What are Primary and Secondary Sources?

Introduction  Primary and secondary sources are things that help us to remember and understand the past.

 What do you think is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?

 Will your Middle School Yearbook become a primary or a secondary source?

Some primary sources are created at the time of an event or very soon after an event. This makes them accurate information on the time period.

Secondary sources are created after an event. They may be an opinion about how a writer wrote a book, or how the first lady looked at the inauguration. The new Steven King book is a thrilling read! A reporter for PEOPLE magazine said, “Michelle Obama looked cold, as she stood on the capital steps.”

Who cares if it’s a primary or secondary source?  Did you ever play the telephone game?  Often when things are repeated over and over the story changes over time.  Checking back with the first person in the telephone game is going back to the primary source.  If you want to see or hear the original evidence for yourself you must go back to the primary source.

See if you can identify the following sources. Which is a primary and which is secondary source?

The Constitution of the United States of America Preamble  We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Powell Co Schools 

How did you do?  Always remember you can check with your librarian if you are not sure of your source.