World History Notes: What is History?

Monday, September 9

What is history?
History--anything that happened in the past.
Prehistory--anything that happened before written history.  We know about prehistory from artifacts, legends and myths, and pictures.
BC--  Before Christ.  All events that happened before the birth of Christ are called BC.
AD--Latin for 'Anno Domini', meaning 'year of our Lord'.   This is the year Jesus was born.  All events that happened after the birth of Jesus are known as having happened in AD.
BCE---a new, politically-correct term for measuring time that means 'before current era'.  It does not use any religious event, but means simply 'number of years before this year'.

Thinking Like a Historian
Questions you must ask about events of the past:
1.  Cause and Effect---What caused the event?  What were the effects?  What were the intended effects?   What were the unintended effects?

2.  Change and Continuity-- What has changed?  What has remained the same?  Who has benefited from the change?  Who has not benefited, and why?

3.  Turning Points--How did past decisions narrow or eliminate choices for people?  How did they change people's lives?

4.  Using the Past-- What can we learn from the past?

5.  Through their Eyes--How did people view events at the time and how did their views effect events?


Tuesday, September 10

Main Idea:   We owe it to ourselves and others to do our best in the life we are given.  Any less cheats the future.

• Epitaph:    a short saying on a gravestone that tells something about the person buried there.
• Obituary:  a short summary of a person's life that appears in a newspaper.  It contains:
• where, when died
• when, where born
• parents, siblings
• education/training/military
• marriage
• children
• career
• interests and contributions
• location of funeral services and suggested gifts or memorials
• epitaph

Wednesday, September 11

Fact and Opinion

Main Idea:  It is important to be able to distinguish between fact and opinion so that you are not fooled into believing falsehoods or propaganda.  

• Fact--  Something that can be proven, such as 2+2 = 4.   If you are researching, it is best to chose sites that are trustworthy, such as sites that have .gov, .edu, or sites from major news sources.
• Opinion---Something that you can not prove.  It is usually someone's belief.  Often people try to disguise opinion as fact.
• Propaganda--material disseminated for or against a doctrine or course that is designed to influence a viewer to believe it as a truth.  TV commercials and political ads are prime examples. 
• Bias---presenting information in a way that supports a particular viewpoint rather than presenting it fairly by presenting all sides.

• Objectivity---the attempt to be fair and balanced in reporting information        
•  

Thursday, September 12

 

Evaluating Primary Sources

In groups, students will analyze an old newspaper as a primary source and answer questions about that source. 

Primary Sources: Newspaper                       Names (First, Last)                       

Group Activity

Morris 2013-14

 

A newspaper is an excellent example of a primary source from a time period.  It tells the story of a time or event at the same time that the event is happening.  It is one of many examples of a primary source.  Using one of the old newspapers or magazines provided, answer the following questions with your group and be prepared to share your information with the class. 

1.        The name of my primary source is____________________________________

2.       What is the date? _______  How many years ago was this?  __________________

3.       Where is your primary source from? ________________ How do you know?  _________________

4.       What was the cost of this paper? _____   How does this compare to the cost of a paper today, and why do you think there is a difference in the prices?________________________

5.       Read two of the front-page stories with your group and summarize them below.

6.        Does the paper look the same or different from a modern newspaper?  How is it the same?  How is it different?

7.       Look at the ads.  Find one business that is still around today.  Find one that isn’t.

8.        Find an ad that has a price.  What is the item and what is the price?  How is that different frm today?

9.       What movies were showing?  Have you heard of any of the movies or the actors or actresses in the movies?

10.   If the paper has a TV section, how many channels were available?  What shows were on during prime time (6-10 in the evening)?  How many of these shows have you heard of?

11.    How were the clothing styles and hairstyles different in the photos and ads of the paper?

12.    By careful reading, what can you tell about the time it was written?  How?

13.    If there is a car ad, what are some differences between cars then and now?  What is the main advertised feature of the car in the ad?

14.    What is the most interesting thing you learned about the culture by reading your source?  Why?

Friday, September 13

Primary and Secondary Sources

• Primary Source--A source created during the time period being studied.  A primary source can be a diary entry, a photograph, a newspaper, a clip from TV, as long as it is from that time period
• Secondary Source--A source created after the event studied.  The best example is a history textbook.  A secondary source usually is based on many primary sources.
• A primary source is not always accurate because it may contain bias, or the person reporting could be wrong in their reporting.  It is best to compare primary sources to find out if a source is accurate.