Lesson 2.3: Sources

Sources

Historians know what happened in the past by studying sources. A source is anything that provides information about the past. There are two main types:

1. Primary Source: a source created by someone who was there at the time of the event
2. Secondary Source: a source created later, they were not there at the event

Both types are useful for studying history! However, primary sources are generally used first. 

Take a look at some examples:

Whether you use a primary source or secondary source, you need to learn how to identify what kind of source it is, who created it, and when it was created. This is called sourcing. 

Here are some examples:

When done, click next!