In recent decades the use of history of mathematics, as a resource for the teaching of mathematics, has raised in Catalonia. The formative role of the history of mathematics in the learning for either teaching math or achieving a global view of mathematics, is indisputable. In the different courses of history of mathematics imparted these recent years, both in the initial and permanent training of teachers, we have analyzed several activities implemented in the classroom related to certain historical contexts of the curriculum. These historical cases already studied should be published in order to serve as a model for designing new activities. The aim of this paper is, from the analysis of the used sources in the activities, to propose criteria for their choice so that they are appropriate for the learning of mathematics. This analysis allows us to present some historical activities that verify these criteria.