Working with Primary Sources
Aligned to C3.D3.1 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
A primary source is evidence created by someone who witnessed or took part in an event, such as a letter, diary, artifact, or official record. Historians analyze who made a source and why, then corroborate it by comparing several sources to build claims supported by evidence.
Worked example
To understand Mansa Musa's pilgrimage, historians compare the Arab traveler Ibn Battuta's accounts of Mali with local oral traditions and later maps that show him holding gold.
Practice questions
- Define a primary source and give two examples.
- Explain why a historian should ask who created a source and for what purpose.
- Analyze why comparing (corroborating) several sources produces a more reliable historical claim.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
El trabajo con fuentes primarias
Una fuente primaria es evidencia creada por alguien que presenció un suceso o participó en él, como una carta, un diario, un artefacto o un registro oficial. Los historiadores analizan quién creó la fuente y por qué, y luego la corroboran comparando varias fuentes para formular afirmaciones respaldadas por evidencia.
Ejemplo: Para comprender la peregrinación de Mansa Musa, los historiadores comparan los relatos del viajero árabe Ibn Battuta sobre Malí con las tradiciones orales locales y con mapas posteriores que lo muestran sosteniendo oro.
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