Primary or Secondary Source? is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on telling a source made at the time from one written later, aligned to Common Core standard RI.5.6. It prints 3 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 14 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Primary or Secondary Source?
RI.5.6
NameDate
Sort each one into the right column.
1.Sort each one: Primary source or Secondary source?
Sort: a map drawn by an explorer on her journey, a documentary about the eclipse made fifty years afterward, the speech the mayor gave at the opening, a class report about schools long ago, an interview with a woman who watched the eclipse, a sports historian's book about the club
Primary sourceSecondary source
2.Sort each one: Primary source or Secondary source?
Sort: a children's book retelling the scientist's discovery, a modern atlas page showing the explorer's route, a biography of the soldier written by his great-grandson, a scientist's notebook from her experiment, a diary kept by a sailor during the voyage, a recording of the crowd at the final match
Primary sourceSecondary source
3.Sort each one: Primary source or Secondary source?
Sort: a magazine article about the history of the railway, a museum guide explaining the 1908 fair, a letter a soldier wrote home during the war, a poster printed to advertise the fair in 1908, a school attendance list from 1920, an online reference article about the bridge
Primary sourceSecondary source
LessonPrint · RI.5.6 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Primary or Secondary Source?
Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. a class report about schools long ago — Secondary source 2. a documentary about the eclipse made fifty years afterward — Secondary source 3. a map drawn by an explorer on her journey — Primary source 4. a sports historian's book about the club — Secondary source 5. an interview with a woman who watched the eclipse — Primary source 6. the speech the mayor gave at the opening — Primary source
2.1. a biography of the soldier written by his great-grandson — Secondary source 2. a children's book retelling the scientist's discovery — Secondary source 3. a diary kept by a sailor during the voyage — Primary source 4. a modern atlas page showing the explorer's route — Secondary source 5. a recording of the crowd at the final match — Primary source 6. a scientist's notebook from her experiment — Primary source
3.1. a letter a soldier wrote home during the war — Primary source 2. a magazine article about the history of the railway — Secondary source 3. a museum guide explaining the 1908 fair — Secondary source 4. a poster printed to advertise the fair in 1908 — Primary source 5. a school attendance list from 1920 — Primary source 6. an online reference article about the bridge — Secondary source
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RI.5.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.