How can you think like a Historian? Discussion “Not to know what happened before one was born is always to be a child.” Cicero 100 B.C.

How do Historians Reconstruct the Past? What do they do? What do they do? Why study history? Why study history? History serves as a bank of examples for contemplating present problems. History serves as a bank of examples for contemplating present problems. What tools do they use? What tools do they use?

Why Study History “ The study of history is the best medicine for a sick mind; for in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see; and in that record you can find yourself and your country both examples and warnings; fine things to take as models, base things rotten through and through, to avoid.“ Livy

Why Study History? “Time in its irresistible and ceaseless flow carries along on its flood all created things and drowns them in the depths of obscurity.... But the tale of history forms a very strong bulwark against the stream of time, and checks in some measure its irresistible flow, so that, of all things done in it, as many as history has taken over it secures and binds together, and does not allow them to slip away into the abyss of oblivion." Anna Commena

Why Study History? “What is past is prologue.” William Shakespeare

Why Study History “Life must be lived forward, but understood backward.” Kierkegaard

Why Study History? “Die Weltgeschichte ist das Weltgericht.” (World history is the world’s court of judgement.) Friedrich von Schiller

Why Study History? “ The function off the historian is neither to love the past nor to emancipate himself from the past, but to master and understand it as the key to the understanding of the present." E.H. Carr

Historians use the following tools to investigate and reconstruct the past. Historians use the following tools to investigate and reconstruct the past. 1. Historical Imagination 2. Multicultural Perspective 3. Point of View 4. Compare and Contrast 5. Cause and Effect 6. Analyzing 7. Distinguishing Fact From Opinion 8. Evaluating 9. Political History 10. Social History 11. Military History 12. Comparative History 13. Economic History 14. Interpretation 15. Bias/Subjectivity 16. Evidence 17. Primary Source 18. Artifact 19. Context 20. Objective; Objectivity 21. Historiography 22. Frame of Reference 23. Credibility

Why Study History “There are human truths to be derived from history, and truths well worth the telling, some large, some small, some general, some technical. Some, if not the most important, of the problems which face society today are not new ones; there are similarities and analogies in the past. Any process which increases man’s awareness of himself, that strengthens his chance of controling himself and his environment, is well worth pursuing…The purpose of historical investigation is to produce answers, in the form of concepts and generalizations to the fundamental problems of historical change in the social activities of men.” J.H. Plumb

Why Study History? “To give an accurate description of what has never occurred is not merely the proper occupation of the historian, but the inalienable privilege of any man of parts and culture.” Oscar Wilde

Why Study History? “…what happened in the past influences what happens in the present, and, indeed, what will happen in the future, so that knowledge of the past – history – is essential to society.” Arthur Marwick

Why Study History “ By enabling us to know about other centuries and other cultures, it provides, along with the collections housed in our great museums and galleries, the best antidote to the temporal parochialism which assumes that the only time is now, and the geographical parochialism which assumes that the only place is here. There is not only here and now; there is there; and there is then. And the best guide to there and then, and thus also the best guide to here and now, is history: in part because it helps us understand how our world got to be the way it is; in part because it helps us understand how other worlds got to be the way they were -- and the way they are. “ David Cannadine

Why Study History? “If you do not like the past, change it.” William L. Burton

Why Study History? “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Winston Churchill

Why Study History? “The value of history is, indeed, not scientific but moral: by liberalizing the mind, by deepening the sympathies, by fortifying the will, it enables us to control, not society, but ourselves -- a much more important thing; it prepares us to live more humanely in the present and to meet rather than to foretell the future.“ Carl Becker

Why Study History “One reason why history rarely repeats itself among historically conscious people is that the dramatis personae are aware at the second performance of the denouement of the first, and their action is affected by that knowledge.” Edward Hallett Carr

Why Study History "Historical knowledge enables us to place our perceptions of the contemporary world into a meaningful context and to discern the cause-and-effect relationships between events that serve as the basis for future expectations. Without such knowledge we would be as bewildered as a quarterback entering the fourth quarter of a football game without knowing the score, the amount of elapsed time, or the successes and failures of plays and players.“ Allan J. Lichtman and Valerie French

Why Study History? “People are always shouting they want to create a better future. It's not true. The future is an apathetic void of no interest to anyone. The past is full of life, eager to irritate us, provoke and insult us, tempt us to destroy or repaint it. The only reason people want to be masters of the future is to change the past." Milan Kundera

Define As Many of these as possible. Define As Many of these as possible. 1. Historical Imagination 2. Multicultural Perspective 3. Point of View 4. Compare and Contrast 5. Cause and Effect 6. Analyzing 7. Distinguishing Fact From 8. Opinion: Evaluating 9. Political History 10. Social History 11. Military History 12. Comparative History 13. Economic History 14. Interpretation 15. Bias/Subjectivity 16. Evidence 17. Primary Source 18. Artifact 19. Context 20. Objective; Objectivity 21. Historiography 22. Frame of Reference 23. Credibility

One Pager TERM: Definition of term across the top of page (write neatly) Create a visual depiction of the term. This can be a diagram, image, chart, graph, or symbols In your own words write a brief explanation of how this term may be useful for students of history.

Think like a Historian, Look for: the author’s intention. the author’s intention. bias bias evidence evidence argument argument sources sources Context of the period the document was written Context of the period the document was written

Contextual Thinking: Context of a document or event offers clues that help understanding. When, Where, How? When, Where, How? What proceeded? What proceeded? What followed? What followed? Why the document or event took place Why the document or event took place Who wrote or said it Who wrote or said it To whom was it written? To whom was it written? What purpose? What purpose? What intent? What intent? What Consequence? What Consequence?

A.C.A.P.S. is a great strategy. To understand documents and the meaning they hold, analyse them according to this method: To understand documents and the meaning they hold, analyse them according to this method: Author Author Context Context Audience Audience Purpose Purpose Significance Significance

How about a S.P.R.I.T.E.? S.Social S.Social P. Political P. Political R. Religious R. Religious I. Intellectual I. Intellectual T. Technological T. Technological E. Economic E. Economic

Questions students should ask themselves: How is the past different than today? How is the past different than today? What is the significance of this event, person, place, or document…? What is the significance of this event, person, place, or document…? What can the modern generation learn from the past? What can the modern generation learn from the past?

Kids need to Read aloud and think aloud through the Historical Process. Read aloud and think aloud through the Historical Process. Think about people, places, and events in the past through the eyes of someone living in the past. Think about people, places, and events in the past through the eyes of someone living in the past. balance present minded thinking with thinking in the past balance present minded thinking with thinking in the past Make connections and draw conclusions. Make connections and draw conclusions.

“Just the Facts”? Facts by themselves are meaningless. Facts by themselves are meaningless. Facts are only important when we give them meaning. Facts are only important when we give them meaning.

Skilled Readers of History Talk to themselves as they read- Talk to themselves as they read- The conversation ranges: The conversation ranges: Meaning of the text Meaning of the text Author’s purpose, message, and personality/background- Author’s purpose, message, and personality/background- Think about why the author says what he says and what he means by saying it. Think about why the author says what he says and what he means by saying it.

Contextual Thinking or thinking about events through the perspective of the period it unfolded. or thinking about events through the perspective of the period it unfolded.

Context of an event or document includes: When, Where, How When, Where, How What proceeded? What proceeded? What followed? What followed? Why the document or event took place Why the document or event took place Who wrote or said it Who wrote or said it To whom was it written or said To whom was it written or said What purpose What purpose What intent What intent What consequence What consequence

Students of History Need to: Talk to each other Talk to each other Write essays Write essays Discuss the significance of topics they study Discuss the significance of topics they study Debate Debate Get into the mind of the people who lived history! Get into the mind of the people who lived history! Search for cause and motive Search for cause and motive Investigate- values, perspectives, Investigate- values, perspectives, Students need to embrace beliefs not their own and argue them with zest. Students need to embrace beliefs not their own and argue them with zest.

Read and make notes on the journal article Should a historian cross reference the past? Should a historian cross reference the past? What dangers might they find? What dangers might they find? What would the different traditions in chapter 1 of history and historians make of this article? What would the different traditions in chapter 1 of history and historians make of this article? What is your view What is your view