Historical Tools and Sourcing Flashcards
History
The study of the past with an emphasis on human actions
Primary Source
A record or artifact from the past that was created by someone who witnessed an event or lived through an era.
Secondary Source
A record created by someone who did not personally experience the event described.
Fact
Something that can be proven as true
Opinion
Someone’s personal viewpoint
Bias
The way in which someone’s personal viewpoint influences their feelings towards certain things or people.
Historical Skills
Timelining = Identifying historical events and placing them in chronological order
Making predictions = Making educated guesses as to what might happen in a given situation.
Identifying cause and effect = Understanding what makes historical events happen and how they impact history moving forward.
Framing Questions = Identifying the kind of information you might need to research or find to understand a given topic.
Observing choice, error, and oversight = Understanding how decisions and mistakes can change the course of history.
Long Term vs Short Term
Long term is something that happens over a long period of time either before or after an event.
Short term is something that happens immediately during an event.
Human-Environment Interaction
Examining how humans and the places they live influence and change one another.
Examples include how humans modify their environment (such as through building things) or how environments cause humans to adapt (living near bodies or water for transportation/food or dressing according to the climate of a location)
Rise of Civilizations
Examining how civilizations develop and change over time.
Examples include the creation of trade networks and written language, the unification of places under a single government, and the creation of cultural works such as art and architecture.
Growth and Change in Societies
Examining how the role of certain social groups within a given society shifts and changes over time.
Examples include changes in gender roles, treatment of racial/ethnic groups, and divisions between social classes.
Development of Political Institutions and Ideas
Examining changes in how societies govern themselves.
Examples include identifying forms/systems of government, the impact of political revolts and revolutions, and the organization of states.
Belief Systems
The religious and philosophical systems within a society
Examples include types of religion, religious practices and worship, the influence of religion on culture, and development of philosophies.
Interconnectedness of Societies
Examining the ways in which different cultures interact with and influence one another.
Examples include the exchange of inventions and products, the spread of religion and arts, the migration of people to new locations, and the impact of war and diplomacy.
