about something later
keyword
a word used to search for information
reliable
dependable and accurate

1. Discover: Where to look

Kofi researches the history of his town. A grandmother’s interview and an old photograph are primary sources. A library book about the region is a secondary source. For online searching he uses keywords such as “town market history”. He prefers sites ending in .gov, .edu or those of recognised museums as more reliable.

He records the source, author and date for each.

Think: Which sources are reliable?

2. Understand: Finding trustworthy information

Idea 1: Source types

Sources include books, encyclopaedias, websites and interviews.

Idea 2: Primary and secondary

A primary source is original; a secondary source is about it later.

Idea 3: Reliable

Choose reliable sources and search with good keywords.

Remember: Use a mix of primary and secondary sources, search with keywords and choose reliable sources.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Primary

Name a primary source.

  1. Interview.

Answer: a grandmother’s interview or an old photograph

Example 2 (We do it together): Secondary

Name a secondary source.

  1. Library book.

Answer: a library book about the region

Example 3 (You try): Keyword

Give a keyword.

Show the steps and answer
  1. Market history.

Answer: town market history

Did you know?

Librarians can help you find reliable sources quickly.

Why this matters

Reliable sources make your research trustworthy.

4. Explore: Source hunt

Find sources.

  1. Choose keywords.
  2. Find three sources.
  3. Mark primary or secondary.
  4. Record details.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can find reliable sources.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • My keywords are ___.
  • This is a primary / secondary source because ___.
  • It is reliable because ___.
  • I recorded ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Original evidence is a ___ source.

primary

Question 2. A later account is a ___ source.

secondary

Question 3. A word used to search is a ___.

keyword

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Original evidence is a ___ source.
  2. A later account is a ___ source.
  3. A word used to search is a ___.
  4. Dependable and accurate is ___.
  5. Kofi researches his ___ history.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What is the old photograph?
  2. What did he record?
  3. Which websites are more reliable?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is an interview a source?
  2. Should you use several sources?
  3. Should you record sources?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

List four sources for a topic and label each as primary or secondary.

Show a sample answer

a source list

Another one. Interview a family member as a primary source and note what you learn.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can list source types.
  • I can choose reliable sources.
  • I can tell primary from secondary.
  • I can search effectively.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A primary source is ___ evidence.

2. A secondary source is written ___.

3. A keyword is a search ___.

4. Reliable means ___.

5. A grandmother’s interview is ___.

6. A textbook about history is ___.

7. Which is a good keyword set?

8. Which is more reliable?

9. What should you record?

10. How many sources should you use?

11. Who can help you find sources?

12. Why use reliable sources?

Challenge 1. Which is primary?

Challenge 2. Which is secondary?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Choose search words.
  • Find several sources.
  • Check reliability.
  • Record details.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Source credibility. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define primary and secondary source. [2 marks]
  2. Give an example of each. [2 marks]
  3. What is a keyword? [1 mark]
  4. Why record source details? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to find reliable sources. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. primary is original evidence [1]; secondary is a later account [1]
  2. interview or photograph [1]; library book [1]
  3. a word used to search for information [1]
  4. so you can check and credit them [1]
  5. search with keywords [1]; choose reliable sources [1]; record details [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Original evidence is a ___ source.
  2. A later account is a ___ source.
  3. A word used to search is a ___.
  4. Dependable and accurate is ___.
  5. Kofi researches his ___ history.
  6. What is the old photograph?
  7. What did he record?
  8. Which websites are more reliable?
  9. Is an interview a source?
  10. Should you use several sources?

Homework

Interview a family member as a primary source and note what you learn.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Original evidence is a ___ source. primary 1
2. A later account is a ___ source. secondary 1
3. A word used to search is a ___. keyword 1
4. Dependable and accurate is ___. reliable 1
5. Kofi researches his ___ history. town 1
6. What is the old photograph? a primary source 1
7. What did he record? source, author and date 1
8. Which websites are more reliable? .gov, .edu or museums 1
9. Is an interview a source? yes 1
10. Should you use several sources? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 primary; 2 secondary; 3 keyword; 4 reliable; 5 town. Level 2: 1 a primary source; 2 source, author and date; 3 .gov, .edu or museums. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 List source types Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Choose reliable sources Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Tell primary from secondary Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Search effectively Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: list source types; choose reliable sources; tell primary from secondary; search effectively.

Prerequisite knowledge. Research planning.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 9-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Writing; Grade 6 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 6 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.6.8 (gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources) and RI.6.7; Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (using sources). These sources informed the lesson.

Scroll to Top