Primary or Secondary? The Founding Era is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on telling primary from secondary sources about the founding, 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 2 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.

Primary or Secondary? The Founding Era

D2.His.9.3-5

NameDate

Sort each source: primary or secondary?

1.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: A fifth-grade textbook chapter on the Revolution, A biography of George Washington written in 2005, A 1775 newspaper report on Lexington and Concord, The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776

PrimarySecondary

2.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: A letter George Washington wrote to Congress during the war, Abigail Adams's letter to John Adams, 1776, A historian's book about women in the Revolution, A website summary of the Boston Tea Party written last year

PrimarySecondary

3.Sort each one: Primary or Secondary?

Sort: A documentary film about the Constitution made in 2010, A British officer's 1775 report on the Battle of Bunker Hill, An encyclopedia article about Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere's 1770 engraving of the Boston Massacre

PrimarySecondary

LessonPrint · D2.His.9.3-5 · Set 2 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Primary or Secondary? The Founding Era

Set 2. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. A 1775 newspaper report on Lexington and Concord — Primary 2. A biography of George Washington written in 2005 — Secondary 3. A fifth-grade textbook chapter on the Revolution — Secondary 4. The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776 — Primary
2.1. A historian's book about women in the Revolution — Secondary 2. A letter George Washington wrote to Congress during the war — Primary 3. A website summary of the Boston Tea Party written last year — Secondary 4. Abigail Adams's letter to John Adams, 1776 — Primary
3.1. A British officer's 1775 report on the Battle of Bunker Hill — Primary 2. A documentary film about the Constitution made in 2010 — Secondary 3. An encyclopedia article about Thomas Jefferson — Secondary 4. Paul Revere's 1770 engraving of the Boston Massacre — Primary

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