What is a primary source?

A primary source is a document, object, or recording that was created by someone who was there when something happened. It gives you first-hand information about the past, because it was written or created by someone who saw or experienced it.

• Documents: letters, diaries, newspaper articles, speeches, government records, maps, and photographs.
• Objects: tools, weapons, clothing, jewelry, and other artifacts.
• Recordings: audio recordings, video recordings, and film footage.

Primary sources can be used to learn about all sorts of things, from the history of your town to the life of a famous person. They can help you to understand what people thought and felt in the past, and to see how things have changed over time.

Let's say you're interested in learning about the American Revolution. You could read a primary source like a letter written by a soldier who fought in the war. This letter would give you first-hand information about what the war was like, and what it was like to be a soldier.

Or, you could look at a primary source like a painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill. This painting would show you what the battle looked like, and how the soldiers fought.

Primary sources can be a lot of fun to read and look at. They can help you to learn about the past in a way that no other source can.

Here are some tips for using primary sources:

• Ask questions: When you read or look at a primary source, ask yourself questions about what you're seeing. What does it tell you about the past? What can you learn from it?
• Compare and contrast: Compare different primary sources to see how they agree or disagree. This can help you to get a better understanding of the past.
• Be critical: Not all primary sources are accurate. Be sure to think critically about what you're reading or looking at. Ask yourself who created the source, and why they created it.

Primary sources are a valuable tool for learning about the past. By using them, you can get a first-hand look at history and learn about the people and events that shaped our world.

How do historians use primary and secondary sources to learn about history?

Historians use primary sources to get information directly from the people who were there when something happened. They read letters, diaries, and look at old pictures to learn about the past. But sometimes, there aren't any primary sources available or the information they need is missing. That's when historians use secondary sources. Secondary sources are books or articles written by other people who studied the past. It's like when your teacher tells you about the American Revolution. They learned about it from books written by historians. So, by using both primary and secondary sources, historians can learn a lot about what happened in the past!

What is a secondary source?

A secondary source is like a friend who tells you about something they learned from a book or a museum. It is a source of information that someone made after the event happened. For example, when you read a book about dinosaurs, the book is a secondary source because it was written a long time after the dinosaurs lived. Other examples of secondary sources are TV shows, documentaries, and encyclopedias. They all help us learn about things that already happened!