Primary and Secondary Sources

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

SOURCES

Michigan History Day

A: Materials that were created at the time the event occurred OR by those who experienced the event.

Q: What are primary sources?

Diaries

Letters

Newspaper Articles

Maps

Autobiographies and Memoirs

Political Cartoons

Posters

Photographs

Oral History Interviews

Audio Recordings

Films and Movies

Artifacts

•Letters•Diaries •Autobiographies •Interviews•Government and court records•Event programs and brochures •Film or TV news from time period •Newspaper articles •Magazine articles •Photographs •Clothing and other artifacts •Maps •Creative works such as music and literature from the time period•Family scrapbooks •Yearbooks

Further Examples of Primary Sources:

A: Materials that were created after the event. They were created by someone not from this time period.

Q: What are secondary sources?

Websites

Reference Books & Textbooks

Magazines

Documentaries

Further Examples of Secondary Sources:

•Books “on” the subject•Encyclopedias•Magazine articles •Biographies•History textbooks•Academic articles•Documentaries•Websites•Blogs •Interviews with experts