Historian’s Toolkit

Learning Targets

🎯 I can explain how major events are related to one another.

🎯 I can use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features.

🎯 I can assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw conclusions from them.

🎯 I can describe cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events, including the long- and short-term causal relations.

Why History Matters

“Ah yes, the past can hurt, but as I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it”

3 Reasons Why History Matters

1. History is the story of us. It defines us - who we are, where we’ve been, where we’re going
2. History includes true stories of real heroes, real villains, and real-life adventures
3. History is a mystery. New discoveries help us understand the past, our present, and our future.

Which reason for why history matters is most important to you? Why?

The Historian’s Challenge

How do we know what we know about

history/the past when we were not there?

EVIDENCE

(HISTORICAL RECORD)

Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary sources are first-hand pieces of evidence from people who saw or experienced the events described. Primary sources include written documents, such as letters, diaries, and official records.

Secondary sources are created after the events. They are created by people who were not part of the historical event. The information in secondary sources is partially based on primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include biographies, history books, and textbooks.

Analyzing Sources

1. Who created the source?
2. Why was the source created - what was its purpose and for whom was it written/created?
3. What is the source about?
4. When was the source created?
5. How was the source created?
6. Is the source a primary or secondary source?

a particular focus a person takes when considering a problem or situation

believable

letters, diaries, speeches, etc.

an unreasoned (one-sided) judgment about people and events

trustworthy

not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts

Draw lines to match the word to the definition:

bias

point of view

objective

credible

reliable

source

Credibility

• Are facts supported with evidence?
• Is the language objective and not emotional?
• Can the same information be found in another source?
• Is the source’s creator reputable, or does he or she have credentials that would suggest credibility?
• Does the author or speaker acknowledge other viewpoints?
• Is the source biased?

Source Reliability and Credibility

Which source would provide more reliable (trustworthy, accurate) information? Why?

A child’s 2nd birthday party

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A: The child retelling the story 2 years later.

B: The child’s parent retelling the story twenty years later.

Source Reliability and Credibility

Which source would provide more reliable (trustworthy, accurate) information? Why?

The Roman Empire

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A: A painting made in 1870 (over 1,000 years after the end of the empire) by a European.

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B: A history textbook made in 2019 by a group of

American historians.

Source Reliability and Credibility

Which source would provide more reliable (trustworthy, accurate) information? Why?

Volcanoes

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A: Wikipedia

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B: Encyclopedia Britannica

1941 Edition

Source Reliability and Credibility

Which source would provide more reliable (trustworthy, accurate) information? Why?

The Civil War

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A: A video documentary created in 1990

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B: A book about the Civil War published in 1961

TIME

10 years

100 years

before common era�(before the birth of Jesus)

common era�(after the birth of Jesus)

“about”

blocks of time known as periods

Draw lines to match the word to the definition:

B.C.E.

era

decade

C.E.

century

c. or circa

• 3000 B.C.E. • 2000 B.C.E. • 1000 B.C.E. • 1 C.E.

• 4000 B.C.E.

• 1000 C.E.

Modern History

after 1400 C.E. to present

Middle Ages

500 C.E. to 1400 C.E.

Prehistory

up to 3500 B.C.E.

Ancient History

3500 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.

Draw or write an example of something that happened in each of the time periods.

Does the whole world use the same calendar?

Calendars

The most commonly used “Western” calendar, a year is 365 days and it starts when Jesus was born.

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What are examples of other calendars used around the world?

Timelines

Create a timeline of your life including at least four events.

GEOGRAPHY

Consider Your Environment

How would you describe the location where you live?

How has this location changed or been affected by people?

Why do you think people came to live here?

Label each continent and four oceans

imaginary lines that run east to west, parallel to the equator

“half spheres”

imaginary lines that run north to south from the North Pole to the South Pole

center line of latitude

line that divides the Earth into Eastern and Western Hemispheres

Draw lines to match the word to the definition:

hemisphere

Prime Meridian

Equator

latitude

longitude

the exact spot where a line of latitude crosses a line of longitude

absolute location

Absolute Location

º = degree

‘ = minute

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Empire State Building in New York City is located at

40º 44’ N, 73º 59’ W

(40 degrees 44 minutes North and 73 degrees 59 minutes West)�

Describe the location of Irvine, CA with TWO of these terms:

absolute location, hemisphere, Equator, and Prime Meridian.

Which map is correct?

A

B

C

D

According to this video, why are all world maps wrong?

The True Size of...

How would you compare the size of Africa to the size of the United States? What about Russia, China, or India?

Compare the size of Antarctica or Greenland to the United States. What surprised you?

How is a political map different from a physical map?

Political map of China

Physical map of China

Let’s Practice!

Our first unit is Rome.

1. What is the absolute location of Rome, Italy?
2. What physical features are around Rome, Italy?
3. What hemisphere and continent is Rome in?
4. How many miles away is Rome from Irvine?

Pretend your friend was absent from class today…��Write what you would say if you had to tell your friend how historians study history.