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History · Grades 5–9

Historical sources: purpose and corroboration

Who created it, when, for whom, and for what purpose?

Make a worksheet

Understand the idea

Ask about the source

Who created it, when, for whom, and for what purpose?

Compare evidence

A firsthand source can still be incomplete or biased. Corroboration means comparing independent evidence.

Examples and reasoning

A diary written during an event is generally a

primary source for the writer’s recorded experience

primary source for the writer’s recorded experience

A history book written decades later is generally a

secondary source about the earlier events

secondary source about the earlier events

Check your understanding

  1. A poster encourages people to support a cause. Which feature is especially important to examine?

    1. paper colour alone
    2. the frame price
    3. persuasive purpose and intended audience
    4. whether its title rhymes

  2. Two reports use the same original interview. Are they fully independent confirmations?

    1. Yes, if the fonts differ.
    2. Only if both have pictures.
    3. No; they may repeat the same underlying evidence.
    4. Yes, because there are two pages.

  3. A receipt records a purchase. Which question can it most directly help answer?

    1. what was listed as bought and paid for
    2. what happened every day that year
    3. what everyone in town believed
    4. whether the buyer was always happy

  4. Why might a private letter and a public speech describe the same event differently?

Answers and marking notes

Answers and marking notes
  1. persuasive purpose and intended audience

    persuasive purpose and intended audience

  2. No; they may repeat the same underlying evidence.

    No; they may repeat the same underlying evidence.

  3. what was listed as bought and paid for

    what was listed as bought and paid for

  4. They may have different audiences, purposes, constraints, knowledge and incentives.

    They may have different audiences, purposes, constraints, knowledge and incentives.

Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.