What Each Kind of Source Shows
A 45-minute Grade 3 lesson on what different kinds of historical source are actually good for.
What Each Kind of Source Shows is a free 45-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.9.3-5 — summarise how different kinds of source get used to explain the past. 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.9.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · History
D2.His.9.3-5
Summarize how different kinds of historical sources are used to explain events in the past.
Objective
Students will be able to say what kind of information a given type of source supplies.
Students are successful when they can
- Matches a source type to what it shows.
- Says what that type cannot show.
- Chooses a type for a stated question.
What you need
- One example of each source type
- Type cards: record, notice, account, letter, list
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — sort by shape
5 min- Lay the eight sources out and ask the class to group them without reading closely.
- Ask what they grouped by.
Teach — each type has a specialism
15 min- A record shows what was counted: cargoes, admissions, fares.
- A notice shows what somebody wanted others to do or believe.
- An account shows how an event was described at the time.
- A letter or petition shows what a group wanted, and how many backed it.
- A list shows what existed and in what numbers.
- Say the point: choose the type from the question, and know what the type cannot do.
“What is this kind of document good at, and bad at?”
Guided practice — match and limit
13 min- Pairs match eight sources to what each shows.
- For four, they write what that source cannot show.
- Groups pick the type they would use for one stated question.
Independent practice
9 min- Students complete the 'What Each Kind of Source Shows' page.
- Check the match names the information, not the object.
Close
3 min- Ask which type the valley is short of.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks records are objective and accounts are not.
Why: Numbers look neutral.
Fix: A record counts what somebody decided to count. Ask who decided.
Treats all sources as interchangeable.
Why: They all come from the period.
Fix: Ask the timetable how many people travelled. It cannot say. Types have specialisms.
Names the object instead of the information.
Why: The object is what is in front of them.
Fix: 'The register' is not an answer. 'Who was admitted and why' is.
If they are not there yet
- Four sources rather than eight.
- Give the information and ask which type supplies it.
If they finish early
- Name a question none of the five types can answer.
- Say which type the 2015 book depends on most.
- Rank the five types by how much they reveal about ordinary people.
Exit ticket
What does an admission register show, and what can it not show?
What to look for: Who fell into hardship and the reason given; not what happened to them afterwards. Naming the object alone means the information step is missing.
Printable practice for D2.His.9.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- What Each Kind of Source ShowsDraw a line from each source to what it shows.
Questions about What Each Kind of Source Shows
How long does the What Each Kind of Source Shows 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 What Each Kind of Source Shows teach?
D2.His.9.3-5 — D2.His.9.3-5, History for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Summarize how different kinds of historical sources are used to explain events in the past.” In plain terms, summarise how different kinds of source get used to explain the past.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
One example of each source type, type cards: record, notice, account, letter, list 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 records are objective and accounts are not; treats all sources as interchangeable and names the object instead of the information. 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: “What does an admission register show, and what can it not show?.” Who fell into hardship and the reason given; not what happened to them afterwards. Naming the object alone means the information 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 What Each Kind of Source Shows?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.9.3-5 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 What Each Kind of Source Shows 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.9.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.