A soldier's diary describes a gate he saw fall. It labels his ideas about the king's secret plans as guesses. How should you use these parts?

• Trust every sentence because the writer was there
• Use the reported observation as more direct support; check the guesses separately
• Reject every sentence because it includes a guess

Which three details help you start weighing a historical source?

• Who created it, when it was made, and whom it addressed
• Who owns it now, its price, and its paper size
• Its storage room, its page count, and its current popularity

A one-sided public poster is useless as historical evidence and should always be thrown away.

A government poster urges workers to buy war bonds. Which sentence uses sourcing to support a claim?

• This poster shows that workers bought war bonds
• This poster records workers' private opinions
• This poster shows that its makers urged workers to buy war bonds

Two fictional newspapers describe the same 1935 factory strike. One calls the workers 'brave'; the other calls them 'lazy'. What is the best next move?

• Choose the workers' paper because workers always tell the truth
• Compare wording, omissions, and support for each claim
• Choose the owners' paper because owners know every detail

An open-minded historical answer names relevant evidence that could change its judgment.

Sam writes, 'This source is reliable, so all its claims are true.' What is the problem?

• Knowing its author makes every claim equally accurate forever
• A source's support must be checked for each claim
• Finding one uncertain claim makes every other claim false too

In a fictional case, a general's memoir blames allies for defeat. A clerk's delivery list records 40 shells expected and 20 received. What is the careful conclusion?

• The list records a shortfall; the memoir's blame needs checking
• The memoir proves the allies caused defeat because the general was present
• The list proves the missing shells caused defeat and identifies who was guilty