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