Australian History, Gallipoli, Attack on the Nek Source Usefulness worksheet

Are you looking for a no-prep activity worksheets to strengthen your history students’ critical thinking and source analysis skills while deepening their understanding of Australia’s Gallipoli campaign in World War I?

This powerful resource focuses on the disastrous 1915 attack at The Nek by the Australian Light Horse, using it as a case study to help students evaluate source usefulness—an essential historical skill.

Students will learn to assess a source based on its author, date, purpose, audience, and format, using structured scaffolding and clear examples. The included slide deck introduces key concepts, while the worksheet guides students step-by-step through their analysis of two real historical sources.

Why This Resource Works:

✔️ Teaches students how to evaluate primary and secondary sources

✔️ Connects historical thinking to real WWI events in an Australian context

✔️ Offers a systematic method for judging usefulness (content & provenance)

✔️ Helps students become discerning, confident researchers

✔️ Editable + printable + digital formats for maximum classroom flexibility

What’s Included in This Resource:

1. Editable Slide Deck – “Understanding Source Usefulness”

The lesson begins with a teacher-guided slide deck that introduces key concepts of source usefulness, including content and provenance, bias, perspective, and purpose, with sample questions, sentence starters, and modelled examples to support discussion and explicit teaching of historical thinking skills.

2. Source Evaluation Worksheet

After the slide deck, students apply their learning to a structured, scaffolded worksheet focused on two real sources.

Students are guided to:

• Evaluate each source’s content (what is being said/shown)
• Analyse the provenance (who, when, where, why)
• Make informed judgments about usefulness for understanding the event
• Use evidence to support their evaluation in a clear, written format

3. Source Usefulness Activity

Worksheet designed to deepen understanding.

This task encourages students to:

• Examine the surface and subtext of both sources
• Explore tone, language, and visual cues
• Build confidence in engaging with unfamiliar source types

Learn more about this product’s features, care instructions, and other useful details to help you make an informed choice.

Learn more about this product’s features, care instructions, and other useful details to help you make an informed choice.