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 15 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 school attendance list from 1920, an online reference article about the bridge, a newspaper report written on the day of the flood, a biography of the soldier written by his great-grandson, a photograph taken at the opening of the bridge, a website summing up the mayor's career
Primary sourceSecondary source
2.Sort each one: Primary source or Secondary source?
Sort: a class report about schools long ago, a poster printed to advertise the fair in 1908, a recording of the crowd at the final match, a magazine article about the history of the railway, an interview with a woman who watched the eclipse, a sports historian's book about the club
Primary sourceSecondary source
3.Sort each one: Primary source or Secondary source?
Sort: a modern atlas page showing the explorer's route, a museum guide explaining the 1908 fair, a children's book retelling the scientist's discovery, a diary kept by a sailor during the voyage, a map drawn by an explorer on her journey, a letter a soldier wrote home during the war
Primary sourceSecondary source
LessonPrint · RI.5.6 · Set 15 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Primary or Secondary Source?
Set 15. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. a biography of the soldier written by his great-grandson — Secondary source 2. a newspaper report written on the day of the flood — Primary source 3. a photograph taken at the opening of the bridge — Primary source 4. a school attendance list from 1920 — Primary source 5. a website summing up the mayor's career — Secondary source 6. an online reference article about the bridge — Secondary source
2.1. a class report about schools long ago — Secondary source 2. a magazine article about the history of the railway — Secondary source 3. a poster printed to advertise the fair in 1908 — Primary source 4. a recording of the crowd at the final match — Primary source 5. a sports historian's book about the club — Secondary source 6. an interview with a woman who watched the eclipse — Primary source
3.1. a children's book retelling the scientist's discovery — Secondary source 2. a diary kept by a sailor during the voyage — Primary source 3. a letter a soldier wrote home during the war — Primary source 4. a map drawn by an explorer on her journey — Primary source 5. a modern atlas page showing the explorer's route — Secondary source 6. a museum guide explaining the 1908 fair — Secondary source
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RI.5.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.