Text 1: "I felt the floor shake and grabbed my desk." Text 2: "Reporters said the shaking lasted twelve seconds." Which account is firsthand, and what does that give the reader?

Text 1 (diary): "I spent all night bailing water out of our kitchen." Text 2 (news article): "The flood closed three roads and cost the town thousands of dollars." What does each writer focus on?

Text 1: "I counted eleven deer at the edge of the field." Text 2: "Rangers reported that nine deer were seen in the field that morning." On what detail do the two accounts disagree?

Text 1: "I saw smoke pouring from the roof of the barn." Text 2: "Firefighters later said the fire began in a pile of hay." Text 2 is a secondhand account.

Text 1 (letter): "My hands shook as I handed the mayor my letter." Text 2 (newspaper): "According to city staff, a fifth grader gave the mayor a letter on Monday." Which detail comes only from Text 1?

Text 1: "I felt my heart pound when the alarm rang." Text 2: "According to the principal, the drill went smoothly." Which words in these texts signal that Text 1 is a firsthand account?

Text 1, a beach watcher's 1903 letter: "I saw the machine lift into the wind." Text 2, an encyclopedia: "Historians say Orville Wright flew the first powered airplane on December 17, 1903." What does Text 2 add?

Text 1 is a diary entry by a sailor who was on the ship. Text 2 is a magazine article about the voyage written fifty years later. Historians would call Text 2 a ___ source.

Text 1: "I watched our team score in the last minute." Text 2: "According to the coach, the winning goal came with under a minute left." What do the two accounts agree on?

Text 1 (student diary): "The assembly lasted forever, at least two hours." Text 2 (school newsletter): "The assembly ran from 1:00 to 2:00." How do the two accounts disagree?

Text 1, a player's letter: "I could barely breathe as I stepped to the line." Text 2, a reporter's article: "The team won 42 to 40 on two free throws." Why do the accounts describe the same moment so differently?

Text 1 (diary): "I lit candles and waited out the storm." Text 2 (news report): "Officials said 300 homes lost power." A reader wants to know how many homes lost power. Which account answers that, and why?

Text 1: "I watched the fireworks burst over the lake." Text 2: "According to park rangers, the fireworks display lasted twenty minutes." Which phrase signals that Text 2 is a secondhand account?

Maya wrote, “I gripped the railing as the ferry bumped over the waves.” A newspaper article says, “The ferry crossed the bay during windy weather.” Which best describes the difference between these accounts?

Account A: “I cheered when our class robot finally moved across the finish line.” Account B: “The fifth-grade robotics team completed the race after three test runs.” Which detail appears only in Account A?

Which source would most likely be a secondhand account of a school play?

Two accounts describe a town parade. One is written by a child marching in the band, and the other is written by a historian years later. What will the child’s account probably include more of?

If two accounts disagree about an event, the account that was written more recently is always the more accurate one.

Account A says, “The storm ruined our picnic, and everyone felt disappointed.” Account B says, “Rain began at 12:15 p.m., so the picnic moved indoors.” Which statement best explains the difference in point of view?

Which question is most useful when comparing two accounts of the same event?