Timelines
Which came first: the American Declaration of Independence or the COVID-19 pandemic?
American Declaration of Independence (1776)
BCE stands for…
Before Common Era.
True or False: A diary written during an event is a primary source.
True
True or False: A history textbook is a secondary source.
True
What tool on a map shows direction (north, south, east, west)?
Compass rose.
Put these in order from oldest to newest: Great Pyramid of Giza(2560 BCE), Ancient Olympics(776 BCE), Declaration of Independence(1776 CE).
Great Pyramid (2560 BCE), Olympics (776 BCE), Declaration (1776 CE).
CE stands for…
Common Era.
Give one example of a primary source.
(Possible: letters, photographs, speeches, artifacts, diaries, etc.).
Give one example of a secondary source.
(Possible: textbooks, documentaries, encyclopedias, websites, etc.).
Which coordinate system is used to find the exact location of places like Tokyo, Japan?
Latitude and longitude.
In history, which side of the timeline does BCE appear on?
Before CE, on the left side.
What year comes right after 1 BCE?
1 CE
Which of these is a primary source?
A) A textbook chapter
B) A soldier’s diary
C) A documentary
D) A website article
B) A soldier's Diary
Which of these is a secondary source?
A) A photo of MLK at the March on Washington
B) A newspaper article from the day after
C) A history book analyzing the March
D) A speech by MLK at the March
C) A history book analyzing the March.
Which type of map shows natural features like mountains and rivers?
Physical map.
What does chronological order mean?
Events arranged in the order they happened (earliest to latest).
Why is there no year zero in the BCE/CE system?
The calendar goes directly from 1 BCE to 1 CE.
Why are primary sources important for historians?
They provide firsthand evidence from people who lived through the event.
What’s one benefit of using secondary sources?
They explain, summarize, and analyze events using many sources.
Name 3 things every good map should include.
Compass, legend, title (also acceptable: scale, labels, etc.).
If an artifact is from 500 BCE and another is from 200 CE, which is older and by how many years?
500 BCE is older, by 700 years (500 years before 0 + 200 years after 0 = 700 years).
A historian finds a letter written by a soldier in 1776, but it was translated into English in 1950. Is this still considered a primary source? Why or why not?
Yes, it’s still a primary source because it was created at the time of the event — even though it was translated later.
A modern history documentary uses real photos, diary entries, and interviews about World War II. Why is it considered a secondary source even though it shows primary sources?
Because the documentary was created after the event and is analyzing or interpreting those primary sources.
A map shows mountains, rivers, cities, and trade routes. Explain which parts are physical features and which are human features.
Physical = mountains, rivers.
Human = cities, trade routes.