Books
A Grade 5 history textbook chapter about ancient Egypt written last year.
Secondary: Summarizes history long after the events happened.
An YouTube video made in 2024 showing how the Ancient Romans built bridges.
Secondary: Saying how events happened.
A 200-year-old handwritten letter signed by George Washington.
Primary: An original document created at the time of the event.
Your classmate telling a story about what they ate for lunch today.
Primary: A first-hand account told by the person who experienced it.
A recording of Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech delivered live in 1963.
Primary: Original audio captured at the exact moment the speech occurred.
A dictionary
Secondary: It takes words from differentplaces and explains them in one book.
A news clip filmed in 1969 showing Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon.
Primary: News videos are usually primary. It was filmed at the time.
A diary entry written in 1943 by a soldier fighting in World War II.
Primary: A personal first-hand record created by someone who was there.
Your grandmother telling you a story about her first day of school in 1950.
Primary: An oral history spoken by an eyewitness to the event.
A dress worn by the Queen of England in 1600.
Primary: It is a real object from the time.
Harry Potter
Not a source of historical information
A documentary about rice farming in the Mekong Delta in 1990. The documentary uses real interviews, photos, and video.
Secondary: Uses primary materials, but the documentary itself is a secondary creation summarizing history.
A newspaper article printed the day after the Titanic sank in 1912, containing a few misspelled passenger names.
Primary: Newspapers talking about events that happened at the time are good primary sources.
A student telling their friend something they heard from a friend last year.
Secondary: A second-hand retelling of an event the speaker did not personally witness.
An audio recording of an actor reading a famous speech written in 1776.
Secondary: The words are original, but the actor is retelling it in their own way.
A biography about Lionel Messi telling you about his life.
Secondary: An biography is a second-hand account written by someone else.
A video posted online showing your teacher riding a hippo in the snow.
Not a source! Fake news and AI generated.
Song lyrics from 20 years ago.
Primary: These were written at the time.
A teacher telling you abouthow the pyramids were built.
Secondary: The teacher was not there, they are summarising the information.
An old axe, used by hunters 2000 years ago.
Primary: It was made an used at the time.
An autobiography written by an astronaut describing her trip to the Moon.
Primary: An autobiography is a first-hand account written by the person who experienced it.
Video footage from a smartphone of a volcano erupting in their town (in real life).
Primary: Direct evidence of what happened. Must not be edited.
Your birth certificate
Primary: It is a real document written when you were born.
You father or mother telling you about their memory of their first day at school.
Primary: They were there and experienced it.
An sword, made by the crafts teacher at your school, to show how swords looked 300 years ago.
Secondary: It is a replica of a sword, it wasn't made or used at the time.