Chapter 1 - Why Study History

Transcript

1. Why Study History?
2. Gettysburg Address
3. I Have a Dream Speech
4. l Plaque commemorating location of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at Lincoln Memorial
5. History begins with a question or problem - For example... "Was the Civil War inevitable?"
6. Historians look for evidence • artifacts (human-made objects) • photographs • recorded movies • old music • books • magazines • newspapers • interviews
7. Evidence Falls in Two Categories • primary sources - documents or other records created by people who were present during event or period • secondary sources - book or commentary from someone who was not present at the event or perhaps even alive during that period
8. Historians Select and Weigh Evidence This is important! Historians must always look for the creator's point of view, perspective or outlook on events. Historians must be aware of bias when analyzing evidence. Bias is any factor that might distort or color a person's observations.
9. Historians Reconstruct and Interpret the Past When historians interpret the past they add their analysis of events to the facts they have judged to be true. Facts + Analysis=Historial Interpretation
10. Reasons to Study History • Develops empathy • Develops better thinkers • Teaches us to avoid the errors of the past • It's interesting! (The story of people.)