HISTORY UNIT

USING EVIDENCE IN HISTORY

WHAT IS HISTORY?
WHAT IS HISTORY?

 The study of people and events that

happened in the past.
 Questions: How, What, When, Where,
and Why
 Past events that are recorded
 Notable events that are recorded
WHAT IS THE FOCUS
OF HISTORY?
WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF
HISTORY?
 War
 Technology
 Religion
 Important People, Events, and Things
 Nationalism: Pride for one’s country
 Imperialism: Aggressive move into someone else’s
territory
 Dates
 Leaders
 Inventions
 Achievement
 Causes/Effects
WHO WRITES
HISTORY?
WHO WRITES HISTORY?
 Everyone writes history!
 Eyewitnesses
 Journalists
 Photographers
 Reporters
 Historians
 People perceive things differently – MUST BE
CAREFUL WHEN YOU READ ABOUT THE
PAST!
WHAT EVIDENCE DO
HISTORY WRITERS
USE?
WHAT EVIDENCE DO
HISTORY WRITERS USE?
 PRIMARY SOURCES
 SECONDARY SOURCES
WHAT IS A PRIMARY
SOURCE?
 1st hand account, written
or recorded at the time
the event happened.
 WRITER WAS THERE!
 Examples = Diary,
Journal, Video,
Autobiography, Cave
Drawing, Fossil, Letter,
Artifact, Phone
Conversation,
Photograph, Reading,
Film, Money, Speech,
Etc.
WHAT IS A SECONDARY
SOURCE?
 2nd hand account, written or recorded
after the event.
 Written ABOUT something, but NOT
DURING THE TIME.
 Examples = Textbook, Magazine,
Dictionary, Newspaper, Historian, Movie,
Internet, News, Books.
WHAT IS BIAS?

 Judgment, either in favor of or against an

idea.
 Attempt at INFLUENCING OTHERS.
 MUST WATCH OUT FOR BIAS IN
SOURCES!
PRACTICE:

We will now visit several stations around

the room. It is your task to describe the
historical evidence you see at each
station, and categorize it as either a
primary or secondary source of evidence.