The Maker Is in the Source
A 45-minute Grade 3 lesson on how who made a source, and why, shows in what the source says.
The Maker Is in the Source is a free 45-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.6.3-5 — describe how a source's maker shaped what the source says. 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:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 45 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.6.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · History
D2.His.6.3-5
Describe how people's perspectives shaped the historical sources they created.
Objective
Students will be able to say who made a source and how that shows in its content.
Students are successful when they can
- Names the maker and the date.
- Names the purpose the source was made for.
- Points at a line where the maker's purpose shows.
What you need
- The eight valley sources with their provenance lines
- Highlighters
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — read the small print
5 min- Read only the provenance line of the toll table and ask what it tells you.
- Do the same for the petition.
Teach — from maker to line
15 min- Toll table: made by the canal company to charge boats. Highlight the charge lines.
- Ask what it does not mention. The people on the barges. The company had no reason to record them.
- Petition: made by boatmen to be granted. Highlight 'two hundred families'.
- Ask why the number is there. It is the strongest thing they had to say.
- Say the method: name the maker, name the purpose, then find the line where the purpose shows.
- Note the general rule: a source records what its maker needed, not what we want.
“What did the maker need this document to do?”
Guided practice — highlight the purpose
13 min- Pairs take two sources and highlight one line each where the purpose shows.
- They write what the maker had no reason to record.
- Groups compare their omission lists.
Independent practice
9 min- Students complete the 'Who Made It, and Why' page.
- Check the answer uses the source's own words.
Close
3 min- Ask which source's maker is hardest to work out.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks a record has no maker.
Why: Tables and lists look impersonal.
Fix: The canal company wrote the toll table for its own use. Read the provenance line.
Says a source with a purpose cannot be trusted.
Why: Purpose sounds like distortion.
Fix: Every source has one. The purpose tells you what to trust it about.
Confuses what is missing with what is hidden.
Why: Both are absences.
Fix: The company had no reason to record boatmen. That is not concealment.
If they are not there yet
- One source with the provenance line read aloud.
- Match a maker to one of two purposes.
If they finish early
- Write what the toll table would look like if boatmen had made it.
- Find two sources whose makers wanted opposite things.
- Say what the 2015 author needed her book to do.
Exit ticket
Who made the canal toll table, why, and what did they have no reason to record?
What to look for: The canal company, to charge boats, with nothing about the people carrying the cargo. A maker with no purpose means the second step is missing.
Printable practice for D2.His.6.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Who Made It, and WhyLook at the source, then answer the questions.
Questions about The Maker Is in the Source
How long does the The Maker Is in the Source lesson take?
45 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 15 min, guided practice 13 min, independent practice 9 min, close 3 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 The Maker Is in the Source teach?
D2.His.6.3-5 — D2.His.6.3-5, History for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Describe how people's perspectives shaped the historical sources they created.” In plain terms, describe how a source's maker shaped what the source says.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The eight valley sources with their provenance lines, highlighters 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 a record has no maker; says a source with a purpose cannot be trusted and confuses what is missing with what is hidden. 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: “Who made the canal toll table, why, and what did they have no reason to record?.” The canal company, to charge boats, with nothing about the people carrying the cargo. A maker with no purpose means the second step is missing. 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 The Maker Is in the Source?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.6.3-5 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 The Maker Is in the Source 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.6.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.