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Made at the Time or Made Later? is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on telling primary from secondary sources, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.9.3-5. 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 18 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Made at the Time or Made Later?

D2.His.9.3-5

NameDate

A primary source was made at the time. A secondary source was made later about the past. Sort each one.

1.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: An information text written for a worksheet, A photograph of a mining camp taken in 1850, The census count of California taken in 1850, A documentary film about the Plains made in 2015

PrimarySecondary
2.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: An encyclopedia article on the Mexican-American War, General Order No. 3, issued in 1865, A forty-niner's diary from 1849, A historian's book about the railroads written in 1995

PrimarySecondary
3.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: A textbook chapter about the Gold Rush, A biography of Abraham Lincoln written in 2010, A map a gold miner drew in 1848, A letter a soldier wrote home in 1847

PrimarySecondary

LessonPrint · D2.His.9.3-5 · Set 18 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Made at the Time or Made Later?

Set 18. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. A documentary film about the Plains made in 2015 — Secondary 2. A photograph of a mining camp taken in 1850 — Primary 3. An information text written for a worksheet — Secondary 4. The census count of California taken in 1850 — Primary
  2. 2.1. A forty-niner's diary from 1849 — Primary 2. A historian's book about the railroads written in 1995 — Secondary 3. An encyclopedia article on the Mexican-American War — Secondary 4. General Order No. 3, issued in 1865 — Primary
  3. 3.1. A biography of Abraham Lincoln written in 2010 — Secondary 2. A letter a soldier wrote home in 1847 — Primary 3. A map a gold miner drew in 1848 — Primary 4. A textbook chapter about the Gold Rush — Secondary

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.9.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.