HISTORIAN
What is history?
The study of the past.
Which is a primary source?
A. A textbook written in 2026
B. A diary written during an historical event
C. A modern encyclopedia
D. A website explaining history
B — A diary written during an historical event
What does chronology mean?
A. Finding a location
B. Putting events in order by time
C. Comparing cultures
D. Studying government
B — Putting events in order by time
Historians use evidence to:
A. Make guesses without information
B. Understand and explain the past
C. Predict the weather
D. Create maps
B — Understand and explain the past
A person who studies maps and Earth's surface is called a:
A. Historian
B. Geographer
C. Citizen
D. Archaeologist
B — Geographer
What do we call a person who studies the past?
A historian.
Which is a secondary source?
A. An old photograph
B. An original letter
C. A diary
D. A history textbook
D — A history textbook
What tool is often used to show events in chronological order?
A timeline.
Which would be considered historical evidence?
A. A diary
B. A photograph
C. A letter
D. All of the above
D — All of the above
Match the term to its definition:
History
A. A person who studies the past
B. A source created during the time being studied
C. The study of the past
D. Events shown in time order
C. The study of the past
A historian discovers an old diary written by someone who lived 100 years ago. Why might the historian be interested in it?
It provides evidence about the past.
Is an old photograph taken during an historical event a primary or secondary source?
Primary source.
Put these events in chronological order:
A → B → C
1776 → 1865 → 2020
A historian finds an old newspaper from 1905.
What could the newspaper tell the historian?
It could provide information about what people knew, experienced, or thought about events at that time.
Match the term to its definition:
Historian
A. A person who studies the past
B. A source created during the time being studied
C. The study of the past
D. Events shown in time order
A. A person who studies the past
True or False:
Historians simply make guesses about what happened in the past.
False.
A student reads a book written in 2025 about the American Revolution.
Is the book a primary or secondary source?
Secondary source.
Why are timelines useful to historians?
They help historians see when events happened and understand the order of events.
Why should historians examine more than one source when studying an event?
Different sources can provide different information and perspectives and can help historians check evidence.
Match the term to its definition:
Primary Source
A. A person who studies the past
B. A source created during the time being studied
C. The study of the past
D. Events shown in time order
B. A source created during the time being studied
A historian wants to understand what life was like for children 200 years ago. Name two types of evidence the historian could examine.
You find a letter written by a soldier during a war.
Primary source because it was created by someone who experienced the historical event.
A historian is studying three events:
Put the events in chronological order.
A → B → C
A diary says, “Today was the worst day ever!”
Is that statement a fact or an interpretation?
Bonus: Why?
Interpretation.
“Worst day ever” expresses the writer's feelings or judgment rather than something that can be directly proven.
Match the term to its definition:
Timeline
A. A person who studies the past
B. A source created during the time being studied
C. The study of the past
D. Events shown in time order
D. Events shown in time order