Source Search at the National Archives Museum

Primary vs Secondary Sources Adventure Pack

Inside the vaults of the National Archives Museum, the evidence files are flickering.

Original documents are misplaced. Photographs are mislabeled. Diary entries and maps are scrambled across the research system. Ari Raider has detected a disruption in the historical record, and if the source trail is not restored, historians could lose the evidence they need to understand the past.

In Source Search at the National Archives Museum, students board the Archive Runner Cart and enter a high-stakes history investigation. By exploring how primary sources provide firsthand evidence, how secondary sources explain and interpret events, and how historians analyze perspective, explorers must rebuild the archive and restore the historical record.

This adventure blends research skills, critical thinking, and evidence analysis with story-driven exploration.

About This Adventure Pack

Source Search at the National Archives Museum is designed for elementary explorers and connects directly to an interactive online adventure.

Students can complete the Source Search at the National Archives Museum adventure online for free, including access to free printable trading cards that match this experience. The online adventure delivers the full learning and story-driven mission without requiring a physical kit.

👉 Explore the free Source Search at the National Archives Museum adventure here:
Coming Soon

For families or classrooms that want to extend the experience, this Adventure Pack adds collectible cards and hands-on components that bring the research mission into the physical world.

The learning experience is the same whether students use the physical pack or not. The pack simply adds a tactile, collectible layer to the adventure.

What This Adventure Covers

Each Source Search at the National Archives Museum Adventure Pack explores core historical source concepts, including:

• Primary Source – An original record created during the time being studied
• Secondary Source – A source that explains or analyzes information from primary sources
• Document – A written record or official paper
• Photograph – An image captured at a moment in time
• Diary – A personal written account of events
• Map – A visual representation of places and locations
• Evidence – Information that helps prove or explain something
• Perspective – A point of view shaped by experiences or beliefs
• Historian – A person who studies and writes about the past

Each topic appears naturally within the adventure and is required to move the story forward, reinforcing understanding through investigation and analysis rather than memorization.

What’s Inside the Pack

• Adventure-Filled Field Pack (6×9 Adventure Pouch)
• Adventure Mission Card
• Interactive Online Adventure
• Knowledge Card Pack
• Mystery Dig Kit
• Dig Stick Tool
• Cleaning Wipe
• Mystery Collectible Specimen (Gemlet)
• Gemlet Storage Container
• Excavating Adventures Sticker

Why Kids Love It

Investigating real documents, analyzing photographs, solving evidence puzzles, and uncovering a real mystery specimen makes history feel like a detective mission.

Why Teachers and Parents Love It

Source Search at the National Archives Museum supports elementary social studies standards through clear explanations of primary and secondary sources and perspective. The adventure strengthens research skills, evidence evaluation, and historical thinking.

The adventure works for whole-class instruction, small groups, or independent learning — with or without the physical pack.

Free Adventure Option

Source Search at the National Archives Museum is also available online for free, including free printable trading cards that align directly with this adventure. No purchase is required to participate.

This reflects our mission at Excavating Adventures: to make engaging, story-driven adventures accessible to everyone.

👉 Explore the free Source Search at the National Archives Museum adventure here:
Coming Soon