Part 1:  Primary and Secondary Sources

1. Look at the list below. 

   PRIMARY SOURCES	SECONDARY SOURCES
   Diary or Journal	Encyclopedia
   Audio or Visual Recording	Biography
   Letter	Newspaper Article
   Photograph	Movie or Book Review
   Trancript of interview or speech	Public television documentary
   Map	Essay
   College Diploma	Social Studies Textbook
   Census Records
   Birth Certificate
   First-hand newspaper account

    

2. With your classmates, consider the following questions:
    
   • What do the items in each list have in common?
   • What is the difference between the two lists?
   • What kinds of information do primary sources provide?
   • What are the benefits of both primary and secondary resources?
   • What are the challenges of using both primary and secondary resources?
   • Which type of resource do you use most often?  Why?
   • Can you think of other resources to add to the list?

Go on to Part 2