Module 1 History
Unit 1 Meaning and Relevance of History
What is History? (poster by E.H. Carr 60 years ago)
• It is a continuous "process of interaction between the historian and his
facts. an unending dialogue between the present and the past".
(Carr, 1961)
• History is the study of people, actions, decisions. interactions and
behaviors. (Morphakis. 2000)
• History is the interpretative and imaginative study of the surviving
records of the past. either written or unwritten. in order to determine
the meaning and scope of human existence (Funtecha, 2000).
Why study History? (Steams, 1998)
1. History helps us understand people and societies.
2. History helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to
be.
3. The importance of history in our own lives.
4. History contributes to moral understanding.
5. History provides identity.
6. Studying history is essential for good citizenship.(Patriotism and Nationalism)
What Skills Does a Student of History Develop?
1. The Ability to Assess Evidence.
2.- The Ability to Assess Conflicting Interpretations.
3. Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change
Reasons for Interpreting Philippine History from a Filipino Point of View
(Funteca. 2000)
A. Foreign interpretation is biased and prejudicial.
B. The Filipinos have greater familiarity with and understanding of their own
culture and history
C. The Filipino point of view can help promote nationalism and patriotism.
History as a Tool in Understanding National Identity (Funtecha, 2000)
A. It can help in tracing the roots of the Filipino people.
B. It serves as tool in identifying commonalities in their culture and experiences.
C. It points out the need for nationalism and patriotism in nation-building.
Explore This!
• Then and Now. (2018, October 11) What is History? EH. Carr.
https://youtu.be/gkdzu8X84fo
• Lewis Hanseo Kim (2021. April 26) What is History? - F.H. Carr.
https://youtu.beflXLkYOrHHh4
2 Sources of History
Primary Source
• Are original documents or objects. that have been left behind by
participants or observers. Make a personal connection to the past.
• Are immediate. first-hand accounts of a topic. from people who had a
direct connection with it.
Primary sources can include:
a. Audio- oral histories or memoirs, interviews, music
b. Images- photographs, videos. film.
c. Objects- clothing (fashion or uniforms). tools. pottery. gravestones,
inventions, weapons. memorabilia
d. Statistics-census data, population statistics. weather records
e. Text- letters, diaries. original documents, legal agreements. Treaties, maps,
laws, advertisements, recipes, genealogical information
sermons/lectures
Original research articles published in journals may also be considered a primary
source if they follow the following criteria: are peer-reviewed. title is a brief
statement of a research project, topic has a limited focus, and contain an
abstract, an introduction, methods and results, data in figures and tables, and a
discussion.
Secondary Source
• Interpret and analyze primary' sources: restate or reuse information.
• Often reference original documents.
• More readily available than primary sources; are one step removed
from primary sources though they often quote or otherwise use
primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of
interpretation and analysis.
Secondary sources can include:
• Most books about a topic
• Analysis or interpretation of data
• Scholarly or other articles about a topic
• Documentaries
Examples: Textbooks. magazine articles. newspaper articles, histories,
criticisms, encyclopedias. dictionaries, atlases. biographies,
Criteria to identify secondary articles: Are not peer-reviewed. and topics are of
popular interest and are generally broad overviews. They do not contain an
abstract. introduction. methods and results. data in figures and tables, or a
discussion. A journal article that synthesizes information from other studies but
does not advance an original idea is a secondary source.
Tertiary Source Unit 2 Identification of Historical Importance of the Text
• Provide an overview, summary or index of a topic and may contain
both primary and secondary sources. Historical Significance
• Do not include analysis or critique, but are useful for finding • Is a decision that modern people make about what is important from
background information on a topic (names, dates, definitions, etc.) and our past.
can point to other relevant resources.
How do people decide what is significant?
Examples of tertiary resources are: Novelty
• Encyclopedias • Things are considered important if they do something new, which had
• Dictionaries never been seen before.
• Atlases • It means the quality of being new original or unusual.
• Handbooks Applicability
• Review articles • Things are considered significant because people have realized that
How do Primary and Secondary Sources differ? they are applicable to something happening in the present.
While primary sources are the original records created by firsthand witnesses of • “History repeats itself”
an event, secondary sources are documents, texts, images, and objects about an Memory
event created by someone who typically referenced the primary sources for their • Things are considered significant because they have been remembered
information. Textbooks are excellent examples of secondary sources. in a particular way overtime.
• More famous with each passing year
Why is it important for students to use Primary Sources? Effects
1. Direct engagement with artifacts and records of the past encourages • Things are considered significant because a lot of people have been
deeper content exploration, active analysis, and thoughtful response. affected by them.
2. Analysis of primary sources helps students develop critical thinking • The more people have been affected, the more significant it is
skills by examining meaning. context. bias, purpose. point of view. etc. considered to be.
3. Primary source analysis fosters learner-led inquiry as students construct
knowledge by interacting with a variety of sources that represent
different accounts of the past.
4. Students realize that history exists through interpretation that reflects
the view points and biases of those doing the interpreting.

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CRITICISM

External Criticism- refers to the genuineness of the documents a researcher uses
in a historical study (Fraenkel & Wallen,n.d).?
Internal Criticism- refers to the accuracy of the contents of a document. Whereas
external criticism refers to the authenticity of the document, external
criticism has to do with what the document says.
(Fraenkel & Wallen n.d)
3 Examination of the Author’s Main Argument and Point of View

Author’s Perspective/ Viewpoint- how the author feels about the subject
Author’s Purpose- referring to the ‘why’ behind their writing; the reason they
Decided to write in the first place

Different Types of Author’s Purpose

1. Persuade
• Common purpose of writing, esp. in nonfiction writing
• It will aim to convince the reader of the merits of a certain
point of view.
• Author will attempt the reader with his point of view and/or
subsequently take a particular course of action.
2. Inform
• Author wishes to enlighten their readership about a real-world
topic.
• Informational texts are geared toward imparting information to
the reader with the purpose of educating them on a given
topic.
3. Entertain
• Author will endeavour to keep things as interesting as
possible.
• Things happen in books that are written to entertain, whether
in the form of an action-packed plot, inventive
characterizations, or sharp dialogue.
4. Explain
• Author want to tell the reader how to do something or reveal
to them how something works.
• Communicating a method or a process.
5. Describe
• Writers used words to describe something in more detail than
be conveyed in a photograph alone.
• “A picture paints a thousand words and text can help get us
beyond the one-dimensional appearance of things.