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 25 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

One paper per student

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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: The census count of California taken in 1850, An encyclopedia article on the Mexican-American War, A newspaper report printed in 1848 about the gold find, A historian's book about the railroads written in 1995

PrimarySecondary

2.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: A letter a soldier wrote home in 1847, A textbook chapter about the Gold Rush, A biography of Abraham Lincoln written in 2010, A photograph of a mining camp taken in 1850

PrimarySecondary

3.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: General Order No. 3, issued in 1865, A museum sign written in 2020 explaining a mining tool, An information text written for a worksheet, A forty-niner's diary from 1849

PrimarySecondary

LessonPrint · D2.His.9.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Made at the Time or Made Later?

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. A historian's book about the railroads written in 1995 — Secondary 2. A newspaper report printed in 1848 about the gold find — Primary 3. An encyclopedia article on the Mexican-American War — Secondary 4. The census count of California taken in 1850 — Primary
2.1. A biography of Abraham Lincoln written in 2010 — Secondary 2. A letter a soldier wrote home in 1847 — Primary 3. A photograph of a mining camp taken in 1850 — Primary 4. A textbook chapter about the Gold Rush — Secondary
3.1. A forty-niner's diary from 1849 — Primary 2. A museum sign written in 2020 explaining a mining tool — Secondary 3. An information text written for a worksheet — Secondary 4. General Order No. 3, issued in 1865 — Primary

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