Sources About Our Street
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on the kinds of source that survive about a local street.
Sources About Our Street is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.9.K-2 — name different kinds of historical source. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.9.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · History
D2.His.9.K-2
Identify different kinds of historical sources.
Objective
Students will be able to name three kinds of local source and say what each could tell you.
Students are successful when they can
- Names three kinds of source.
- Says what each could tell you.
- Tells a source from an invention.
What you need
- A box of local sources: cutting, photograph, ticket, register
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — empty the box
5 min- Take out five items and name each.
- Do not judge them yet.
Teach — written, pictured, remembered, kept
13 min- Sort them into written, pictured, remembered and objects kept.
- Ask what each kind is good at telling you.
- A register gives numbers; a photograph gives appearances; a memory gives feelings.
- Say the Grade 1 addition: different kinds answer different questions.
- Add a made-up story and put it outside the sort.
“The register can tell you how many. Only the neighbour can tell you what it felt like.”
Guided practice — sort and match
12 min- Pairs sort twelve cards into source and not.
- For four sources they say what it is good at telling you.
- They match one question to the best kind of source.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the sources page.
- Read each item aloud.
Close
2 min- Name a source and what it is good at.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks all sources answer all questions.
Why: A source is a source.
Fix: Ask the register what the street smelled like. Kinds have limits.
Thinks a memory is not a real source.
Why: It is not written down.
Fix: A neighbour who was there is one of the best sources available.
Thinks only old things count.
Why: History means old.
Fix: Today's photograph will be a source in fifty years.
If they are not there yet
- Six cards rather than twelve.
- Handle the real objects.
If they finish early
- Say which source you would trust most and why.
- Say what today would leave behind.
- Find a question no local source could answer.
Exit ticket
Name two kinds of source about our street and what each is good at telling you.
What to look for: Two kinds with different strengths. Identical strengths mean the kinds-have-limits point needs repeating.
Printable practice for D2.His.9.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Sources About Our StreetSort each one into source or not.
Questions about Sources About Our Street
How long does the Sources About Our Street lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Sources About Our Street teach?
D2.His.9.K-2 — D2.His.9.K-2, History for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Identify different kinds of historical sources.” In plain terms, name different kinds of historical source.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A box of local sources: cutting, photograph, ticket, register and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks all sources answer all questions; thinks a memory is not a real source and thinks only old things count. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Name two kinds of source about our street and what each is good at telling you.” Two kinds with different strengths. Identical strengths mean the kinds-have-limits point needs repeating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Sources About Our Street?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.9.K-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Sources About Our Street free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.His.9.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.