Historical Inquiry: Questions, Sources & Evidence — Practice · Grade 7 Social Studies

Chapter: Historical Inquiry & Indigenous Nations

What this practice covers

By the end of Historical Inquiry: Questions, Sources & Evidence you should be able to:

8 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: context, primary source, interpretation, corroboration, inference.

Problem 1

Why is “Did the canal improve every life?” difficult to answer with one freight receipt?
Answer and explanation

The receipt concerns a particular shipment and cost. It cannot establish every person’s earnings, safety, displacement, or other experience; specify a narrower claim and seek additional records.

Problem 2

Does calling a letter a primary source prove its statements?
Answer and explanation

No. Its date and connection to the event make it relevant evidence, but its claims still need contextual reading and comparison with other information.

Problem 3

What is the difference between twelve enrolled names and twelve daily attendees?
Answer and explanation

Enrollment records a listed status. Daily attendance concerns behavior at particular times; attendance logs or other independent evidence would be needed.

Problem 4

How can a writer improve a claim that one diary represents every resident?
Answer and explanation

Identify the diarist, date, and setting, describe the recorded experience, and qualify the generalization. Compare other independently produced accounts before extending it.

Problem 5

Invented teaching records: a register lists 12 enrolled learners in May; an attendance sheet for one May day marks 9 present. Neither is a historical quotation. Explain why the records can agree and identify what they cannot establish about the whole term.
Answer and explanation

The register lists 12 learners, while 9 were present on one recorded day. Three were not marked present that day, assuming the same roster and complete marking. That does not show why they were absent or their attendance throughout the term. More dates and information about the recording method would test a broader claim.

Identify the different measures: enrollment and daily presence.

Compare the same period without treating the measures as identical.

Seek additional dated attendance records for a term-wide claim.

Response criteria

  • Describe the historical context and institutions accurately.
  • Connect relevant evidence with an explained claim or calculation.
  • Represent particular perspectives without stereotypes or invented testimony.
  • Identify an assumption, evidentiary limit, or distinction that qualifies the conclusion.

Problem 6

Two webpages copy the same newspaper report. Can they independently confirm the event?
Answer and explanation

They preserve access to one report, not two independent observations. Trace the original date, writer, purpose, and evidence, then compare a separately created record.

Response criteria

  • Describe the historical context and institutions accurately.
  • Connect relevant evidence with an explained claim or calculation.
  • Represent particular perspectives without stereotypes or invented testimony.
  • Identify an assumption, evidentiary limit, or distinction that qualifies the conclusion.

Problem 7

Give one feature of a focused historical question.
Answer and explanation

It identifies a period, place, activity, or relationship that available evidence can investigate; its terms are defined.

Problem 8

Does a source limitation make the source useless?
Answer and explanation

No. It narrows the claims the record can support. A register remains useful for enrollment even when it cannot show daily attendance.

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