What is History?

History is an account
of the past.

Accounts differ depending on one’s perspective.

We rely on evidence
to construct
accounts of the past.

We must question
the reliability of
each piece of evidence.

Any single piece of evidence is insufficient to build a plausible account.

SPIKE

Society

Power

Interactions

Knowledge

Economics

Themes

Individual and Society

States and Other Institutions of Power

Interaction with the
Rest of the World

Objective Knowledge and Subjective Visions

Poverty and Prosperity

Basic Historical Thinking Skills

Sourcing

Close Reading

Comparison

• Who made this?

• When?

• Where?

• Why?

• What is the point of view? Reliable?

• What exact claims does the author make?

• What evidence is used?

• How does the document’s tone indicate point of view?

• What do the other sources say?

• Which evidence is most reliable?

• What other possible sources are missing?

HIPPOS

Historical context

Intended Audience

Purpose

Point of view

Outside information

Synthesis

Analyzing Evidence

When and where was it created?

What else was happening then?

Who is intended to hear the work?

Explain the author’s purpose.

Use evidence from the document.

What caused the author to have a certain perspective?

Relate this author’s ideas directly to other people (similar or different).

Connect the author’s argument and its significance to other events in history.

Advanced Historical Thinking Skills

Comparison

Causation

Continuity and Change

Periodization

Analyze both similarities and differences to other evidence in order to draw conclusions.

What are the long and/or short-term causes of this topic?

Where have you seen this before?

What has changed, related to historical themes? (S.P.I.K.E.)

How does this topic fit in a specific historical time period?

Are there other ways to organize the time periods?

Crafting Arguments

Argumentation

Using Evidence

Interpretation

Synthesis

State a clear and compelling thesis that reflects multiple pieces of evidence and perspectives.

Support the thesis with evidence framed around an (advanced) historical thinking skill.

Support the argument with analyzed evidence (H.I.P.P.O.S).

Connect the thesis thematically (S.P.I.K.E.) to other historical topics.