I teach World History, and the best bell ringers I've ever used weren't questions I wrote. They were things people left behind: a photograph, a political cartoon, a short piece of a speech, a page from a diary.
Primary sources make the first five minutes feel like detective work instead of review.
Keep the source small
A bell ringer isn't the time for a three-page document. Pick something students can take in fast:
One photograph or painting.
A political cartoon.
Three to five lines from a letter, speech, or law.
A map, a chart, or an advertisement from the period.
Use the same three questions
Students get faster when the routine stays the same. Try these every time:
What do you see? Just facts. No guessing yet.
What do you think is going on? Now they can infer.
What do you want to know? This one usually leads right into the lesson.
Some teachers add a fourth: "Who made this, and why?" That's sourcing, and it's the habit that matters most later on.
Connect it to the day
The source should open a door to the lesson. A photo of a crowded tenement before a lesson on immigration. A cartoon about the Treaty of Versailles before you get into the causes of World War II. When the source comes back up later in class, students feel like they figured something out.
It's not just for history
Science teachers can use an old lab notebook page or an early map of the solar system. ELA teachers can use a letter from an author. Math teachers can use an old census table.
Free tools
Primary Source Analysis in Grades 6–12 on Elevate the Norm compares the main frameworks.
Fun History Facts for Students: 55 Sourced Bell Ringers is ready to use tomorrow.
Social Studies Exit Tickets close the loop at the end of class.
Want it ready to print
Everything above is free. If you'd rather skip the prep, my TPT store, Teacher Emergency Toolkit, has print-ready packs for grades 6–12, including a free resources shelf and teacher forms and templates.
Need a warm-up for tomorrow? A new set of free bell ringers goes up every morning at Daily Bell Ringers.