Grade: Grade 1 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Community Roles Lesson: 3 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Primary Source Analysis

Learn

A primary source is something made or created by people who were really there. It can be a photograph, a letter, a tool, or even a uniform. When we look at primary sources, we can learn about community helpers and how they do their jobs.

What Are Primary Sources?

  • Photographs - Real pictures of community helpers at work
  • Tools and objects - Things that helpers use every day
  • Uniforms - Special clothes that show what job someone does
  • Letters or notes - Words written by real people

How to Look at a Primary Source

When you look at a primary source, ask yourself these questions:

  1. What do I see? - Describe what is in the picture or object
  2. Who made this? - Think about who created it or used it
  3. What does it tell me? - What can I learn from it?
  4. What questions do I have? - What else would I like to know?

Why Primary Sources Matter

Primary sources help us understand the real work that community helpers do. When we see a firefighter's helmet or a doctor's stethoscope, we learn about how these helpers keep us safe and healthy.

Examples

Example 1: Looking at a Firefighter's Photo

Imagine you are looking at a photograph of firefighters using a hose to put out a fire.

  • What do I see? Firefighters wearing helmets and coats. They are holding a big hose. Water is spraying out.
  • Who made this? A photographer took this picture at a real fire.
  • What does it tell me? Firefighters work together. They use water to put out fires. Their special clothes protect them.
  • What questions do I have? How heavy is that hose? How do they know where to go?

Example 2: Looking at a Mail Carrier's Bag

Imagine you are looking at a real mail carrier's bag.

  • What do I see? A big blue bag with a long strap. It has pockets and zippers.
  • Who made this? Someone made this bag for mail carriers to use.
  • What does it tell me? Mail carriers carry a lot of letters. The bag needs to be strong and hold many things.
  • What questions do I have? How many letters fit in the bag? Does it get heavy?

Practice

Answer these questions about primary sources and community helpers.

1. What is a primary source?

Think about where it comes from.

2. Which of these is a primary source about a teacher?

  • A) A story someone made up about a teacher
  • B) A real photograph of a teacher in a classroom
  • C) A cartoon drawing of a teacher

3. If you found a police officer's badge, what is the first question you should ask?

Remember the four questions we learned.

4. Look at this description: "A white coat with pockets and a name tag." What community helper might wear this?

5. Why do we look at real objects instead of just reading about them?

6. A student found a real hammer that belongs to a construction worker. What could the student learn from looking at it?

  • A) What the construction worker eats for lunch
  • B) How heavy the tool is and what it is used for
  • C) Where the construction worker lives

7. What is one question you might ask when looking at a photograph of a librarian?

8. True or False: A primary source always tells us everything we need to know.

9. Match the primary source to the community helper:

  • Stethoscope - _______
  • Fire hose - _______
  • Whistle - _______

Helpers: Doctor, Firefighter, Crossing Guard

10. You are looking at a real letter written by a farmer to order seeds. What can you learn about the farmer's job from this letter?

Check Your Understanding

Answer these questions to see what you learned.

1. What makes something a primary source?

2. Name two types of primary sources you could use to learn about community helpers.

3. What are the four questions to ask when looking at a primary source?

Next Steps

  • Look around your home for objects that tell about jobs (like a spatula for cooking or a hammer for building)
  • Practice asking the four questions about objects you find
  • Move on to the next lesson about maps and data when ready