Final answer:
Primary sources include firsthand materials such as documents, photos, and artifacts, which are created at the time under study and offer direct evidence about the topic. They are valuable for providing an authentic understanding of history.
Step-by-step explanation:
Examples of primary sources include firsthand materials such as documents, photos, and artifacts. These are objects or information created at the time under study, offering direct evidence about the topic. Other examples of primary sources are diaries, government documents, and items like ancient tools or artwork that offer a direct connection to the period in question. Primary sources are valuable to historians as they provide the nearest evidence to the original events or experiences, allowing for a more authentic and accurate understanding of history.
To review, an example of a primary source would be a diary entry by someone from the period under discussion (option a). This is because it is created by an individual at the time of the events, offering a direct perspective. In contrast, secondary sources are typically interpretations or analyses based on primary sources, such as books or articles written about these original documents or artifacts at a later date.