1. Historiography The Study of Writing History

2. What is history?
“History is the record of the life of people through the ages, written after careful study, which attempts to interpret the significance of the recorded events to human beings.”
History: What is it for?

3. Why study History?
The purpose of history is to explain the past as a key to understand the present in order to, hopefully, successfully guide the future.
Because…
The events of today are similar to the events of past…
com/watch?v=vgmNkY UL_Cw

4. How is history recorded?
How do historians know what to investigate and research?

5. They start with a question
Was Louis Riel the founder of Manitoba?

6. Then they form a tentative answer or hypothesis.
Yes, I think he was….
Then they form a tentative answer or hypothesis.

7. Then they research evidence to prove their hypothesis.
Ask the 5ws –
who,
what,
when,
where,
why?
Then they research evidence to prove their hypothesis.

8. The Two Types of Historical Evidence

9. Primary Sources
People use original, first-hand accounts as building blocks to create stories from the past.
These accounts are called primary sources, because they are the first evidence of something happening, or being thought or said.
Primary sources are created at the time of an event, or very soon after something has happened. These sources are often rare or one-of-a-kind.
However, some primary sources can also exist in many copies, if they were popular and widely available at the time that they were created.

10. Examples of Primary Sources:
Written testimonies, diaries, letters, notebooks
Ruins of buildings, churches, battlegrounds
Photographs, cartoons, portraits
Published first-hand accounts, or stories
Newsreels, newspapers, magazines, documentaries
Taped/scripted interviews, conferences
Maps, charts
Art
Video and film
Sound recordings
Examples of Primary Sources:

12. Records the findings of someone who did not observe the event, but who investigated the primary source.
Second-hand, published accounts created after primary sources and they often use or talk about primary sources.
Secondary sources can give additional opinions (sometimes called bias) on a past event or on a primary source.
Secondary Sources

13. Examples of Secondary Sources
History textbooks
(although there could be copies of primary sources in a text like a letter- hint look for italics)
Journal articles, biographies, movies of historical events, encyclopedias…
often have many copies, found in libraries, schools or homes.
Examples of Secondary Sources

15. Reliability of Evidence
Evidence can be fraudulent or inaccurate
Eyewitness accounts can be purposely or mistakenly reported
Emotions get in the way

16. -Historians must be careful when researching evidence, they must….
1) Ask their Question
2) Form a tentative answer
3) Research evidence—
a) by separating Fact from Fiction (like a judge)
b) researching differing sources
4) Then, and only then can they draw a conclusion

17. Bias Inclination of a witness or historian towards a particular side
Influenced by culture, religion, family ties, education, age, etc
Bias

19. The father of a soccer player would not be a fair ref because he may be biased towards his daughter’s team.
Example of bias

20. Inaccurate mental impression of a particular group or individual, etc.
Stereotypes

21. Example of stereotypes
All high school kids are lazy.
Example of stereotypes

22. When you regard your own cultures is the most important or best.
Everyone is ethnocentric to a degree
Ethnocentricity

23. Example of ethnocentricity
East Kildonan is the best. It is waaaaay better than Charleswood.
Example of ethnocentricity

24. History should be tested for accuracy against other sources
Does the evidence contradict itself or other sources?
ALWAYS keep an open mind when reading historical sources!
Don’t let your biases get in the way!
Reliability

25. 1) History provides us with Identity (individual and national)
-place of birth, date of birth, nationality, family name for example.
2) History helps us to understand the Present
Compare life today with that of the past
Build the future on what we know of the past

26. 3) History is a cultural experience
-places, people and events become significant as we learn about them.
4)History is a body of knowledge.
Dates
Facts
People
Interpretations
 which we use to develop skills in –reading, writing, speaking and thinking

27. How Historians are Judges (write this part down on looseleaf)
Theories..vs..Facts..vs..Opinion
What is a Theory?
-best described as an explanation that IS NOT completely proven.
Examples:
 Theory of Evolution
Plate Tectonic Theory
How Historians are Judges (write this part down on looseleaf)

28. What is a Fact?
-A fact is a fully proven concept (An unarguable statement)
Examples……
Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada’s First Prime Minister
Mr. McFarlane is Kildonan-East Colligates Principal

29. What is an opinion?
-An opinion is a statement made by a person. It states how someone feels, but does not qualify as fact.
Examples:
Kildonan-East Collegiate is the BEST School!!!

30. Are you a good eyewitness- video and quiz
Click on this sentence to do this quiz at home
Are you a good eyewitness-
video and quiz
Survivorman hunts for Artifacts-
The National
Part 2 (pauses…)
Search on the Missinaibi River
November 22, Les Stroud’s “Survivorman” hunts for artifacts under the rushing waters…HBC artifacts approx. 10 mins (there are 2 parts)