Thinking Like a Historian

Historical Significance Did the issue, event, or person result in significant change for a large number of people over the long term? Did the issue, event, or person reveal a long- standing or emerging issue for a group of people?

Primary Source Evidence A primary source is a kind of evidence. Primary sources are created by people who saw or were part of an event Historians use primary sources to learn what people were thinking at the time o the event

Continuity and Change To identify continuity and change, as a historian you need to compare different points in time Remember to look closely. Even when some things change, others remain the same.

Cause and Consequence What is this event? What are the short term actions that triggered this event? What are the long term causes of this event? What were the consequences? Which consequences were intended and which were not?

Moral Judgments Was it right and ethical for the US to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II?

You, the Historian What are some of the ways you, as a historian, can decide if an event is significant? What are some significant events in your own lives, or at school? Why are they significant?

You, the Historian Think about what you already know about Canada’s past. What issues, people, and events stand out in your mind as being especially important? Why do you feel they are more important than others? How do you think the skills of a historian may be useful to you, not only as a student of history, but in your personal life as well?