1. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOM AND OTHER THEORETICAL APPROACHES

2. WHO AM I? My name is Dustin Rimmey from Topeka High I Teach: US Government AP US Government AP Comparative Government Current Social issues I Coach: Model UN Debate Forensics You can check out my website: http://rimmeysapgov.weebly.com

3. WHAT IS TODAY’S PLAN? Today we will do five things: Refresh ourselves on basic elements of the Scientific Method Distinguish between empirical and normative data/claims. Analyze systems theory Evaluate the GATHER model Analyze online resources

4. PART 1: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

5. Problem/Question Observation/Research Formulate a Hypothesis Experiment Collect and Analyze Results Conclusion Communicate the Results

6. PART 2: TYPES OF DATA AND CLAIMS EMPIRICAL VS. NORMATIVE

7. THE TYPES OF CLAIMS There are two types of claims that historians make or data that historians use to examine historical events or to analyze history: Empirical Claims Normative Claims

8. EMPIRICS According to Webster’s Dictionary: Capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment Types of Empirical Data:

9. Observation: The collecting and organization of empirical facts; Forming hypothesis. Induction: Formulating hypothesis. Deduction: Deducting consequences of hypothesis as testable predictions. Testing: Testing the hypothesis with new empirical material. Evaluation: Evaluating the outcome of testing or else A.D. DE GROOT’S EMPIRICAL CYCLE

10. NORMATIVE DATA AND CLAIMS According to the Collins English Dictionary: Expressing value judgments or prescriptions as contrasted with stating facts

11. HEGEL AND HIS DIALECTIC

12. THE DIALECTIC IN ACTION

13. PART 3: SYSTEMS THEORY

14. WHAT IS A SYSTEM? A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements or parts that function together as a whole to accomplish a goal. Large systems contain many sub-systems Earth is a subsystem of our solar system, which is a subsystem of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is a subsystem of the universe.

15. COMMON ELEMENTS OF ALL SYSTEMS 1)Input - the energy or raw material transformed by the system 2)Output - the product of a system’s processing of input 3)Throughput - processes used by the system to convert raw materials or energy from the environment into products that are usable by either the system itself or the environment. 4)Feedback - a product of the throughput that feeds back into the system as input 5)Control - the activities & processes used to evaluate input, throughput & output 6)Environment - the area surrounding the system 7)Goal - the overall purpose for existence or the desired outcomes.

16. SYSTEMS THEORY First proposed by Ludwig von Bartalanffy in the 1940s Many scientific disciplines could use systems theory in research & theory development, and then be able to identify laws & principles which would apply to many systems. In this way, scientists could better communicate their findings with each other across disciplines & build upon each other's work.

17. SYSTEMS THEORY Two Assumptions: 1. All phenomena can be viewed as a web of relationships among elements. 2. All systems have common patterns, behaviors, and properties that can be understood and used to develop greater insight into the behavior of complex phenomena.

18. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SYSTEMS THEORY 1. A system is greater than the sum of its parts. 2. The system studied must exhibit some predictability. 3. Though each sub-system is a self-contained unit, it is part of a wider and higher order. 4. The central objective of a system can be identified by the fact that other objectives will be sacrificed in order to attain the central objective.

19. 5. Every system, living or mechanical, is an information system. 6. A system and its environment are highly interrelated. 7. A highly complex system may have to be broken into subsystems so each can be analyzed and understood before being reassembled into a whole. 8. A system consists of a set of objectives and their relationships. 9. A system is a dynamic network of interconnecting elements. A change in only one of the elements must produce change in all the others.

20. 10. When subsystems are arranged in a series, the output of one is the input for another; therefore, process alterations in one requires alterations in other subsystems. 11. All systems tend toward equilibrium, which is a balance of various forces within and outside of a system. 12. The boundary of a system can change. 13. To be viable, a system must be strongly goal-directed, governed by feedback, and have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

21. PART 4: THE GATHER METHOD

22. 1. (G) Get an overview. 2. (A) Ask a probing question. 3. (T) Triangulate the data. 4. (H) Hypothesize a tentative answer. 5. (E) Explore and interpret the data. 6. (R) Record and support your conclusions.