Primary sources give us first-hand evidence about events or conditions.
Here are some questions for evaluating primary sources:
Author:
Is the source genuine? How do you know? What do we know about the authors? How do we know that they are reliable?
Was the primary source created at the same time as the events it relates to?
Which other sources provide evidence that the author recorded these events accurately?
Audience: Who did the author write this for? How do you know?
Agenda: Does the author have a specific purpose that he wants to achieve? How is this "agenda" reflected in the document?
Read this paragraph and answer the question below.
What are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are the raw materials that allow us to come into direct contact with history. Sometimes these sources are created at the same time that the events occurred, but primary sources can also include autobiographies and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources provide a rare opportunity for us to come into direct contact with the past, but we should not assume that whatever appears in a primary source must be true. Instead of simply accepting what we read, we should always ask ourselves questions to help us critically evaluate source content.
What is the main message of this text? Choose 2 correct answers.
