👀 I Spy!
What type of source is a map?
Visual source
Which type of source is a song?
Answer: Oral Source
How is a fort different from a letter as a source?
Fort is material; letter is written
Which source would you choose to find where an old kingdom was located?
Map / visual source
The fort has very thick walls. What can you infer?
It may have been built for protection/defence
Look at this fort. Describe two features you can see.
Walls, gates, towers, windows, steps, etc.
“Historical sources help us ______ about the past.”
Learn / understand / know.
A letter is written many years ago. What does the letter represent?
A written record from the past.
A letter is a Written Source. What makes it a written source?
It records information through written words in any language.
What does the song tell us?
It tells us about a remembered person/event/tradition.
If you are given an unfamiliar map, what three things would you look for first?
Answer: Title / Legend / Direction
A song passed from one generation to another belongs to which source category? Why?
Answer: 👉 Oral Source
Why : Because the song is shared by speaking/singing and passed down through generations.
A song repeatedly celebrates a historical leader. What might you infer about how that leader was remembered?
Answer: Admiration / Respect
Why: Repeated celebration suggests positive remembrance.
Someone says, “People travelled between these two places.” What could you look for on a map?
Answer: Roads / Routes
Why: Routes can show possible movement between places.
You are given one historical source. What would you do before reaching a final conclusion?
Answer: Check other sources, evidences, inferences
Why: Additional evidence can confirm, challenge or add to the information.
Which details in any letter help you understand when and where it was written?
Answer: Date / Place
Why: It directly provide information about the time and location of the letter.
How is information from a song different from information from a map?
Answer: Memory vs. Location
Why: A song can preserve stories or memories, while a map primarily represents geographical information.
A fort is located on a hill and overlooks a large area. What inference can you make about its location?
Answer: Strategic location
Why: A high viewpoint can help people observe the surrounding area.
A letter says one thing, but a map appears to show something different. What should a historian examine?
Answer: Both sources + More evidence
Why: Comparing sources helps identify why they differ.
If different sources give different pieces of information about the same event, how can they be combined to build a fuller understanding?
Answer: Compare
Why: Combining information from different sources can provide a more complete picture.
Which detail might be easy to overlook but important to a historian? Why?
Answer: Any small but significant and specific clue
Why: Even a small detail can provide useful evidence.
If two reliable-looking sources disagree, how should a historian respond?
Answer: Investigate / Cross-check
Why: The historian should examine both sources and look for more evidence.
If two historians make different inferences from the same source, does one automatically have to be wrong? Why?
Answer: No
Why: They may interpret the available evidence differently.
3. Can a source be useful evidence even if it represents only one person's perspective? Give reason to support your answer.
Answer: Yes
Why: One perspective can still provide valuable information, but it should be considered alongside other evidence.
Imagine you are the historian. Using the available sources, create one evidence-based conclusion about the past and explain how you arrived at it.
Evidence:
Expected explanation: “I used all four sources because each gives us a different piece of evidence. The map tells us where the fort was, the fort shows us what it was like, the letter tells us about people's experiences, and the song shows how it was remembered. Together, they help us build a broader picture of the past.”