You will learn
- Define source.
- Tell primary from secondary.
- Find sources safely.
- Judge a source.
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
- Sources give information.
- Primary sources come from the time.
- Secondary sources are made later.
- Reliable sources can be checked.
Words to know
anything that gives information, such as a book, photograph, map or person
evidence made at the time of an event or by someone who was there
a source made later by someone who studied the event
able to be trusted because it is accurate and well based
1. Discover: The museum visit
Ms Smith shows two items about Freetown. One is a photograph taken long ago. The other is a school history book written this year. “The photograph is a primary source because it was made at the time,” she says. “The book is a secondary source because the author studied the past later.” Abu asks, “Which one is right?” “We need both and we must check them,” says Ms Smith. “The National Museum in Freetown keeps many real objects to study.”
Think: How could you check whether a source is reliable?
2. Understand: Sources
Idea 1: Kinds of source
A source gives information. A primary source comes from the time being studied, such as a photograph, letter, tool or map made then. A secondary source was made later by someone who studied the event, such as a textbook or documentary.
Idea 2: Where to look
Look in the school library, museums such as the National Museum in Freetown, local archives, maps, photographs and trusted books. Interviews with adults happen only through the teacher, with permission, and with questions the teacher has checked. Online searching is done with the teacher, who chooses safe sites.
Idea 3: Is it suitable?
Ask four questions: Who made it? When? Why? Does it agree with other sources? A reliable source is accurate, comes from people who know the subject and can be checked. Never rely on one source alone.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Decide
Is a photograph from the time primary or secondary?
- Think.
- Check.
- Say.
Answer: Primary.
Example 2 (We do it together): Decide
Is a school textbook primary or secondary?
- Think.
- Check.
- Say.
Answer: Secondary.
Example 3 (You try): Name
One question for judging a source.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Who made it?
Did you know?
Some museum objects are thousands of years old and tell us about people who left no written records.
Why this matters
Using good sources keeps our research honest and accurate.
4. Explore: Source sort
Sort picture cards of sources into primary and secondary. For two of them, answer who made it, when and why. Decide which is most helpful for the question.
- Sort.
- Ask.
- Decide.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? We need both kinds.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A source is ___.
- A primary source is ___.
- A secondary source is ___.
- Reliable means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a source?
Gives information.
Question 2. What is a primary source?
Made at the time.
Question 3. What is a secondary source?
Made later.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a source?
- What is a primary source?
- What is a secondary source?
- What does reliable mean?
- Name a place to find sources.
Level 2: Grow
- Why check a source?
- Why use more than one?
- Why teacher-led?
Level 3: Stretch
- Sort sources.
- Ask who made it.
- Decide which helps.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give one primary source, one secondary source and one way to check a source.
Show a sample answer
Photograph; textbook; compare with another source.
Another one. With an adult, look at one helpful source about your area and decide if it can be trusted.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It must be checked.
Fix: New books are sources too.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define source.
- I can tell primary from secondary.
- I can find sources safely.
- I can judge a source.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Sources give information.
- Primary sources come from the time.
- Secondary sources are made later.
- Reliable sources can be checked.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Reading historical documents. 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.
- Define primary source and secondary source. [2 marks]
- Give one example of each. [2 marks]
- Name three questions for judging a source. [3 marks]
- Explain why one source is not enough. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Primary [1]; secondary [1]
- Primary [1]; secondary [1]
- Three [3]
- Mistakes [1]; compare [1]; fuller picture [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a source?
- What is a primary source?
- What is a secondary source?
- What does reliable mean?
- Name a place to find sources.
- Why check a source?
- Why use more than one?
- Why teacher-led?
- Sort sources.
- Ask who made it.
Homework
Draw a source detective.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a source? | Gives information. | 1 |
| 2. What is a primary source? | Made at the time. | 1 |
| 3. What is a secondary source? | Made later. | 1 |
| 4. What does reliable mean? | Can be trusted. | 1 |
| 5. Name a place to find sources. | A museum. | 1 |
| 6. Why check a source? | It may be wrong. | 1 |
| 7. Why use more than one? | Compare. | 1 |
| 8. Why teacher-led? | Safety. | 1 |
| 9. Sort sources. | Sort. | 1 |
| 10. Ask who made it. | Ask. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Gives information.; 2 Made at the time.; 3 Made later.; 4 Can be trusted.; 5 A museum.. Level 2: 1 It may be wrong.; 2 Compare.; 3 Safety.. Level 3: 1 Sort.; 2 Ask.; 3 Decide..
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 Define source | 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 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 |
| O3 Find sources safely | 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 Judge a source | 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
- Find the misconception: “Everything online is true.” It must be checked.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a source chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about sources. Please help them check information from more than one place. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Visit a library.
- Ask who made it.
- Compare sources.
- 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: define source; tell primary from secondary; find sources safely; judge a source.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 4 ideas: sources, maps and timelines from earlier units.
Materials. Picture cards, paper. 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. Prepare source cards.
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). Tell the museum visit story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach sources.
Guided activity (10 min). Source sort.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do we find and choose suitable sources?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Everything online is true.” It must be checked.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-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. Make a source chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. 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: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 4 Unit 10, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, developing questions and planning enquiries; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, enquiry and evidence; IB Primary Years Programme, research skills in the approaches to learning. These sources informed the lesson.