Texas TEKS 5.23.B

Social Studies5th GradeSocial studies skills

The Standard

identify and ask questions about the credibility of different kinds of primary and secondary sources

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students examine who created a source, when it was made, why it was made, and what evidence it gives. They ask questions that help decide whether the information is trustworthy.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can explain why a source may be dependable, limited, or biased. They support their judgment with details about the creator, purpose, date, audience, or evidence.
Common Misconceptions: Students may assume every primary source is accurate and every secondary source is less trustworthy. They may confuse popularity, polished design, or strong opinions with reliable evidence.
How to Assess It: Give students a diary entry and a textbook paragraph about the same event. Ask them to write two credibility questions and choose which source better answers one historical question.

Lesson moves

Give pairs letters, photographs, textbook pages, and website printouts to sort, then add sticky-note questions about each source's trustworthiness.
Ask students to write: Which source would you trust for learning about an event, and what would you check before using it?
Play Credibility Detective by revealing a source's creator, date, purpose, and evidence one clue at a time as teams revise ratings.
Compare two online accounts of a local event, then identify the author, evidence, missing details, and claims needing confirmation.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 5.23.B, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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