Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
Primary v. Secondary Sources: A Closer Look
Directions: Use the two sources of information below to answer the questions that follow.
Source A: The following is a transcript of section
II of the Declaration of Independence, written in
1776 by Thomas Jefferson and edited by the
Second Continental Congress found on a
government website.
Source B: The following is a copy of section II of
the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776
by Thomas Jefferson and edited by the Second
Continental Congress found in a U.S. History
textbook.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident,
that all Men are created equal, that they
are endowed, by their CREATOR, with
certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness.--That to secure these Rights,
Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just Powers from the
Consent of the Governed…
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed, by their creator, with
certain unalienable rights, that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.--That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed…
1. Would you classify Source A as a primary or secondary source? Why? Support your answer
with evidence from the source description above.
I think that source A is a _________________ (primary or secondary) source because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Would you classify Source B as a primary or secondary source? Why? Support your answer
with evidence from the source description above.
I think that source B is a _________________ (primary or secondary) source because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Closely examine the two excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. Identify any
differences you see between source A and source B.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think the differences between source A and source B are important? Why or why not?
I think that the differences between source A and source B _________ (are or are not)
important because: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Identify a three of the words that the founding fathers chose to capitalize in the original text
of the Declaration of Independence (as presented in Source A). Then explain why you think
the founding fathers decided to capitalize those words.
Capitalized Word in DOI
Why did the founding fathers chose to capitalize this word?
6. Would you classify Source B as a primary or secondary source? Why? Support your answer
with evidence.
I think that source B is a _________________ (primary or secondary) source because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Name:
Date:
Core:
U.S. History
v2
Primary v. Secondary Sources: A Closer Look
Directions: Use the two sources of information below to answer the questions that follow.
Source A: The following is a copy of section II of
the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776
by Thomas Jefferson and edited by the Second
Continental Congress. These are the words
exactly as they were written back then.
Source B: The following is a copy of section II of
the Declaration of Independence. The writer of a
textbook made some minor changes to the
original words.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident,
that all Men are created equal, that they
are endowed, by their CREATOR, with
certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness.--That to secure these Rights,
Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just Powers from the
Consent of the Governed…
We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed, by their creator, with
certain unalienable rights, that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.--That to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed…
1. Would you classify Source A as a primary or secondary source? Why? Support your answer
with evidence from the source description above.
I think that source A is a _________________ (primary or secondary) source because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Would you classify Source B as a primary or secondary source? Why? Support your answer
with evidence from the source description above.
I think that source B is a _________________ (primary or secondary) source because: ______
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Closely examine the two excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. Identify any
differences you see between source A and source B.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. When an author writes a word in boldfaced, underlined or italicized print, what is the author
trying to hide the word because it is unimportant or is the author trying to make the word
more noticeable because the word is important?
When an author puts a word in boldfaced, underlined or italicized print, I think that the
author is doing this because the word is ______________________ (important or
unimportant).
5. Why did the founding fathers use a capital letter in the words: Life, Liberty and Government?
I think the founding fathers capitalized those words because the founding fathers believed that
the words Life, Liberty and Government were _____________________ (important or
unimportant)