Name _________________________________________
Per._____
Evaluating Sources
Directions: For each historical question below, circle the source you think is more
believable. Explain your choice in at least one complete sentence.
1. Historical Question: Who was present at the signing of the Declaration of
Independence?
Source 1: A Hollywood movie from 2001 about the American
Revolution.
Source 2: A book written in 1999 by a famous historian who is an
expert on the American Revolution.
I think Source ____ is more believable because_____________________________
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2. Historical Question: What was it like to be a slave in South Caroline before
the Civil War?
Source 1: An interview with a former slave in 1936 (the Emancipation
Proclamation abolished slavery in the U.S. in 1865).
Source 2: A textbook chapter on slavery.
Source 3: A diary written by a slave.
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3. Historical Question: What did the city of Pompeii look like before it was
destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79?
Source 1: A map of the city drawn by archaeologists who excavated
(dug up) the site of the ancient city.
Source 2: A painting of Pompeii found by archaeologists at the site.
Source 3: A description of Pompeii written by a historian from Rome
in AD 1452.
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4. Historical Question: What happened at the Battle of Lexington?
Source 1: A middle school textbook written in 1985.
Source 2: A newspaper story from the day after the battle in April,
1775.
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5. Historical Question: Why were Japanese Americans put in internment
camps during World War II?
Source 1: A film made by the US government during WWII explaining
to other Americans why this was happening.
Source 2: A classified (secret) government report on Japanese
internment written during World War II that was later released to the
public (no longer secret).
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